Anne's Story

“Don’t let disability stop you from having a breastscreen”

When you have a disability like a mobility problem you worry a lot about how it affects other people. Even doing little things can be very difficult. It would be easy to make an excuse and not do things like having a breastscreen. Well, I think that would be a mistake.

My mobility issue made me concerned about continuing with breastscreening. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do the things they asked and that I’d be very slow. I didn’t want to make a nuisance of myself or feel awkward.

But I thought about it and went ahead and did it. Your health is precious – I know that - and with breast cancer, it’s all about early detection. If they do find breast cancer and they get it early enough you have a much better chance of recovery.

The people at BreastScreen Queensland at Chermside were lovely and caring. They made having my breastscreen feel completely normal. I didn’t even need to explain about my Parkinson’s. The lady helped me into position and it was straightforward. I was actually surprised how easy they made it seem. There was no need for me to have been concerned at all.

My message to any woman with a disability is not to worry. They should go ahead and have their breastscreen and know they’ll be made to feel at ease. I’m glad I did.