Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, the phone lines are open because I'm probably
going to need to help to get through the next
little while. Thirteen one, O two three. And this is
a pretty tricky conversation, but Max, you've known me long
enough not to know that I'm a completely open book.
And unfortunately we're about to go through a bit of
a forced change on the show. I'm generally not even
(00:20):
sure how to say it, so I'll just blurt it out.
A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with bloody breast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Cancer, pain in the breast, correct.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And in all honesty, it's been a pretty lucky time
for me and the family. I didn't think i'd be emotional.
I thought I'd done all my crying. It's all right, Sorry,
it's all right now. The awesome news is that we've
got this really really early. And the cool thing is
that the type of cancer it is is that it's
fed by hormones. I know, not espresso. My teenis if
(00:54):
world hurt. So with everything going right, we're really hoping
it's going to be unlikely I'll need chemo, but radiotherapy,
you know, that's still a possibility. However, unfortunately, the way
that unfolded was that I thought it was very small
and manageable, but they found quite a lot of small,
little cancers and so that means that I'll be going
(01:17):
in for some pretty big surgery later this week, and
I'll have to take some time off to recover. As
you can imagine. Yeah, the process has been full on.
I started with it being really positive and I was
ready to take this on when.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You came in, so like when I told you, and
you told the two of us in here, and you
were so brave about it, and you know what, guys,
It's fine. It's not that big a deal. I think
I've got the good end of this stick, if there
is one.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, but and let me be really really clear, I
do have the good end of this stick. I know
people listening right now will have lost people all will
have been going through it or maybe even going through this.
I mean, I think we all know someone by now
who has had a battle with cancer. But the long
and the short of it means that I am going
(02:01):
to have a full mistectomy, which if you're playing at home,
that means they're taking one of my boobs. And if
I'm truly honest, it's probably been that. Bit's been much
more confronting than I ever thought it will be. I reckon,
you know, you know me, I've never dressed skimpul like.
I've never put my boobs on display. To me, They've
(02:22):
absolutely been functional. In fact, when I was growing up,
you know, they almost got in the way of playing sport.
I never you know, I was never ashamed of them.
But it's certainly that was just part of me. They've
you know, I've really battled with myself between being angry
at myself for almost feeling vain about losing a part
(02:43):
of me. But when I sit back and try to
reason with it, I'm about to lose a part of
me that society has forever told me actually makes me
a woman, and it's absolutely necessary. And the other biggest
part of my brain knows that this is really what
(03:06):
needs to happen for me to be good. So, you know,
I think that's the bit. Sorry, as you can imagine,
it's been I've been Jesus, I've been so up and down.
I've been so good.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I don't think you expect. Sorry, you don't have to
be very level when you're going through something. This made
an emotional wow.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, So and I don't well, I do know that
there are people listening that have been through it, and
if you've got any advice or if you want to
talk about it, honestly, the phone line's open thirty one
or two three, because I've got some beautiful friends that
have been able to give me advice. But you know,
at two o'clock in the morning, you do feel pretty lonely,
even when I'm lying next to my husband and wondering
(03:46):
if he's going to still find me, you know, So anyway,
I don't ask me questions. That's enough about me. Play
a song or something.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, well we'll try, and we'll try and get away
from the tears if you want. How'd you go? How
have you been telling people? How have you been telling people?
Saying the words I have breast Yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Terrrible, Like it's the weirdest thing. And it feels even
this feels really self indulgent. But you know, how do
you just ring up a mate? I wrung up a
poor girlfriend and because I knew she'd be so grumpy
if she didn't hear from me, harang her up and
I just said, sweetie, there's no easy way to tell
you this, but I've got breast cancer and then she
was watching a kid play rugby and then you know,
(04:32):
I've spoke to her after she said, oh, I had
to go the toilet and spas and tears. You don't
want to put that on people.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
No, But at the same time, and you being someone
who has a public profile and you're saying it right now,
it is like, awareness is such a beautiful thing. Ali.
You're doing it not for your own plaudits here, not
for us to come and pat you on the back.
You're letting us all know because you're important to so
many people with the world and you can really do
something important for the cause.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
If there is anything I can say is go, please
go and get checked right now. What they say is
if you've got no prior history and everything else, when
between the ages of fifty and seventy four, they're recommended
to go mate the breast green essay people, massive shout
out to them. You guys are incredible. The kindness and
(05:15):
the way that they deal and help you through these unbelievable.
Every single nurse, every single radiologists, every single person that
has touched me or been with me. I cannot thank
you enough. But yeah, if I had no prior in
my family.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, so why did you Why was this something that
you decided to check? And thankfully you did.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Because I was getting really cranky at my husband. I
thought I was going through Perry menopause. So it's GP
all the time, you no, And it was just the
fact that I had a great GP. And she said, well,
before we look at anything further, let's get a baseline
in your mammogram. And that's what started this whole ball rolling.
But yeah, I mean it's been good. And the kids
that like, they're the conversations that I think sweat. I sweated.
(05:58):
I worry about more than my own health, you know, like,
how is this going to affect them? And I do
have permission to tell this story because Matt ny you know,
and me being me, I've got a bit prepared. I
googled and I was looking. You know, they give you
a book about how to tell if your kids.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I was about to tell me that you've lined up
your three children with a PowerPoint president I did do
powerful me has cancer something like that?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Even oh man. So we've sat them down and Matt
and I are standing there in front of the kids
and the kids are fourteen, twelve or nine, and I
just sort of said, oh, look, we're going to have
a conversation and it's going to sound really scary to
start with, but it's not. So just hang in there.
And the middle child's gone, you're getting divorced, and Matt Li,
I've gone no. And then the youngest child's gone, we're broke,
(06:43):
and I said no, And then the eldest child's gone,
you've got cancer, and I'm like, well, at which point
she's probably bursting into tears and gone, oh. I know
I'm always right, but I really didn't want to be
right that time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I thought we were doing jokes.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I know who I am, but they're fantastic. And that
is absolutely part of the reason why I've taken this
long to tell everybody in a wider group, because you know,
the them and us. You know, that's the most important
thing for where we were at.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
You said to us a lot of times over the
last couple of weeks. I woke up at three, I'm
cooking a back to sleep whatever.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, you guys have been amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
What please, that's I've hardly done anything? What what what
is it that aside from you know what we said
before was Matt you know, WILLI still loved me, and
which is an irrational but irrational thought. What are the
things that you found yourself thinking about when it comes
like you've never had these thoughts before, clothing.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Like that stuff? Yeah, but I think, yeah, yeah, Like
I had a really bad day on Sunday. I was
going to meet some friends and I rang a girlfriend
who had been through this since she had a partial
mistick to me morning, mad Maria, And I just rang
her and I said, what clothes won't I be able
to wear anymore? What don't want? And I just went
through my closet and took out all the stuff, you know,
Like that I think is I'm just not going to
(08:05):
be comfortable at the moment, and I just put it
out there, and my beautiful daughter and my husband bagged
it all up and put it away. And that's probably
really irrational. I think it's more you're out of control,
you know. And I know that I'm preaching to so
many people out there who've been through this, because it's
not just breast cancer, it's any type of health thing.
(08:26):
You're out of control of your body and you're at
the mercy of it, and there is a bit of
anger at times.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Why is this happening to me.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Correct, there's guilt. Was it something that I've done? Like
should I you know, have not had that second espress?
Do you know what I mean? So there's a lot
of that. There's a bit of you know, and I'm
embarrassed to say it. Sometimes you just get so full
of stupid self pity that you just think it's bloody unfair.
It's so unfair, like why can't you know? But if
(08:57):
it's not me, then it can't be anybody else, like
you know what I mean, Like it's just but it's
how your mind try to rationalize. Is it for.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Anyone that's been any anyone that's had health issues or
been near someone that's had health issues, has seen and
experienced this firsthand? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, But in all of this, this isn't about, you know,
pity for me. I guess I just wanted to open
the phones to people who have gone through it because
I'm also understanding that this story will make you feel
and take you back to places and everything else. But
and honestly, I'm so freaking lucky, like the screening process,
the health service we have in this place. I have
an unbelievable gp amazing people around me. Work's been great,
(09:36):
and again, most importantly, we've got this early and you know, yeah,
the moment that you sort of slip into that whole
with me sort of thing, you got to think with
your big brain and just go, mane, I'm actually going
to be okay.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
This will be okay.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, this will be okay. But unfortunately, guys, it just
means that I'll be missing for a while. And yeah,
we'll have to get your friend.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Might have a new friend or two, yeah, to hang
out with, just to keep your chair. But we'll get
through that. Thirty one O two three. If you've been
listening along, if this story is resonated with you, if
you have a message of support for our or if
you've been through it and you want to put something
out there into the world, into this brave, tough new
world that we're exploring in this studio for the first time.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I mean, you've had a lot of questions about boobs.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
They have a lot of boob questions.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We how to get you reported to HR in a
work setting, but.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think I'll have to hold a few of them.
We're just a little bit emotional for now, and some
of mine are slightly inappropriate we'll save them, but thirty
one O two three join us this morning on this
journey with Ali Clarke.
Right now, the phone lines are open because I'm probably
going to need to help to get through the next
little while. Thirteen one, O two three. And this is
a pretty tricky conversation, but Max, you've known me long
enough not to know that I'm a completely open book.
And unfortunately we're about to go through a bit of
a forced change on the show. I'm generally not even
(00:20):
sure how to say it, so I'll just blurt it out.
A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with bloody breast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Cancer, pain in the breast, correct.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And in all honesty, it's been a pretty lucky time
for me and the family. I didn't think i'd be emotional.
I thought I'd done all my crying. It's all right, Sorry,
it's all right now. The awesome news is that we've
got this really really early. And the cool thing is
that the type of cancer it is is that it's
fed by hormones. I know, not espresso. My teenis if
(00:54):
world hurt. So with everything going right, we're really hoping
it's going to be unlikely I'll need chemo, but radiotherapy,
you know, that's still a possibility. However, unfortunately, the way
that unfolded was that I thought it was very small
and manageable, but they found quite a lot of small,
little cancers and so that means that I'll be going
(01:17):
in for some pretty big surgery later this week, and
I'll have to take some time off to recover. As
you can imagine. Yeah, the process has been full on.
I started with it being really positive and I was
ready to take this on when.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You came in, so like when I told you, and
you told the two of us in here, and you
were so brave about it, and you know what, guys,
It's fine. It's not that big a deal. I think
I've got the good end of this stick, if there
is one.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, but and let me be really really clear, I
do have the good end of this stick. I know
people listening right now will have lost people all will
have been going through it or maybe even going through this.
I mean, I think we all know someone by now
who has had a battle with cancer. But the long
and the short of it means that I am going
(02:01):
to have a full mistectomy, which if you're playing at home,
that means they're taking one of my boobs. And if
I'm truly honest, it's probably been that. Bit's been much
more confronting than I ever thought it will be. I reckon,
you know, you know me, I've never dressed skimpul like.
I've never put my boobs on display. To me, They've
(02:22):
absolutely been functional. In fact, when I was growing up,
you know, they almost got in the way of playing sport.
I never you know, I was never ashamed of them.
But it's certainly that was just part of me. They've
you know, I've really battled with myself between being angry
at myself for almost feeling vain about losing a part
(02:43):
of me. But when I sit back and try to
reason with it, I'm about to lose a part of
me that society has forever told me actually makes me
a woman, and it's absolutely necessary. And the other biggest
part of my brain knows that this is really what
(03:06):
needs to happen for me to be good. So, you know,
I think that's the bit. Sorry, as you can imagine,
it's been I've been Jesus, I've been so up and down.
I've been so good.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I don't think you expect. Sorry, you don't have to
be very level when you're going through something. This made
an emotional wow.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, So and I don't well, I do know that
there are people listening that have been through it, and
if you've got any advice or if you want to
talk about it, honestly, the phone line's open thirty one
or two three, because I've got some beautiful friends that
have been able to give me advice. But you know,
at two o'clock in the morning, you do feel pretty lonely,
even when I'm lying next to my husband and wondering
(03:46):
if he's going to still find me, you know, So anyway,
I don't ask me questions. That's enough about me. Play
a song or something.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, well we'll try, and we'll try and get away
from the tears if you want. How'd you go? How
have you been telling people? How have you been telling people?
Saying the words I have breast Yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Terrrible, Like it's the weirdest thing. And it feels even
this feels really self indulgent. But you know, how do
you just ring up a mate? I wrung up a
poor girlfriend and because I knew she'd be so grumpy
if she didn't hear from me, harang her up and
I just said, sweetie, there's no easy way to tell
you this, but I've got breast cancer and then she
was watching a kid play rugby and then you know,
(04:32):
I've spoke to her after she said, oh, I had
to go the toilet and spas and tears. You don't
want to put that on people.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
No, But at the same time, and you being someone
who has a public profile and you're saying it right now,
it is like, awareness is such a beautiful thing. Ali.
You're doing it not for your own plaudits here, not
for us to come and pat you on the back.
You're letting us all know because you're important to so
many people with the world and you can really do
something important for the cause.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
If there is anything I can say is go, please
go and get checked right now. What they say is
if you've got no prior history and everything else, when
between the ages of fifty and seventy four, they're recommended
to go mate the breast green essay people, massive shout
out to them. You guys are incredible. The kindness and
(05:15):
the way that they deal and help you through these unbelievable.
Every single nurse, every single radiologists, every single person that
has touched me or been with me. I cannot thank
you enough. But yeah, if I had no prior in
my family.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, so why did you Why was this something that
you decided to check? And thankfully you did.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Because I was getting really cranky at my husband. I
thought I was going through Perry menopause. So it's GP
all the time, you no, And it was just the
fact that I had a great GP. And she said, well,
before we look at anything further, let's get a baseline
in your mammogram. And that's what started this whole ball rolling.
But yeah, I mean it's been good. And the kids
that like, they're the conversations that I think sweat. I sweated.
(05:58):
I worry about more than my own health, you know, like,
how is this going to affect them? And I do
have permission to tell this story because Matt ny you know,
and me being me, I've got a bit prepared. I
googled and I was looking. You know, they give you
a book about how to tell if your kids.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I was about to tell me that you've lined up
your three children with a PowerPoint president I did do
powerful me has cancer something like that?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Even oh man. So we've sat them down and Matt
and I are standing there in front of the kids
and the kids are fourteen, twelve or nine, and I
just sort of said, oh, look, we're going to have
a conversation and it's going to sound really scary to
start with, but it's not. So just hang in there.
And the middle child's gone, you're getting divorced, and Matt Li,
I've gone no. And then the youngest child's gone, we're broke,
(06:43):
and I said no, And then the eldest child's gone,
you've got cancer, and I'm like, well, at which point
she's probably bursting into tears and gone, oh. I know
I'm always right, but I really didn't want to be
right that time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I thought we were doing jokes.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I know who I am, but they're fantastic. And that
is absolutely part of the reason why I've taken this
long to tell everybody in a wider group, because you know,
the them and us. You know, that's the most important
thing for where we were at.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
You said to us a lot of times over the
last couple of weeks. I woke up at three, I'm
cooking a back to sleep whatever.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, you guys have been amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
What please, that's I've hardly done anything? What what what
is it that aside from you know what we said
before was Matt you know, WILLI still loved me, and
which is an irrational but irrational thought. What are the
things that you found yourself thinking about when it comes
like you've never had these thoughts before, clothing.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Like that stuff? Yeah, but I think, yeah, yeah, Like
I had a really bad day on Sunday. I was
going to meet some friends and I rang a girlfriend
who had been through this since she had a partial
mistick to me morning, mad Maria, And I just rang
her and I said, what clothes won't I be able
to wear anymore? What don't want? And I just went
through my closet and took out all the stuff, you know,
Like that I think is I'm just not going to
(08:05):
be comfortable at the moment, and I just put it
out there, and my beautiful daughter and my husband bagged
it all up and put it away. And that's probably
really irrational. I think it's more you're out of control,
you know. And I know that I'm preaching to so
many people out there who've been through this, because it's
not just breast cancer, it's any type of health thing.
(08:26):
You're out of control of your body and you're at
the mercy of it, and there is a bit of
anger at times.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Why is this happening to me.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Correct, there's guilt. Was it something that I've done? Like
should I you know, have not had that second espress?
Do you know what I mean? So there's a lot
of that. There's a bit of you know, and I'm
embarrassed to say it. Sometimes you just get so full
of stupid self pity that you just think it's bloody unfair.
It's so unfair, like why can't you know? But if
(08:57):
it's not me, then it can't be anybody else, like
you know what I mean, Like it's just but it's
how your mind try to rationalize. Is it for.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Anyone that's been any anyone that's had health issues or
been near someone that's had health issues, has seen and
experienced this firsthand? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, But in all of this, this isn't about, you know,
pity for me. I guess I just wanted to open
the phones to people who have gone through it because
I'm also understanding that this story will make you feel
and take you back to places and everything else. But
and honestly, I'm so freaking lucky, like the screening process,
the health service we have in this place. I have
an unbelievable gp amazing people around me. Work's been great,
(09:36):
and again, most importantly, we've got this early and you know, yeah,
the moment that you sort of slip into that whole
with me sort of thing, you got to think with
your big brain and just go, mane, I'm actually going
to be okay.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
This will be okay.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, this will be okay. But unfortunately, guys, it just
means that I'll be missing for a while. And yeah,
we'll have to get your friend.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Might have a new friend or two, yeah, to hang
out with, just to keep your chair. But we'll get
through that. Thirty one O two three. If you've been
listening along, if this story is resonated with you, if
you have a message of support for our or if
you've been through it and you want to put something
out there into the world, into this brave, tough new
world that we're exploring in this studio for the first time.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I mean, you've had a lot of questions about boobs.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
They have a lot of boob questions.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We how to get you reported to HR in a
work setting, but.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think I'll have to hold a few of them.
We're just a little bit emotional for now, and some
of mine are slightly inappropriate we'll save them, but thirty
one O two three join us this morning on this
journey with Ali Clarke.
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