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When You're Scared You Did Something to Deserve Your Suffering: An Interview with Bek Stone (Season 2, Episode 11)
51 Plays2 days ago
Today I’m chatting with Bek Stone—a mother of two, physio, and BRCA2 Breast Cancer survivor from Albany, who runs the popular Instagram account @mastectomytomarathon. Bek was diagnosed with breast cancer at 32 years old when her youngest daughter was 19 months old. She initially thought she had mastitis but ended up with a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction in 2025.
A typical physio, who adores running, Bek looked around for a creative outlet to encourage others while she recovered from her surgeries and landed on documenting her recovery (and nipple choices!) on Instagram. This chat was so honest, encouraging, and made me cackle on multiple occasions—I hope you’ll listen in, even if you are not facing breast reconstruction because the encouragement to find women a season ahead of you, from motherhood to mastectomy, is a joy.
In today’s episode, we explore:
- Growing up in a Christian home, with her mother who was a Christian, in amongst a long custody battle between her parents and bouncing around churches, but her mother consistently prayed with them.
- Coming to faith when she moved to Perth for uni. Bek shared how ministry wives, Sally Surrey and Liana Hunt, invited her into their homes and shared their lives while raising their young children, and what a blessing this was to her.
- Bek explained that she had been taught to expect suffering as a young Christian and spent a lot of time in the Psalms, which truly opened up to her when she suffered as she learned to bring her anger, anxiety, and sadness to God.
- The blessings of running, gratitude, being present in the everyday moments, and the care from her church community, which helped her to persevere.
You can check out the show notes for everything mentioned in the episode.
If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It’s all free 💛
If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at rebecca@storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au.
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Music: Come Back by Ketsa. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License.
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Transcript
Introduction to After Dinner Mint
00:00:00
Speaker
you want to talk about what happens when you no longer have any nipples, I'm your gal. I will talk to you about it. This is the After Dinner Mint, a podcast of stories i tell you at dinner.
00:00:14
Speaker
Think of the mint as the stories you tell after you've been kicked out of the restaurant, holding your mint, standing in the street, telling more honest stories with your friends than you did at the table. It's not a sermon.
00:00:25
Speaker
It's not advice. it's not a tough hole. We're processing what we're learning about faith and life, honestly, in community. encourage you to do that with our God and our communities.
Meet Beck Stone: A Multifaceted Life
00:00:37
Speaker
Hello, I'm Bec and today I'm here with Bec Stone. So Bec is a physio. She's a mum of two based in Albany. She's also the content creator behind Mastectomy to Marathon.
00:00:52
Speaker
Hey Bec, so really great to have you here. Can you tell us a bit about what your typical week looks like for you? What kind of things make up your week? Yeah, absolutely. a typical week for me is very full. I work 0.5, so Monday, Wednesdays and alternate Fridays. And I mostly run a pulmonary rehab program in Albany. And then I'm home the other days of the week, catching up on all of their housework, trying to meet up with friends and move my body and fill my cuff a little bit.
00:01:25
Speaker
but As well as serving at church on a Sunday, mostly in music ministry, which is something I really enjoy. oh wow. And trying to fit in a definitely a park run and maybe one other run during the week at the moment. Yeah.
00:01:43
Speaker
See, and I'm so impressed by this. Like I have talked at length with my roads about this. I'm like, I wish, I wish I was a runner. I want to be a person who runs, but it just, it really makes me angry.
00:01:56
Speaker
Every time like, can't do this. My sort of philosophy is anyone who runs is a runner. So even if you run like 20 meters and you're running, you're a runner. And so that really opens it up to anyone. It's very accessible.
00:02:09
Speaker
So you you can be a runner, Beck. I believe it.
The Mental Health Benefits of Running
00:02:14
Speaker
Such a good way. How did you get Yanni? Yes. So running has been a really helpful part for me sort of postpartum to move my body again and find some time where I'm outside in creation and nobody's touching me. big fan of that. Me too.
00:02:34
Speaker
yeah
00:02:37
Speaker
And i also really like probably more so when I'm walking, but praying when I'm walking. And yeah, over the last couple of years with certain challenges in my life, it's just been a really great place if I'm feeling anxious or like I just can move my body and sort of move through those, you know, particularly, you know, not nice feelings. So that's why running has become very appealing to me.
00:03:03
Speaker
Yeah. Like I like that it when you're explaining it, yeah, it does really come, it combines that couple of things. You're like the quiet, the alone, the prettiness of our like outside and actually kind of the high you get from, not that I can say I get a high from running, but I have done like long di stints of swimming just to be like, am by myself. Don't talk to me. And I need to get some exercise.
00:03:28
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. not Excellent. Excellent. ah Which I suppose kind segues quite nicely into what are you doing that makes you feel like the
Finding Joy in Everyday Moments
00:03:38
Speaker
most alive? Kind of like, this is what I was made to do.
00:03:42
Speaker
Yeah, I really love that question. I think the first time i was asked it by someone else, I realised I feel like myself mostly when I'm sitting by my kids playing sports. So like soccer, down in the sunshine, cup of coffee in my hand, outside.
00:04:04
Speaker
Yeah, i I think that's when I feel most like I was made to do this. I was made to sit here and cheer on my kid and see them having fun. I love that. That's like the highlight of my week for sure.
00:04:16
Speaker
Except when it's raining. Don't like it then. But it is raining a lot in Albany. like No, no. Well, this is, it's it's a very well-kept secret, but it very rarely rains on Saturday mornings.
00:04:30
Speaker
so This is good to know. I love this because I'm like, I'm not particularly sporty. In fact, every sport report of mine was like, Beck is very enthusiastic. How does not master the required skills?
00:04:44
Speaker
But I'm like, I could really get into being like sidelines, mom. Yeah. mom Yeah. yeah i'm I'm not teaching you any skills, but... They put on a really good canteen down there as well. So good. oh so good.
00:05:00
Speaker
And like, it seems like that common theme is like being outside, kind of just doing stuff where you you're like, i'm I'm here, I'm really present and I'm just like savouring this moment.
00:05:14
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. You know, I do lead a very busy lifestyle, but I think it's when you can capture those moments where you just take a moment and take in everything, like all the sensations of like the sun and or the cold breeze and the smell of your coffee and like the kids' laughter, all those things. It's just beautiful and, yeah, wonderful. It's definitely something I've learnt to do more so now after some of the challenges I've faced in the last few years, just to appreciate those moments in the everyday. i think you start to look for them more. I think they're called glimmers or something. Is that the term for them? Yeah. Yes, definitely. Yeah.
00:05:55
Speaker
Like it's that polyvagal stuff. But i I think it's that. Like i would say I'm very talented at like jumping forward to the future, taking problems I don't have from there yet or like worrying about the past.
00:06:09
Speaker
But I think it is there's a real art to it of actually just being present where you are. Yeah. Yeah, I think definitely trying to lean into just the gratitude of the everyday and also like wrestling with the mundane and trying to see the beauty in it and see it as a gift of like, oh, how... You know, and know like there's toxic positivity, but like, oh, how wonderful that i live in a house and I can wash the dishes and, you know, cook yummy food for my family. All those things, those tasks that sometimes you think, oh, this is hard work. But, yeah, I try and hold on to the really positive moments in those things as well.
00:06:54
Speaker
And like the cool thing is like it actually just changes your brain. Like if you're constantly looking for the positives, You know, not and not and like not like you said, there's that toxic po toxic positivity which can't acknowledge any bad.
00:07:09
Speaker
But I think actually just being like, yeah, there are good moments to be seen here if I look for them. Like, yeah, actually does change things.
00:07:20
Speaker
I actually
Beck's Faith Journey
00:07:22
Speaker
don't know the story. um How did you become a Christian? So i was raised in a Christian family. My mum was Christian. mum and dad separated when I was quite young and there was a long custody battle. But right through that, you know, we were going along to church, except we were visited lots of different churches. so I've been to, I think, every denomination under the sun growing up, which has been an interesting experience. Yeah.
00:07:49
Speaker
And then there was actually quite a long time when my family weren't going to church, ah but, you know, mum was still always talking to us about Jesus and we'd pray every day. And so suppose, yeah, we were a Christian family that didn't really have a church family, which I found bit challenging, I think, in my teenage years.
00:08:15
Speaker
You know, and I was at a Christian school and so I was learning about the Bible and had other Christian friends. But, yeah, I think Marmon had some challenging experiences in churches and I think was a bit hurt and just needed some time out. So was that kind of classic transition of leaving home to like move to university where I had to sort of make that decision of like, is this my family's faith or is this my faith? And what, what does that look like living out of home and how do I live as a Christian whilst I'm navigating, like going to university and living on my own for the first time and, you know, trying to be able to communicate with
00:09:02
Speaker
kind of some you know complex ideas sometimes when I was having discussions with other people about topics i was like had to really nut down what it was that I believed so like I don't think there was a real conversion moment like some people have, but it was just like looking back like little moments ah of God calling me to him and giving me opportunities to to follow. and yeah, I was really grateful for UniChurch at St. Matt's.
00:09:31
Speaker
ah that I think were very really intentional about loving uni students like myself from the country. And I really benefited from that and really, yeah, good teaching and a welcoming community. So, yeah, I think like if I had to pick an age, I'd say I probably became a Christian when I was 19. Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:53
Speaker
yeah
00:09:56
Speaker
That's so great. I became Christian when I was like 18. Yeah. Yeah, nice. It is that kind of period of your life, isn't it, where you're, yeah, stepping out as an adult and, yeah, having those big questions about the world and where you fit into it and what's the purpose of this all. So, yeah, it's an important age and stage of life, I think, and important that Christians are pouring into people in that age as well, I think, yeah.
00:10:24
Speaker
Yeah, like and I think... There's something, like saying, there's something really about that stage of life where I think people are so open. Like you're really wrestling, like, what yeah, what is the point and purpose of everything? Where am I going? What what is my meaning? What do i want to do and That almost the stuff that people land on, you see, they really hold to that.
00:10:47
Speaker
So much later, there are so many people who are like at uni church and you can see them just kind of scatter across the state, but actually really intentionally. Yeah.
00:10:59
Speaker
Yeah. Like, so who's someone who like has really encouraged you in Christian walk and why? Yeah, there's a long, long list of people at different in ages and stages of my life. So I'm really grateful to God for that. I think it's interesting now, like the season of life I'm in as like a mom of two children and working part time and serving at church and I'm really grateful for the ministry of both Sally, sorry, and Liana Hunt um in how when I was a student ah in Perth and studying, like they'd invite me into their home and and feed me. And didn't really realise at the time, but just in how they're raising their family to know and love Jesus and how much like I just sort of absorbed that experience and
00:11:51
Speaker
and how kind that was of them. I just think that's such a, you know, it's not a formal ministry that gets a title at church, but I think that's so, so important to invite people into your home if you have capacity to do that and to show them Christian hospitality, because I definitely, you know, try and recreate that now by inviting people other people to our home um and sharing our kids with them and yeah sharing a meal and just showing them love. It's had such a huge impact on me as a mum.
00:12:25
Speaker
And I think sometimes in motherhood, do you feel like you're like, i don't have much to give, like, how can I contribute? But yeah, that really has that their Christian example of inviting me into their home and yeah show me Christ's love you know amidst the busy messy season of mothering young children I think that will always stay with me I'm very very grateful for for that i love that a like and just in like
00:12:58
Speaker
I'm with you. Like there have been people along my Christian walk where they have just been so hospitable and I haven't really truly appreciated it till later where you're like, oh, you you invited me in. You let me see like kind of how you live your life just in amongst all the quietness and you don't realise like how much you're kind of just absorbing and thinking about how you could live your Christian life just from watching then. Mm-hmm.
00:13:22
Speaker
But it's so interesting because i was just editing Bethany Smith's podcast interview and I don't know if you know her, so she's one of the writers, but her husband is at yeah UWA Christian Union.
00:13:35
Speaker
Yeah, cool. And she was talking me about like one of the, she's like, oh, you know, i used to do it and I was on site there, but actually now like, you know, they have three kids. And she's like, I'm at home, but one of the things I love to do is have people in my home, like have uni students. yes Yeah. Something really beautiful and special about that, even though it's not, I don't know, the world would say it's not important, but it really is.
00:13:57
Speaker
Yeah, it's had such a huge impact on me and even how I'm raising my kids now, like there's all these skills I picked up from sort of, you know, observing them raise their children. Yeah, and just beautiful.
00:14:12
Speaker
Yeah. That's great, man. That's so cool. Can you tell us about like a hard season you've walked through and how you've experienced God's faithfulness through that season?
Confronting Breast Cancer at 32
00:14:26
Speaker
m Absolutely. So obviously with my Instagram title being mastectomy to marathon, might give a bit of a hint that I have gone through breast cancer in the last couple of years. So I was diagnosed when i was 32 years old.
00:14:44
Speaker
youngest daughter time was 19 months. And it was like a real shock at the time, of course, because no one's anticipating to get breast cancer at 32. Yeah.
00:14:58
Speaker
So, yeah, I suppose it's probably useful for those of us that have breasts to sort of know what my symptoms were. So I was breastfeeding my daughter and just had like a weird sensation in my breasts that wouldn't go away.
00:15:13
Speaker
and so I thought, well, maybe it's like mastitis or whatever. So I just went and saw the GP. Yeah. explain what's going on and she took it pretty seriously and you know sent me for a scan and which then the scan was like oh we need to biopsy this and so yeah that took a little bit of time going through all the scans and that but yeah then was diagnosed It was quite an early stage, so i was stage 1A for those that are medical among us, which it was a very small tumour. It hadn't spread to my lymph nodes, and so I then had a lumpectomy to remove the tumour.
00:15:50
Speaker
um And then I had to move to Perth for four weeks to have radiation treatment because at the time that wasn't available in Albany. So I think, you know, obviously the just the difficulty of being diagnosed with cancer was exacerbated by having to move away from my family, you know, small kids.
00:16:12
Speaker
Where did you stay? So I stayed at the Cancer Council. They have accommodation, which is just such a blessing. um So that's Crawford Lodge. It's next to Charlie's.
00:16:25
Speaker
But then because I'm in the Fiona's alley catchment, I had to catch it. They had like a shuttle, but every day I had to go to Fiona's alley for my treatment, which was so silly. i was like, I could just walk over there and they also do radiation. But yeah, that's not how it works, unfortunately. You've got a lot of bureaucracy. You're like, but it it's right there. So yeah, I had radiation for
00:16:47
Speaker
Yeah. So I radiation for four weeks and last I was home radiation, I also had a consult with a genetics counselor to test to see if I had one of the the genes that sort of linked to breast cancer. um They often will do this for younger women.
00:17:04
Speaker
And so had a blood test and the genetic counselling and then couple of days after I finished radiation, got a phone call to say that I had the BRCA2 gene variant, which has, yeah, has increased risk of breast cancer, so up to 70%. So most women with yeah.
00:17:22
Speaker
yeah the BRCA2 variation will get breast cancer in their life or 70% of them will. and And so at that point it was recommended to me that I had to have a double mastectomy ah because the chances were would get another breast cancer in my lifetime.
00:17:40
Speaker
And so I had a double mastectomy in February this year and an immediate reconstruction using tissue and fat and blood vessels from my abdomen.
00:17:53
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:55
Speaker
Whoa, that's a lot of change. Yeah, it was a big surgery. It was like 12 hours. And then I had three months off work to recover. And that was difficult for lots of reasons, like not being able to pick up your kids or do your housework.
00:18:13
Speaker
But I also couldn't run, which had been a lot of change, which, it you know, had been that thing that helped me when I was feeling sort of anxious. I couldn't do that thing anymore.
00:18:26
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like not only has everything changed. And also it's all of that over the last two years. Like my parents also passed away. yeah Oh, beg. Yeah.
00:18:39
Speaker
So, yeah, amidst all that, yeah, my mum passed away and my dad passed away five months after her. So just you've been a lot to navigate.
Support and Community During Hardship
00:18:51
Speaker
In terms of how God has shown me his faithfulness in this season has been, like, multifactorial.
00:19:04
Speaker
And so so some things I'm really grateful for is firstly, as a young Christian being taught that suffering was to be expected in the Christian life.
00:19:15
Speaker
And so when it came, i was prepared because I'd been warned to be prepared. So when the suffering came, i thought, this is the suffering I had been warned about. Thank you to all of those pastors and people of faith who had forewarned me.
00:19:34
Speaker
Something that was really interesting to me was I'd kind of really struggled to read the Psalms prior to all of my diagnosis. And I, you know, i was like, I need to understand the Psalms. You know, i read them and don't really understand them. So I went and did a Trinity at night course when I was still living in Perth. And, you know, i was engaging with the Psalms and like, I was like, oh yeah, they're Psalms of lament and just kind of of ah trying to understand it intellectually.
00:20:03
Speaker
um But it was yeah only after started to experience the you know the suffering that i was like, oh, wow, the Psalms are just the most amazing gift to us in the Bible um because of all the comfort and seeing like David kind of speak to God and be like, I'm angry and I'm sad and I have all these big feelings, but it just really helped me to be like, oh, God is big enough for my big feelings and I can take them to you.
00:20:38
Speaker
Yes. Like he can hold all of it Like i have been doing the Psalms this year, at the Keller devotional, which I just generally do after I have a baby. It's just the only thing that I can read.
00:20:50
Speaker
And But what i yeah, like the one I read yesterday was Psalm 88 and it was the only one, you know, it's the only one that doesn't have like even a bright moment at the end.
00:21:02
Speaker
Yeah. But it's that you're like, you're just struck by that. He poured all of that to God and God was like, I i can hold this. Hmm.
00:21:13
Speaker
Yeah. And what a great comfort to be like, oh, actually God knew about this and God's going to give me what I need to trust him and walk through it together. And just that, yeah, that was so, so helpful to me. And for me in particular, Psalm 91 was the psalm that I just kept reading.
00:21:33
Speaker
going back to and like just the first two verses which was really sweet my sister-in-law did a little cross stitch of these verses for me which was very kind but it says he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty I will say the lord my refuge and my fortress my god in whom I trust and for me that just gave me this picture of like abiding in the shadow of the almighty it's like You're just like, I'm here. and God's just like, I have, I have you like, and for me, abide was like, not this.
00:22:11
Speaker
I didn't have to strive or, yeah or like try really hard. It's like, you're actually just there. and that's you like, I'm here and I'm trusting you. and I'm abiding and I'm in your shadow.
00:22:25
Speaker
So, yeah, that was that refuge and that fortress and that, yeah, in the really difficult moments I would just really hold on to those those words and I was like, I trust this God. Like, yeah, I trust you.
00:22:39
Speaker
i love that. I mean, the picture I get of you and tell me if this is wrong is like you're very competent. Like you...
00:22:51
Speaker
really you know what i mean like you're very competent you're doing a lot of things you're like I can move through all of this you know even like I'm I'm gonna run and that you're like just that image of you running like I've got to move I will move through this but I love that actually at your lowest you're like I'm I don't have anything I'm just I'm just gonna hold on yeah like I'm just gonna be still before you Yeah, absolutely. And it has just been that lesson, I think, as being someone who is a bit of a doer ah to, you know, in this season to be like, oh, okay, I can't be a doer at the moment. I have to like receive and i have to...
00:23:33
Speaker
Like, yeah, and that was a real lesson as well of just, like, receiving, like, God's love from my church community. That was just, like, a massive outpouring. yeah I was just like, yeah, these are, like, God's people and they are surrounding me and they're praying for me. My church made me a prayer quilt. Like, oh, the sweetest thing.
00:23:57
Speaker
sweet. And so it was like up the front and so for like a month people could come and like pray and then they'd tie a little knot in the quilt. And so at the end of the month you get this quilt that's had all these prayers. Like it's just a beautiful ministry, prayer quilt ministry. Who would have known? It's such an important ministry. I've never even heard of that.
00:24:17
Speaker
But it's beautiful. It's like that physical thing where you're like people have actually every knot is a prayer. But that's different to just being like, sorry, this me verbally processing out loud. I'm like, yeah, you can be like, I'm praying for you. But to see all of those nots, gosh.
00:24:35
Speaker
Like, what else did your church do that was helpful? Yeah, was.
00:24:44
Speaker
Yeah, so there's, you know, just practical things like making sure we had meals, you know especially post-surgery when I couldn't lift anything heavier five kilos.
00:24:58
Speaker
So, yeah, meals and prayer and, yeah, I think just the amount of people checking in with me. um yeah we definitely have felt so loved by our church community.
00:25:13
Speaker
Yeah, so, so grateful for them.
00:25:17
Speaker
That's beautiful.
00:25:20
Speaker
So is there, like, I don't know. I mean, would say breast cancer, but also like, I feel like the the things you described, like there was so much suffering in one go, like so many major griefs and transitions. i Like what would be a word of encouragement you could offer to like walking through a similar season?
00:25:47
Speaker
Yeah, what would you, how would you encourage you? Yeah. so It's a good question. I think it's hard to give sort of specific advice because I think these sorts of things bring up different challenges for different people. um But I think for me it was to...
00:26:12
Speaker
Just keep trusting God. i've always loved that image of like clinging to the cross and, you know when you get such a confronting diagnosis, I think there's this risk of that you think, oh, God doesn't love me or or like I've done something to deserve this but just holding onto actually Jesus died for me.
00:26:44
Speaker
defeated death. He's saved at the right hand of the father. i think there was just moments where i would be like, actually, what is it that I believe? Like what are the truths I believe? And that was really comforting to me to be like, okay, this is what I believe. um,
00:27:03
Speaker
ah And I think, you know, we live in the in the world where there is this emphasis on the here and the now. um And of course, like, it's scary to consider that I might not have been here for my kids.
00:27:20
Speaker
at And I think that was probably something that was really challenging was to... Like, what do you do with with that? Like, God help me with those feelings and that worry. um And I think surrounding yourself with people who can, you know, sometimes people don't need, like, lots of words. I just need someone to be there in the room with them.
00:27:53
Speaker
um and so That has been really helpful to me is just to show up and to to be there and to sit with someone when they're grieving. um You know, if it's regarding like losing a loved one, let you know, creating space to talk about that loved one. um Yeah, because as the West is pretty terrible about talking about death. Yeah.
00:28:24
Speaker
So, yeah, and there's this kind of thing. It's like, oh, we don't talk about that. And that's, I think, a lot of people I've spoken to have lost someone. It's like that's possibly the worst thing to be like, never to mention them. It's like actually no, you know, they had such a huge impact on my life. And, you know, I think about them a lot of the time.
00:28:46
Speaker
So I think that's something that's really helpful if you're walking through a season of grief. um Yeah. And just making space to,
00:29:03
Speaker
yeah, I think like the psalmist do, talk to God about all of the feelings, like the the wild wide range of like the anger and the the disbelief sometimes like yeah god can handle uh god can handle your anger and your disappointment and your sadness yeah and i i'm grateful for
00:29:35
Speaker
having gone through these things although it has made me a bit worried about oh god what are you what have you got for me next like where are you taking me like you've you've been training me i've got some more skills now but like what's next god ah yeah you're like was this reps like what yeah yeah yeah that's right like there was a pretty heavy reps That was doing, um yeah So I'm like, oh, okay.
00:30:02
Speaker
But I think that's, um yeah, I'm really grateful for other Christian women who had been through breast cancer before me and I was put in touch with some lovely people in Perth.
00:30:13
Speaker
Um, and I think just that shared experience and hearing about how they trusted God as well, I think gives you that encouragement of being like, oh, if they can do it, you know, can, I can do and do.
00:30:29
Speaker
And in some ways it's almost a bit like running. Like if you see someone else running, you're like, oh yeah, if they can I can run too. Yeah.
00:30:39
Speaker
yeah But it's, yes, it's the, it's running, but it's also like Sally Surrey and like Liana Hunt. hello We could do that.
00:30:50
Speaker
They could point their kids to Jesus and this is how she'll, I could do that. And I love that it's like that community of Christian women, even at like the really hard times, you're like, okay.
00:31:02
Speaker
Like they're, they're enduring in this and they're not minimizing how hard this is. And they know all the little tips and tricks. Yeah. That's just so beautiful. Like the gift of the church of almost all of those points.
00:31:20
Speaker
And it's just, you know, made me realize how kind God has been in giving us the church that, um, Like i don't know how anyone would be able to get through any sort of suffering or challenge without the love and support of their brothers and sisters in Christ. um Yeah.
00:31:44
Speaker
Don't know. I don't know how people do it. Yeah. Honestly, I really 100% agree with you.
00:31:57
Speaker
I just think there is nothing there is nothing in the secular world like the church. like It doesn't make sense. There are like people god built and just natural enemies who are like loving each other and caring for one another and walking with each other through really difficult things. And you think,
00:32:21
Speaker
Yeah, having to suffer alone would just compound like, yeah.
00:32:28
Speaker
What? Yeah, it would make suffering and grief so much worse. Mm. Yeah, I mean, you're not alone. That's the, you're not alone. And like I know that when someone is experiencing a trial that I can come alongside them and be like, okay, I'm here.
00:32:54
Speaker
i'm I'm ready to walk with you in this season. You know, it's okay to be sad. it's okay to be angry. It's okay to take your feelings to God and, like, you know, I'm here with you.
00:33:08
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. let's Let's run the race of perseverance together.
00:33:16
Speaker
Yeah. And I think both of those things I have heard fairly consistently, like, from doing this podcast, which is just so
Sharing Her Story: Mastectomy to Marathon
00:33:26
Speaker
beautiful. People say,
00:33:28
Speaker
just because people have sat with them, they're like, i feel like I can sit with someone else and not have to make it better, but I can like sit and be present because that that does matter.
00:33:42
Speaker
um And also just consistently, yeah, like the church has showed up, sometimes not perfectly, but they were there.
00:33:54
Speaker
Absolutely. Well, I would like to really plug your Instagram account, the Masec Demeter Marathon. was like,
00:34:09
Speaker
what what made you start it Like what made you decide, like, i'm I'm going to put this, you know, out here on Instagram? You know, like even videos about like what kind of, you know, like how do you have a reconstruction? Like what kind of things do you pick? like What was this the heart behind that when you started Yeah, there was a few moments like, you know, I'm a classic millennial. I go looking on Instagram for answers to my problems and there wasn't a lot of information in that space. And I think, you know, I'm and a chronic oversharer and I'm a physio, so i'm probably a little bit too confident in talking about my physical body. And I forget that not everyone feels the same way.
00:34:50
Speaker
it but And so the idea for the Instagram happened when I was finishing parkrun. And in Albany, the parkrun has a lot of elevation, which means the first kilometre is all uphill, but it means the last kilometre is all downhill. And it was on the downhill kilometre down the boardwalk, looking out over beautiful middle Middleton beach.
00:35:11
Speaker
And I just kind of hand you, was like, oh, I could like, even just the, the name, like Mastectomy. I was like, oh, I could, I could do that. And I think also knowing I was going into a surgery, a long surgery, and then like three months of not working, I kind of wanted a bit of a project.
00:35:28
Speaker
And so that's where it all started. And, you know, I'm also a classic physio where I love a bit of goal setting. So I thought, let's set myself a goal of running a marathon.
00:35:41
Speaker
And, you know, I've put it on the internet now, so I have to do it.
00:35:49
Speaker
So, yeah it's been really lovely. Like, you know, as you do on the internet, you get a bit of a community of people who are going through similar things.
00:36:00
Speaker
And so I've, yeah, found it as like a nice creative outlet and also just as a motivational tool for myself. I found it a bit challenging.
00:36:11
Speaker
Like I've shared on there that I'm a Christian, but I i find it I feel like Christianity should be shared in personal relationship and i sometimes like when you see Christian influences, it's like hard to capture the gospel in like a, you know, 60-second reel.
00:36:34
Speaker
And so I really struggled with that for a while. I like, how much do I share about my faith? Because like, I'm very open about my faith in my individual relationships, in my community, like with my colleagues and my friends and, you know, people I play sport with, people I run with.
00:36:53
Speaker
But yeah, I found that a bit challenging to sort of think about navigating yeah, that online world of like, you know, what is the purpose of this platform? And yeah.
00:37:06
Speaker
So yeah, that was just like an interesting aside, something that I have thought a lot about, but I still quite haven't figured that out. But that's like my personal take that I would, I think I'd feel uncomfortable, you know, not knowing about the personal circumstance certain people who are following my page. And then I'm there being like, you know,
00:37:28
Speaker
Telling them, yeah, how to, ah you know, about my faith and then not knowing me and i don't know. Yeah. Yeah. So where did you ultimately land on?
00:37:41
Speaker
So I shared a single post that acknowledged that, you know, my faith and in Jesus and expressed that I would, you know, I wouldn't have been able to go through what I've been through recently without him.
00:38:00
Speaker
Yeah, and that's, you know, that's where I've landed for now. Like I was like, I'm going to share, like I feel like I have to yeah because it's such a huge part of my whole experience. um And so I couldn't not talk about him, but I also was like the purpose of this page is not to like evangelise or to provide that.
00:38:23
Speaker
Like I'd much rather individually talk to someone and share. Yeah, that's where I've landed on it. Yeah. Yeah, I'm like, reels are not a place for new ones. no they absolutely are not.
00:38:37
Speaker
And, you know, people say whatever they want in the comments and you don't really know what their situation is or the hurt that they're carrying. So, yeah, it's some it's an interesting time and place to be in, in social media as a Christian. and How to engage, if to engage, when not to engage.
00:38:59
Speaker
Yeah. What? i think that seems really wise. I like the kind of, the thought behind her Like, yeah, what, what is the purpose? What do I hope to get out of this? You're like, i don't want to lie, you're like, yeah, the purpose is going for a marathon.
00:39:17
Speaker
Yep, it is. So yeah, hope I haven't set the date yet. it I do, you know, I'm returning to running now. I'm gradually increasing my Ks. Made the silly mistake of running on the beach last Thursday and irritated my Achilles a little bit. So it's I think that's the heart the hard part at the moment is that prior to surgery, I was doing like, don't know, about 17 to 20 Ks in total a week.
00:39:45
Speaker
Oh, wow. You know, little bits of 5K is added up. But now, you know, physio advice, when you start running or you're returning to running after a long time off, you're supposed to only increase your distance by 10% every week.
00:39:58
Speaker
And so it can be quite slow at the beginning.
00:40:03
Speaker
that Yes, that would be very frustrating. it Yes. yeah So who's someone that you think would be good to talk to or you think is like, you know, really encouraging or someone, that you reckon would be good for this next?
00:40:22
Speaker
So a lovely friend of mine is Anna Rhodes. We have, yeah, been at church together for many years in Perth and she's been a friend that we've been able to continue our friendship even though I moved away. And, yeah, it's been really lovely to continue a relationship ah with Anna and her husband, Lindsay, especially as she's navigating, you know, motherhood a little bit behind me.
00:40:54
Speaker
and yeah, what it's like for her to be married to someone who's ah studying at Trinity and working in ministry and then, you know, for them also considering going into mission work as well.
00:41:08
Speaker
So I feel like she'll have a lot of wisdom to share about that experience. Yeah. Brilliant. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I really, really appreciate you sharing with us. I just think it's going to be so encouraging.
00:41:25
Speaker
And I would just really like to encourage people to check out your Instagram that I will link in the show notes as well. But I do think, I think it's just a very, I just think it's delightful. was like, and I'm not like, I'm not your key demographic, but I genuinely was like,
00:41:43
Speaker
I love the physio vibe of just like this is the stuff I'm working through. i don't Why is no one talking about this? Like i I think it's great. I think what you're doing is excellent. Oh, you check it out, guys?
00:41:54
Speaker
Yeah. My ah most recent ah most recent ah reel that I did was about nipple chat, which was very popular. So if you want to talk about what happens when you no longer have any nipples, I'm mi gal. I will talk you.
00:42:12
Speaker
we clear on the purposes. I love it. Check it out. Take care guys. Bye.
00:42:19
Speaker
That's it from us, friends. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. And if you did, you can sign up to our free weekly newsletter called Stories I'd Tell You at Dinner. So you get essays, poetry, podcast episodes, everything, photo essays straight to your inbox on Wednesdays from March later to November from Christian Women in Western Australia.
00:42:40
Speaker
If you'd like that, the link is in the show notes. Thanks for listening, guys. Music.