Colac turns pink

Mercy Place Colac turns pink for Janine

Mercy Health is proud of all our team members across our network of residential aged care homes but the journey of Janine Collins from Mercy Place Colac deserves a special ranking of its own!

Over the past 11 years, Janine has been forced to steel herself both physically and mentally as she embarked on two separate struggles which eventually saw her beat breast cancer, not once but twice.

Replicating the now-common feat of Gold Medal winners at the Olympic Games or members of an AFL premiership team, Janine chose the back of her wrist as the location for a pink ribbon tattoo to celebrate her initial triumph!

Now she’s wondering what she can add to the tattoo to celebrate her second success.

Janine says she felt ‘overwhelmed’ when her first diagnosis occurred.

“I went to my GP after discovering a lump in my breast. He thought it was hormonal but my specialist and biopsies confirmed it was malignant,” Janine says.

Surgery was needed to remove both lymph nodes and the lump, and then followed two months of radiation.

“Staff and carers helped me through”

“If it wasn’t for family and friends, and the staff and carers at this wonderful home for the aged, I probably wouldn’t have got through it – everyone from the residents to the service manager was so supportive.

“It was so tough, you go from saying ‘that’s the end’ to your family while friends brightened your day,” Janine says.

Janine got a tattoo of a pink ribbon after her first victory.

Now she’s considering adding a message, about being a survivor or having faith.

“One thing I’ve discovered is that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was.”

Mercy Place Colac’s day of awareness

Speaking on the day Mercy Place Colac had a ‘pink day’ celebration to raise awareness of Breast Awareness Month, Janine urged women to have regular mammograms to detect any cancer early.

Janine had no history of cancer or breast cancer within her family and her doctors have told her it was her vigilance and early detection that was critical in her treatment.

She says it was important that she accepted the support which came her way from family, friends and nursing home colleagues.

“You can’t do it on your own.

“If you’re worried about anything, go straight to your doctor. Don’t put it off,” she says.