Nicole Gallen knows a thing or two about beating cancer.
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It was 1997 when she was first diagnosed and told she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She underwent radiotherapy for more than 40 days and managed to come out the other side.
But while that was good news in and of itself, the radiotherapy meant she was at a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.
For the next two decades, the Blayney woman would undergo regular mammograms and self-checks. Then in 2018, she found a lump on one of her breasts; it was cancer.
"My first response was 'here I go again'," she said.
"The scariest thing for me is that I've always been petrified of chemotherapy. I never had it the first time around and I was told that I will need it for breast cancer.
"That really scared me. I found one lump and when I went to the doctor, I said 'take both breasts out'. I didn't want to muck around."
This turned out to be the best decision she could have made, as post-operation, doctors discovered cancer in the other breast as well.
For the latest round of treatment, she had husband Terry Gallen to lean on. But he wasn't in the picture back in 1997, so Mrs Gallen had to rely on a support group to help her through the difficult time.
"I went to a few of the meetings and I found that they really helped me a lot," she said.
"Dealing with people who had similar experiences to myself was really helpful."
An ambassador for NSW Cancer Council, it was those memories which prompted her to start a group of her own.
"I wanted to talk to people in similar circumstances to me, thinking I could help them in some way. I started up the cancer support group and it has been amazing," Mrs Gallen said.
The Facebook group, called 'Cancer Support - Central West NSW' has more than 350 members, with Mrs Gallen hopeful of encouraging others to jump on board.
"It's just so good to talk to someone. Everyone has different experiences," she said.
"I'm one of those people who loves to talk and I like to talk about the experience. So if I can talk to someone who has just been diagnosed or just about anything they want to get off their chest, it's so beneficial. It's not just a physical challenge with cancer, it's a mental challenge and that's big time."
While the group indicates it is only open for people from the Central West, Mrs Gallen noted that anyone looking for help was welcome to join.
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