SUDBURY – On May 29 of this year, Katherine McMahon said something didn't feel right.
"I was working in the garden, getting my hand dirty, and I remember that night thinking 'ugh my muscles and my body is a little sore', but it was a good kind of sore, and I actually remember looking down and seeing like a big marble sized lump outside of my breast," said McMahon.
On June 17, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Now on September 30, with family and health professionals by her side, McMahon was able to ring the bell at Northern Cancer Foundation, signifying her radiation treatment is complete.
"This hasn't been an easy journey by any means, but it certainly has been enlightening. I am so thankful and so lucky to have the wonderful doctors and health care professionals, my family and my close friends, and even strangers who have helped me get through this journey," she expressed.
McMahon's radiation oncologist had told her if it weren't for the advances in cancer research over the past couple of years, her treatment would have been a lot different.
"Katherine was very fortunate. She was seen here in Sudbury where we have the most technology in the whole country, and she was benefit from all the advances in treatment recently. She has minimum surgery compared to previous women exposed to the same disease in the past," said Dr. Sarwat Shehata, Radiation Oncologist.
"Because of new tests and research, I was able to learn that my specific type of cancer didn't even benefit from chemotherapy… it's those kinds of studies that will help care for our cancer patients," said McMahon.
She will be joining thousands of people around the country who will be participating in this year's CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday October 6.
According to the Run for the Cure website, since the run was started in 1992, more than $400 million has been raised for funding breast cancer research.
