United magazine • Summer 2021

KELLIE’S TOUGHEST BATTLE
USU Women’s Committee Convenor, Sandie Morthen
interviews long term USU staff member, Executive Secretary
Kellie Gale regarding her current diagnosis of breast cancer.
USU Conference in Council
session October 2020
(pre-diagnosis)
Q. Hi Kellie, you’ve worked for the
Union for a fair while now, how long
has it been?
A. 27 years so far – I started work at the
Municipal Employees’ Union (MEU) in
1994 at the age of 24.
Q. What made you want to work at
the Union?
A. My dad, Jim Stubbs, was an
MEU delegate for Bombala Council
when I was a kid. He later became
an Organiser, Industrial Officer and
then held the position of Manager
Metropolitan with the Union. I saw the
way he and the Union helped people
and knew I wanted to do something
similar so, when a job came up for
membership officer at the Union, I
applied for it.
Q. You’re not in membership now
though, how did you get to the position
you are in now?
A. I got the job as Executive Secretary
after moving through various positions
within the Union - from membership
to admin to industrial and
finally to the job I have now. I have
worked for General Secretaries, Jack
Merchant (indirectly) and Brian Harris,
Ben Kruse and Graeme Kelly (directly).
Q. Currently you have some health
issues, what are you going through
at the moment?
A. In November 2020, at the age of 49,
I was diagnosed with triple negative
breast cancer (TNBC). There are different
types of breast cancer, mine is not
a hormone-based cancer so it doesn’t
react to hormone therapy which
some cancers do. TNBC can be more
aggressive than other breast cancers
and only 10-15% of breast cancers are
TNBC but chemotherapy tends to be
quite effective in shrinking this type.
Q. That’s very unfortunate, how did
you find out you had breast cancer?
A. I’d had a mammogram (breast
X-ray) at the age of 47 just because I
was approaching an age where breast
cancers can be more prevalent, and I
was unsure if I was doing the checks
correctly on my own (you can get a
mammogram for free from the age of
40 through Breast Screen NSW). My
maternal aunt and grandmother also
had breast cancer.
I had no idea that I actually had breast
cancer, I couldn’t feel it and I didn’t
feel unwell. Had I have waited until
I was 50 to get a mammogram, the
size and stage of the cancer would
have been greater. As it was, I delayed
going back for my 2-year check-up for
6 months due to Covid-19.
Q. What form of treatment have you
had since your diagnosis?
A. After seeing a Breast Cancer
Surgeon, I was referred for various
tests including blood tests, ultrasound,
CT scan, bone scan, MRI and
PET scan – I also had biopsies which
determine the makeup of the cancer.
Later on I had a metal clip inserted
into the biggest cancer (so that they
Macarthur Cancer
Therapy Centre for
Chemo – started
December 2020
could find the area if the chemo had
shrunk it to oblivion) and a Port-a-
Cath (port) installed for the chemotherapy
to run through. The intensity
of the testing only increases if there
are things that cannot be properly
seen, so not everyone undergoes the
same regimen of testing. Given that I
was under 50 with a family history of
breast cancer I also had genetic testing
to see if I had a BRCA gene mutation
which thankfully I don’t have. All
that testing can expose other issues,
I’ll have to have my gall bladder out
after treatment as well.
Initially, I had 5 months of three types
of chemotherapy at the Macarthur
Cancer Therapy Centre (MCTC). After
that I had a double mastectomy without
reconstruction (I didn’t want the
extra surgery and trauma to the area).
Then, as the original chemo did not
completely kill off all the cancer cells
and one of the cancers was heading
down towards my chest wall I had 16
sessions of radiotherapy - I’m now on
a course of oral chemotherapy until
February next year. Each treatment I
have increases my odds of the cancer
being eliminated and not returning.
My Oncology Physiotherapist has been
great in helping me get my movement
back after surgery and looking
after my scars with massage and laser
treatment to promote healing.
Q. Why did you choose a double
mastectomy if the cancer was only
detected on the right side?
A. I chose to have what they call a prophylactic
mastectomy on my left side
in order for my chest to be more “balanced”
as I did not want reconstruction
or implants and also to reduce
the risks of more breast cancer – although
this does not mean that cancer
will not come back in other parts
of my body. In order to get approval
for that extra surgery, I was referred
14 • United Summer 2021