by Sahar Foladi
A routine GP check after breathing issues uncovered that Paula Falconer was fighting non-small cell lung cancer.
While the news was very sudden, Paula was considered very lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage.
“I had Covid over one Christmas break, started work but I was very short of breath.
“After a routine chest X-Ray I was diagnosed with NSCLC. It happened so quickly, it hit me while I was at work, told my boss and went home.”
The mother-of-five has worked as a quality control at Dandenong South RV manufacturer Jayco for 14 years, along with her daughter Natalie.
Paula underwent a lobectomy, a painful operation where the upper right lobe of her lung was removed.
“The surgery was very painful but since I’ve been very good and don’t feel like I’ve had the operation now or that I’m missing any part of my lung.
“Jayco has been very good and supportive. They kept in touch with me, sent me a big bouquet of chocolates because I prefer chocolates over flowers,” she laughed.
“They adapted my responsibilities and even facilitated part-time hours which were instrumental during my treatment.”
The operation was a success however the road to recovery took its time.
“It took probably a good 12 months before I could do laps around the factory without getting breathless. Because I’m situated at the very back of the factory, it’s quite a distance so I’d ring whoever if I needed paperwork or anything.”
Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for around 85 per cent of cases.
There are no obvious or specific symptoms for lung cancer and it also shares common symptoms with conditions that include coughing, fatigue and shortness of breath. This makes it prone to being misdiagnosed or difficult to detect earlier.
The mother-daughter duo share a strong sense of humour even while looking back at the challenging times.
“It sucked big time but there’s five of us and five grandkids. We’re a big family so we banded together,” says daughter Natalie.
“Whatever mum needed and wanted she got it but she doesn’t get that card anymore.
“We’ll never forget when we walked in the hospital after the surgery and she started to deteriorate because her blood pressure had gone. They had to rush everyone in.
“It was hard to watch that, watch her with all the doctors on her to try and get her to breathe and make a heartbeat.”
The pair, who live together, shares a special bond filled with sarcasm, humour and a next-level understanding that has allowed them to work directly together for more than a decade.
“My son adores his Nanny so it was hard not being able to jump on Nanny,” Natalie says.
“It was hard taking him in the hospital because he didn’t know or understand why she had stuff hanging out of her.
“He’d question why he couldn’t hug her, it was very rough.”
Once an aspiring nurse student, Paula was put on restricted duties at Jayco’s after her car was hit by an 80km/h vehicle, which left her with nerve damage in her neck.
“They let me stay even though I couldn’t do heavy lifting. That was very good of them, and I couldn’t do nursing but some people at Jayco whose English isn’t that good they call me Doctor,” Paula laughed.
The emotional rollercoaster has finally come to an end for the entire family but the supportive nature of the workplace is still appreciated by the mother and daughter.
“Any time I had to pick up Mum from appointments or hospital I was told to just go for it,” Natalie says.
“They didn’t even really take it out of our sick leave either – they just paid us.
“The HR would ring me once or twice a week or message asking how Mum was.”
The family have long worked for Jayco starting off from Natalie’s father, uncle, sisters, cousins and she even met her partner of seven years at Jayco.
According to Natalie, families working together or in different departments is very common at Jayco.
She and her partner are expecting their second baby while Paula maintains her regular routine check with the oncologist for up to five years.
“Her lung allows her to breathe properly so she can’t complain anymore,” Natalie teased.
“It’s good to be back. I’ll be here till I retire,” Paula said.
The duo have built their first home together and have only recently moved in, turning the page to the next chapter of their lives.
