Jolene van Wyk – Alignment amidst diagnosis

Jolene van Wyk (48) lives in Kempton Park, Gauteng with her husband, step son (21), and daughter, Jade (12).

In 2020, Jolene decided to leave corporate after 20 years and become a neurocoach. “The last four years of my corporate job were stressful. I was unhappy, burnt-out, and thought there must be more to life than this. An opportunity came up that enabled me to leave my job and I had to decide what I was going to do. I studied psychology, but I never got my degree. I knew time wasn’t on my side to become a clinical psychologist so I came across coaching and joined the NeuroCoach and Mentor Institute and did a course and qualified in 2020,” Jolene says.

Jolene explains that neurocoaching is a fusion of neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive behavioural therapy which helps change brain behaviour to instil new beneficial habits.

With this new qualification, Jolene’s hope was to find that more to life she was looking for.

Breast cancer diagnosis

Due to Jolene having very dense breast tissue and ongoing cysts, she was disciplined in having regular mammograms. However, due to COVID, this changed. In September 2023, Jolene felt a lump while she was showering.

“This felt different to the usual cysts I would get. My husband encouraged me to go for a mammogram which I did, and a biopsy was done on the same day. The biopsy was incredibly painful!” Jolene recalls.

During the consult with a breast specialist, it was explained that the breast cancer she had was early-stage and a very lazy cancer. That October, Jolene underwent a lumpectomy with reconstruction on both sides. “There was also a benign lump in my right breast which was removed too, and we chose to do a breast reduction as well.”

The tumour was sent for the Oncotype DX test which showed low numbers and the oncologist was happy to not have to administer chemotherapy as treatment.

Allergic reaction to sutures

Jolene was meant to start radiation six weeks after surgery in December, but this was delayed as her wounds were taking long to heal.

“It was only found out afterwards that I was allergic to the sutures that were used; they were causing granulomas along the scar,” Jolene explains.

Thankfully these open sores healed very slowly but a lot of scar tissue has formed underneath the skin.

By the end of December Jolene started 30 sessions of radiation. Hormone therapy was also prescribed; letrozole for five years and a goserelin injection every month. This unfortunately has put the 48-year-old into medical menopause, and in her own words, “Out of the whole journey, the menopause is the worst. I feel like an 82-year-old.”

Dealing with a new type of burnout

When asked if she thinks the chronic stress of the last few years of her corporate job played a role in the cancer, she responds, “One hundred percent. We don’t realise the ravages that happen inside our body when we are under extreme stress. We brush it off but when our adrenal glands are working overtime and cortisol is spiking, it’s really bad and causing all sort of chronic conditions.”

Jolene adds, “Those last four years wasn’t the only catalyst, many other catalysts contributed too, starting from childhood”

Jolene says she is now dealing with a different type of burnout – the trauma of the diagnosis and treatment and trying to get back to normal life. With a focus on her health, Jolene practices mindfulness, deep breathing, and has adopted the Mediterranean diet.

She goes on to say, “I have to coach myself everyday as I’m a stress eater and immediately go to carbs and sugar. I also ask myself why am I doing it and it’s to instil good eating habits for my daughter too.”

The oncologist has also encouraged exercise to help alleviate the side effects caused by medical menopause (weight gain and joint pain). Jolene walks every day and does light weight training.

Coaching at radiotherapy unit

In spite of getting cancer, Jolene’s diagnosis has led her new career path in the right direction and she currently gives motivational talks and offers coaching at the radiotherapy unit where she received treatment. After six successful sessions, another hospital asked her to do the same at their unit.

Jolene admits that in the beginning she felt guilty as it sounded like her treatment was so easy compared to other women. She also adds that she needs to coach herself to not be so paranoid about every ache, pain, or bump. “We can’t live like that.”

Jolene says she is still in the healing process and knows how important it is to take the time to heal. “I still have good and bad days and that’s okay. I have to be kind to myself and treat myself as I would treat a good friend going through this.”