The mother of four had no breast cancer symptoms, just a feeling something was not quite right.

That hunch may well have saved her life, within months she had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

“I was very lucky it was a very early diagnosis,” Ms Ellis, 53, said.

The Wodonga school administrator was nearly 42 when the cancer was detected and a key part of her recovery was massage on her lymphatic system.

Protein within the lymph network can accumulate resulting in blockages which limit body movement.

“It’s a very debilitating condition, especially for women that have been very active,” Ms Ellis said.

“You deal with enough emotional trauma going through the cancer, then to have other parts of your body breakdown it’s very difficult to deal with.”

Ms Ellis sought treatment from remedial massage therapist Paul Nixon.

The Albury and Bright practitioner coaxed her to tell her story as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Mr Nixon said breast cancer patients accounted for up to 50 per cent of those he treats.

He said some only needed three or four visits before self-management, while others may require professional help for the rest of their life.

Ms Ellis has had more than 40 consultations for the service, which is covered by private health insurance but not Medicare.

“I just think it aids the recovery, you just feel better not having this fluid to deal with, but I was lucky I didn’t have any lymph nodes taken out because that creates a lot of the problems,” Ms Ellis said.

“My experience would have been less to someone that has radiation and chemotherapy.

“For me it was about maintaining good health and wellbeing because I’ve always played sport and I didn’t want that compromised.”

Indeed Ms Ellis says her involvement with dragonboat racing, which sees her train for up to 10 hours a week, has transformed her life with trips overseas for regattas.

“It’s good to be able to say to people as bad as you feel now...there’s light at the end of the tunnel and there’s life after cancer,” she said.

“You don’t think that at the time but 11 or 12 years down the track and my life couldn’t be better.

“It’s provided me with opportunities and opened doors, until three years ago I had never been overseas, now I’ve been to China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Italy and Hawaii for dragonboat racing.

“I had barely been out of Victoria.”