Karate helps Camperdown mum Janet Biddle after cancer battle

It's something, Janet said, that has changed her life.

It was her daughter Beck who signed her up earlier this year and already she has progressed to a yellow belt.

After losing her partner of 18 years, Bob, six years ago Janet suffered one health setback after another.

"I've got a pacemaker, I've beaten cancer, I've got arthritis in both knees and I've got diabetes type two," she said.

But it hasn't stopped her from going from strength to strength since that first karate class.

"I'll be honest I was really reluctant," she said.

But she told herself she would give it a go for a few sessions not actually thinking she would last long.

"I fell in love with it the first session," she said.

"I hurt like hell afterwards."

Janet said one of her biggest fears was falling over but thanks to wanting "more out of life" she hasn't given up.

"It has helped me all around. It's not just a case of doing moves, it's changed my life," she said.

Her weight has dropped from 102kg to 87kg.

"It has just improved her health massively," Beck said.

It's a big turnaround after being diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma four years ago.

After pulling a plant out of her garden in late 2018, she started to get hot and cold and sweaty.

At first she thought she had the flu. Doctors thought it might be a reaction to the pollen.

But when she didn't improve she was sent for a CT scan and doctors eventually diagnosed her with stage one cancer.

"I was scared. I said to him straight out: 'Am I going to die?'," Janet said.

It's still hard for her to talk about it four years later.

"Every bit of ache and pain I keep thinking it's going to come back. I know I'm cleared. I know I've beaten it but it's still scary," she said.

Janet said the doctors and nurses were great, and she responded well to the treatment. "I even shocked my oncologist," she said.

Within three months of starting treatment in early 2019 she was in remission but she finished a full six months of chemo at Warrnambool's cancer centre.

Janet said she coped OK with the chemo but it did cause "strange cravings". For someone who "can't stand" Milo, she suddenly wanted to have cold milk with lots of Milo piled on top.

She said just recently she was told by her new oncologist that she'd beaten the cancer.

After getting through her cancer treatment, Janet soon faced another scare. She has had heart disease "for a while" which was under control when out of the blue in September 2021 she woke up and couldn't breathe.

"Beck called the ambulance. My ankle was up like a big balloon. My blood pressure 200 over something," she said.

One of the valves was not working properly, and Janet spent two weeks in Geelong hospital where she had surgery for a pacemaker.

"I think the scariest part was that because it was during COVID, I was isolated for three days where they closed the door on me. No one could visit me," she said.

The pair are looking forward to going on holiday soon - the last one they took to Tasmania after Janet's chemo she couldn't fully enjoy. She had little strength, struggled to walk, was running out of breath and sleeping all the time.

"When we go away this year, I'm going to be able to enjoy it," she said.

Ever since Janet started karate, along with phsyio, she's had more energy to do things, Beck said.

"She can go for a walk. The weight came off and the diabetes is under control," she said.

Janet loves karate so much she now does it twice a week - also driving to Terang to participate in another class aimed at women.

But it's sensei Peter Conroy's Third Age Karate class in Camperdown that made the difference for Janet. "My teacher is so proud of me," Janet said. "I still can't believe it."

Peter said he had been involved in karate for 36 years and this year decided to start classes for older people.

He said there had always been aged categories for younger people, adults and a veterans division for people age 40.

"I'm 60 this year, for me to enter the veterans, some of the younger members have a two-decade advantage on me in terms of age - backs and knees all function a bit better," Peter said.

That's why he started his class in Camperdown which caters for people like Janet, he said.

"She's stuck with it. The development in her has been awesome," he said.

Beck, who also took up karate last year, is up to her green belt.

"My mum is my carer because I have a disability. I have autism. We look after each other," she said.

Janet said that was one of the things she loved about karate - it was something her and Beck could do together.

"You know the best part about it was the day Peter gave me my uniform. I put it on and I just felt part of it," Janet said.

"The moment I walk through that door I just lose all the yucks behind me. The moment I put that uniform on, everything else goes. It's just me."

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