JANE McGrath was so distressed at the prospect of losing her left breast after being diagnosed with cancer in 1997 that she initially declared she would rather die than have a mastectomy, Glenn McGrath's new biography reveals.
An exclusive extract from Glenn McGrath: Line and Strength. The Complete Story to be published in tomorrow's Good Weekend tells how the former Test cricketer helped his wife overcome her fear of disfigurement and concern that chemotherapy would make her infertile. "It seemed to me that this cancer was going to rob Jane of more than just her left breast," McGrath says.
"What I found cruel was hearing the drugs she needs to take would mean that she — we — might not have children … She was worried that if she lost a breast she'd become unattractive but I swear … that was not a problem … I just wanted her to be alive and with me."
The biography covers much of the couple's 11-year battle with cancer — from diagnosis to surgery, remission and the disease's return — and the appalling physical effects of the disease.
"She's battled fatigue, a loss of appetite, bleeding and sore gums, bloating, bone marrow suppression and a terrible itch that left her clawing at her skin — it was red like the most severe sunburn," McGrath says. "But she'd confront all her fears and pain and go through it."
The book also reveals that McGrath's famous effort in the second Test against South Africa in 1998, where he played the full five days despite a seven-centimetre tear in his abdomen, was motivated in part by Jane's presence in the crowd.
"It hurt like hell, but he vowed that if he started the match he would finish it," the author of the biography, Daniel Lane, writes. "He wanted her to know that he too could dig deep."
McGrath tells of his struggle with the emotional toll of dealing with his wife's disease, including the negative thoughts and anger that culminated in the infamous confrontation with West Indian batsman Ramnaresh "Ronnie" Sarwan in 2003.
"He was worried about what was going on at home and that maybe he should have stayed there," Australian Cricket Board chief executive James Sutherland said. "There was a culmination of things — he exploded."