It was a two-hour round trip, and just a protocol for women her age, she thought.
But she made the drive over, underwent the mammogram and was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
"I was a bit grumpy about having to drive over there but then I went to Dunedin for a more detailed [mammogram] and then they diagnosed me right away."
Her early diagnosis meant she was able to handle the cancer through radiation therapy and the removal of her lymph nodes.
Recovery took her about a year, but with that, complications such as water retention and lymphohemangioma affected her everyday life.
Lymphohemangioma is a disease characterised by swelling of the lymph nodes and blood vessels and is variously described as a mixture of clear fluid and blood-filled cysts.
"I was in a lot of pain and it stopped me doing a lot of things and was struggling to find someone," she said.
"We have had amazing service from the healthcare system — very quick, very efficient and very professional — no complaints.
"The government is good, but once the treatment is done, that is the end of them, and you need rehabilitation, and it is just that quality of life."
That’s where New Zealand’s only charity dedicated to cancer rehabilitation, Pinc & Steel, came in to play for Mrs Bono.
She was able to receive lymphatic massages and physiotherapy to help with her recovery.
The charity helps support people of all ages, stages, and cancer types. Its mission is to help those affected by cancer reclaim quality of life through tailored physio-led programmes.
She said it was integral to her recovery, and she wouldn’t be where she was today without the local physios who took part in the charity.
Just a year after she began to recover, her husband Davide was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the bones.
The same day he went to his chiropractor about his debilitating back pain, he was flown to Christchurch Hospital and underwent an urgent spinal operation.
"They had to lock 12 vertebrae so it was very rigid.
"As part of being in bed and not being able to move too much, I lost a lot of muscle tone. So when I came back home I tried to get into activity," he said.
This was only made possible by the funding and expertise from the local healthcare operators around Wānaka.
Mr Bono took part in Pilates and physiotherapy and slowly built up his strength and movement.
The next setback was stem cell treatment for the blood cancer, which meant he took 10 steps back in his recovery before slowly moving through the Pinc & Steel physio treatments.
"I had to really re-learn to move; I was struggling even sitting down."
Only a year after that helicopter ride to Christchurch Mr Bono is still learning to move and has a long road of recovery ahead of him.
Doctors have said he is now in remission, but his was an incurable cancer and one that needed to be managed daily.
"Psychologically you start asking yourself some strange questions. Why this and why me? But at the end of the day there is always a choice, and it is how you choose to react."
The couple married in 2001 in Christchurch’s Governor’s Bay. Mr Bono is from Italy and was fresh into his travel when he met his wife-to-be, in 1998.
They chose Wānaka and eventually Hawea to settle because it felt like home and had a good community.
"We had neighbours popping in and looking after animals while we were away; they were making jam for us."
The couple have remained positive in their recovery, something Mr Bono believed made all the difference for him.
"I can’t change what happened to me, but I can change how I react to it. You can get gloomy and sad or react the other way.
"The mind drives the body so if you can get your mind driving forward, the body will follow."
Pinc & Steel spokesman Brett Jenkins said rehabilitation began at diagnosis, and not just after treatment.
Early support for individuals with cancer prepared the body and the mind for their recovery, he said.
The annual Move Over Cancer fundraiser raises vital funds to ensure New Zealanders can access this essential care.
Certified oncology physiotherapists provide personalised support that focuses on the whole person.
From individual sessions to group classes, it is designed to restore strength, confidence, and independence.
To mark National Cancer Rehab Awareness Week, the charity is teaming up with local Pilates instructors to run movement-based fundraising classes and host a free community information session.
Learn more:
WHAT: Pinc & Steel cancer rehab info session
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7, 1pm-2pm
WHERE: Wānaka Community Hub, 34 McDougall St
