Once I had talked with my oncologist and made a date to start, my mind turned to preparing for chemo. Some of the things I wanted to do were about me feeling better, and some of the things were medically necessary. Here are the things I did in the nine days between when I booked… Continue reading Preparing for Chemo
Category: Resources
All the hints, tips, guides and resources for navigating breast cancer
Minimising Your Scars After Mastectomy
It’s bad enough that when we have surgery following a breast cancer diagnosis our shape is going to change. We imagine being flat or disfigured. Adding to that are the scars that will also criss cross our bodies. There are some things we can do to help with that though. Here are tips for minimising… Continue reading Minimising Your Scars After Mastectomy
The One Thing that Can Make or Break your Breast Cancer Journey
Breast Cancer is hard, we all know that. There is one thing though that can really determine whether our breast cancer journey is just hard, or whether it becomes traumatic and horrific. And the good news is, we can do something about it. That one thing is our expectations. From the time we are diagnosed… Continue reading The One Thing that Can Make or Break your Breast Cancer Journey
UTM vs OTM – Where to Place Your Implants
When you are choosing your reconstruction after a mastectomy, there are so many decisions to make. Do you want implants? What size/type/shape implants? And what is the best placement – UTM vs OTM? Defining UTM vs OTM But first, what exactly do I mean by UTM and OTM? These acronyms mean “Under the Muscle” (or… Continue reading UTM vs OTM – Where to Place Your Implants
Types of Breast Reconstruction
I’ve mentioned before how clueless I was before my breast cancer diagnosis. In my mind I imagined that if I needed a mastectomy it would mean remaining flat. It wasn’t until I was sitting in my surgeon’s office and he started to talk about possible types of breast reconstruction that it even occurred to me… Continue reading Types of Breast Reconstruction
11 Ways to Support Someone with Breast Cancer
When a friend or family member is diagnosed with breast cancer we are often paralysed. We want to be helpful and caring, but how do we do that when we don’t understand what they are going through? Here are some suggestions how to support someone with breast cancer. Just Listen The very best thing you… Continue reading 11 Ways to Support Someone with Breast Cancer
Sharing your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
A common concern I see raised regularly by women recently diagnosed with breast cancer is whether or not to tell people about their diagnosis. Some people want to keep it a secret, others want to shout it from the rooftops. Here is my take on sharing our breast cancer stories. When I first thought that… Continue reading Sharing your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
3D Nipple Tattoos After Mastectomy – The Finishing Touch
After the months spent dealing with breast cancer treatment and the multiple surgeries required for a bilateral mastectomy it’s so nice to finally get to the last part of the process. 3D nipple tattoos after mastectomy are the final touch; that last piece that can really make you feel finished. Here is a little about… Continue reading 3D Nipple Tattoos After Mastectomy – The Finishing Touch
Lumpectomy or Mastectomy: How to Choose
Almost every single person diagnosed with breast cancer has surgery of some sort, that’s a given. But that’s where the similarities end. The big decision to have either a lumpectomy or mastectomy often needs to be made, and with so many variables, it’s never clear cut. Here are some things to think about when deciding… Continue reading Lumpectomy or Mastectomy: How to Choose
Things No-one Tells You About Having a Mastectomy
Before having a mastectomy we can’t even imagine what it is going to be like. Until we are faced with it, we don’t know how we are going to feel and we often only have a vague idea about the realities. It’s time to lift the lid on some of those things. Here are some… Continue reading Things No-one Tells You About Having a Mastectomy
Breast Cancer Myths You Need to Hear Today
Oh boy, when we are diagnosed everything we have ever heard or seen about breast cancer comes straight to mind – and of course it’s all the bad stuff we remember first. Then we start hearing from everyone we come in contact about that miracle cure or “scientific” research. So many of those things we’ve… Continue reading Breast Cancer Myths You Need to Hear Today
How to Decide the Best Breast Cancer Treatment
When we are first diagnosed we are faced with a barrage of decisions. There is an overwhelming desire to just get on with treatment, and a terrible fear about that exact same thing. We don’t want to be doing this, so since we are, we only want to do it once. But which treatment is… Continue reading How to Decide the Best Breast Cancer Treatment
Easy Journalling through Breast Cancer
If you asked me if I was a journaller, my answer would be a resounding “no”. I’ve always been hopeless at keeping a diary, and when I think about journalling, I think what the heck would I write about? But, as it works out, I was journalling, I just didn’t know it. This whole blog… Continue reading Easy Journalling through Breast Cancer
Ten Questions to Ask Your Doctors After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
When we are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, we are shocked, scared and completely overwhelmed. It’s really hard to get your head straight to take the next step. To help you out, I’ve put together a list of ten questions to ask your doctors, and explained what you should expect from the answers at this… Continue reading Ten Questions to Ask Your Doctors After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
A Beginner’s Guide to Breast Cancer
Let me start this with a disclaimer – I am not a medical professional. This beginner’s guide is written from my perspective, research and opinions. While I hope that you will find some information here useful, do not rely on this as medical advice, please confirm everything with your own doctors. You are likely here… Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide to Breast Cancer
Bilateral Mastectomy Pictures
As I have been going through my breast cancer experience over the last year or so, I have found comfort and motivation in sharing my story with you all. This post will show my bilateral mastectomy pictures from start to finish, all in the one post. I know that when I was first diagnosed and… Continue reading Bilateral Mastectomy Pictures
Gifts for Breast Cancer Patients
Looking for gifts for a breast cancer patient? Click for some fun, inspirational & practical gift ideas that she will love.
Inspirational Quotes for Breast Cancer
Here are my favourite inspirational quotes for breast cancer. They helped me keep a positive mindset during my treatment. Click for your inspiration.
Tips for Coping with Breast Cancer
Have you been diagnosed with breast cancer? Here are some hints and tips to help you through the next few months.
Do You Have Dense Breasts? (And Why You Need to Know!)
Dense Breast tissue can affect our ability to detect breast cancer and increase our risk of getting it, so why don’t we know more about it?
Taking Tamoxifen
Taking Tamoxifen to help prevent breast cancer recurrence can be scary – there are so many side effects! Here I talk about my own experience with this drug.
Testing Temporary Nipples after Mastectomy
After my bilateral mastectomy I tested out temporary nipples to decide if I wanted nipple reconstruction. Here’s what I found out.
What to take to Hospital for Breast Surgery
As I am packing for my third operation in relation to my breast cancer and reconstruction, I thought it would be a great idea to take note of all the things I am taking to hospital to make the experience a bit easier. This list would be just as good for a lumpectomy, mastectomy, exchange… Continue reading What to take to Hospital for Breast Surgery
Travelling with Tissue Expanders after Mastectomy
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, my first thought was how it would affect my travelling. Okay, no, it wasn’t actually my first thought, but it would definitely have been up there in the top ten. Travelling with tissue expanders though did not cross my mind. Travel is my passion. It is also… Continue reading Travelling with Tissue Expanders after Mastectomy
What to Say to Someone with Breast Cancer
I just received a message from a Facebook friend. This was someone I hardly know. We have meet a few times in person, and occasionally will comment on each others’ Facebook posts, and I don’t think I have seen him for at least five years. But I was happy to be approached because it shows… Continue reading What to Say to Someone with Breast Cancer