Breast Cancer Life

It has been three years since my left skin-sparing, nipple-sparing mastectomy for the diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer).    I just had my annual follow up with the breast surgeon.    The breast surgeon is really focused on catching any new breast cancer. She does a breast exam on the side where there wasn't any cancer, in addition to checking the area around the implant and in...

I've been thinking a lot lately about my surgery back in 2023,  when I was diagnosed with invasive carcinoma in the left breast.  At that time,  I chose to have a left mastectomy.    I'm sharing what I have come to realize recently about that surgery and how I have honed  in on one of the reasons it may have been a disadvantage to be the last surgical case of the day for my breast surgeon.   The r...

This episode I share what I learned recently that would've helped me more when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and seeking the guidance of plastic surgeon and the breast surgeon. My care ultimately was good enough But I realize that getting a second opinion, and looking at more than one surgeon for each part of the surgery would've benefited as really work to make an informed decision O...

It's been almost 3 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  What has happened over the past few months is that I really took a pause from recording episodes. It really was not intentional that I put off making new episodes and sharing new content. It just worked out as I got busy with life and sort of put all this breast cancer stuff behind me.    I talk about in this episode my radical ac...

I finally got the results of my breast biopsy and I talk about it in this episode. I waited almost 2 weeks, and at times it was very difficult. At some point before getting the results, I experienced a deep sense of acceptance,  in terms of how I would cope with the results. At the moment when my stress dissipated, I felt a full acceptance of this entire breast cancer experience and I realized I c...

It's something I never thought would happen although I was aware that I wanted to prevent it didn't hit me that it would be reality that I needed another biopsy because something showed up abnormal on my mammogram. This episode is about my shock and disbelief about the potential of another cancer haven't really ever thought of myself as a two-time cancer survivor, but it is a possibility so I shar...

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare questions and concerns. This podcast contains opinions of the host.  If you'd like to be the first to receive updates and exclusive content from the upcoming Breast Cancer Life newsletter, please email me at connect@breas...

After having a history of breast cancer, it makes you think about future dates differently. It may be that before I had cancer I thought about the next year's Christmas or birthday and hoped that everything would be the same as it is now.  Definitely after the breast cancer diagnosis, when a holiday or in my case, planning a trip for next summer, comes to mind, I think to myself, and sometimes out...

Checking in after 2 years since I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer to share that recovery from the trauma of a diagnosis is possible.  In the last episode I talked about inner strength that I use in managing my mindset as a survivor. The outlook of knowing I will be ok and controlling the things I am allowed to control does not restrict me from looking back at my recovery. This podcast is...

The title says it all in this episode. It is really necessary to navigate my mindset on a regularl basis.  Most days are busy with what needs to be done in the now or present (work, exercise, the daily tasks that fill our time). There is still always an opportunity for doubt or fear or loss of hope to creep into the forefront of my thoughts.  I share what is helpful to stay on the positive track i...

There are new realizations all the time in this breast cancer life experience. I recently realized I need to preserve the veins in my arm not affected by breast cancer surgery. I have been mindful about not getting any injections, blood draws or bug bites on my left arm since I had my mastectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection 2 years ago. Recently I realized that preserving the veins in my rig...

It has been 2 years since my mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with an implant.  I am about to go to my annual plastic surgery follow up appointment right after recording this episode.  I always say that the plastic surgeon put me back together after the breast surgeon took me apart to remove the cancer (and the left breast in my case). So you will hear me say that the plastic surgery appoin...

Two things happened on the day I am recording this episode that make me think about how my life is different because of breast cancer.  I was doing so well not thinking about breast cancer today that I forgot to implement the usual precautions for avoiding any bug bites on my left arm. I was bitten by an ant on my left hand at the end of my walk today. Tiny ants biting seems like no big deal, but...

Once I got my diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma, I was immensely scared of dying. I was shocked and sad about the diagnosis. I was sure I needed a double mastectomy, because I never wanted to get diagnosed with another breast cancer. My doctors did not recommend a double mastectomy. I only had the left mastectomy. I started tamoxifen a few weeks after surgery. Now, two years since the diagnos...

Because of breast cancer, fear of cancer recurrence is a permanent part of my life. I continue taking tamoxifen to reduce my risk of the cancer coming back. In this episode I share my thoughts on the good quality of life I have while taking tamoxifen. I value my strong body and theimited side-effects I have now. I also value a life with the lowest possible risk of breast cancer recurrence. I look...

Preparing for breast cancer surgery was all-consuming once I found out I had an invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I never stopped to think about what might be part of recovery from the nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomy until I was in the recovery room. Then I learned the skin on my left breast was potentially going to be at risk for impaired healing or tissue death. My plastic...

I had a choice in terms of what would be the best option to remove the invasive ductal carcinoma that I had just learned was in my left breast.  I had recently had a biopsy in a different part of my left breast. Given that there were 2 places that had the potential or were actually problematic, I opted for a mastectomy. I thought that if there were 2 problem areas, there were likely to be more pro...

In 2023, when I had my cancer surgery, there was a non-cancerous spot on the right that was recommended for a biopsy. At the time, I did not ask any questions about why take out =NORMAL! breast tissue? Hindsight is 2020. On screening MRIs for the right breast in 2024, the same "non-mass enhancement" that was seen in 2023 (before any breast surgery) keeps showing up in the imaging report.   The con...

My swimming workout is my ultimate treat each week.  I consider it a great escape because it takes me to an alternate place. In the water, my body is horizontal. I glide through the water and work all the muscles in my body, from head to toe.  I am on a different plane and weightless in the water. This roughly 45 minute experience restores my mental and physical energy. It helps me to feel better...

I am at a point now where I have follow-up breast imaging. I suspect everything will be normal. I considered rescheduling the upcoming appointments related to my breast cancer until after the holiday season.  A few common thoughts that I bring up in this episode: Survivorship can be difficult, even when things are going well Everything has the potential to be something in the body after a history...

In this episode, I talk about being compelled to take on projects that are important to me. This includes a lot of "putting life in order" tasks that seem to be priorities for me now. The year of 2023 was consumed by my health care experience that was centered on the breast cancer screening, diagnosis, recovery and the start of survivorship.  Finally, after a year of learning to live as a survivor...

I have talked often about living in the grey zone of survivorship. I know I am not alone in saying that this stage of breast cancer life is harder than the beginning when I was having additional testing and preparing for surgery. I had never discussed what it means to be a survivor with anyone when I was first diagnosed. No one sat down and talked about survivorship with me in the beginning, eithe...

I recently met someone who said that they learned about my podcast from my LinkedIn profile. We were meeting regarding our work. She shared that she also had a recent diagnosis of breast cancer - at the same time that I did. She was new to survivorship just like me. It has been just over a year since the heaviness of survivorship really hit me. It forced me to leave my job because I happened to be...

Life has evolved since last year, when I was in my breast cancer screening and diagnosis journey. Not long after I recovered from the mastectomy and reconstruction, I learned how hard it is to be a breast cancer survivor. The psychological aspects of being a survivor, particularly the fear of cancer recurrence, prevailed after the incisions healed. To get a sense of control over survivorship, I re...

In this episode, I share 2 of the thoughts that have recently come up in my life as a breast cancer survivor.  There are currently not any healthcare appointments or other reminders of my cancer experience going on. So that is a nice break from times when there were several necessary things I had to do because of my breast cancer history. At this point in my survivorship, new thoughts have come to...