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Emotionally, breast cancer, can be a tough time. In the early stages you may be focusing on the physical aspects of the disease, but you are also likely to be on an “emotional rollercoaster”.
Make sure you rely on your loved ones to help get you through these trying times. However, your friends and family are also likely to be on their own “emotional rollercoaster” so some women prefer to talk to others who have had breast cancer, to a counsellor or psychologist.
Often the emotional effects of a breast cancer diagnosis can last far longer than the physical ones and many women find they have a different attitude to life after breast cancer. In many cases, this can be a very positive thing.
You might like to try these tips on coping emotionally:
If you decide to delay reconstructive surgery, or not have it at all, then you might want to look at how you can create the appearance of a natural breast by using a prosthesis (for mastectomy) or breast form (for lumpectomy).
After surgery and before discharge from hospital, your breast nurse will talk to you about whether wearing a prosthesis may be appropriate for you. If you decide it is, she will provide you with a temporary soft prosthesis which can be used while the surgical area is healing. After healing (most likely five to six weeks post op), you may wish to obtain a permanent breast prosthesis.
Breast cancer treatment takes a huge toll on your body. You will find it easier to cope with the side effects of treatment if you are otherwise in good physical health.
Make sure you:
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Exercise. Studies have shown that regular moderate exercise can help to improve quality of life, reduce fatigue, improve energy levels and help to maintain a healthy weight. Read more about exercising after breast cancer here. Many women find joining a dragon boating team helpful and enjoyable after breast cancer.
During and after your breast cancer treatment you may be left with numerous physical side effects that affect your day-to-day life.
These may include pain, lymphoedema, fatigue, early menopause, and/or limited muscle movement in your back or arm. You may also have to cope with hair loss, scars, and the loss of a breast.
In this section, you’ll find information about
Many women who have experienced breast cancer feel they have new perspective on life once they have finished treatment. But many also approach this time with a feeling of trepidation.
You may feel uncomfortable about no longer having regular contact with your medical team. You may feel anxious and worried about whether the cancer will return. You may feel worried about the future.
Advanced or metastatic breast cancer is when the breast cancer cells spread from the breast to other parts of the body. This leads to the development of cancer in other areas, such as the liver, bone, lungs or brain.
There is no known cure for advanced breast cancer so facing a diagnosis can be scary. You may be thinking “how long do I have?”, “why me?”, and “it’s not fair”.
You will not know exactly what the future holds, but for many women the disease can be well controlled and they live full, happy and productive lives.
Breast cancer does not discriminate, and with over 3,000 New Zealanders diagnosed each year, many of you will not necessarily fit the ‘typical profile’ of an older female breast cancer patient. If you are young, Māori, Pasifika, male, or LGBTQI+, some of your support needs may differ from the mainstream.
These pages give information and advice to help you.
After handling your breast cancer diagnosis and getting through immediate surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, you’ll be keen to get on with your ‘new normal’ ‘post-breast cancer’ life. Most women report that experiencing breast cancer changes their outlook on life.
You may still be under treatment for some time to come. If your cancer was hormone receptor positive, your hormone therapy may continue for several years. If your diagnosis was advanced breast cancer, your treatments will continue indefinitely. Even if you no longer need active treatment, the emotional and physical impacts of your breast cancer may continue to affect you.
In 2004, twelve of this country’s breast cancer-related groups met for the first time to discuss ways to improve breast cancer survival rates in New Zealand.
BCAC was formed following this historic meeting with the mandate to work to provide a unified evidence-based voice to ensure that world-class detection, treatment and care is accessible to all women with breast cancer in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
The final TriWoman Series is being held on April 9, 2011 at Pt Chevalier. Give it a go and you'll be supporting BCAC member group, the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF).
With a swim of 300m, cycle of approx 10km and a run or walk of approx 3km to finish, the distances are achievable but challenging enough to give a real sense of accomplishment. Sign up for it now!
The NZBCF is the official charity for the final event. To help support us all you need to do is get your friends and family to sponsor you to complete the race - easy!
