We are incredibly proud to have created a community and that so many of you have joined #OurTribe. We love getting to talk to all of you! A few weeks ago we took the opportunity to sit down with one of our Tribers, who had tackled breast cancer. We asked her some questions and got her honest response.
Why are you talking to us?
My lovely friend Shalom approached me as she knew how passionate I am about raising awareness around breast cancer.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a busy working mum.
When you hear the word ‘Cancer’ how does it make you feel?
When I hear the word cancer now it's personal, it's not just a word anymore. I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2012. It's not something that happens to someone else it happened to me. It makes me sad, angry and fearful.
Are you a warrior?
No, I don’t like that terminology at all. I didn’t battle or fight. I did what I had to do to give myself the best chance of living.
How has surviving Cancer impacted your diet, what you put in and on your body?
Not massively. I have cut down on alcohol and now eat less read meat, but I have not gone all out plant based. I believe in everything in moderation.
What is your ideal message to people who have been or are where you were?
Peer support was the best thing for me. Having connections with others who ‘get it’. Seek them out! When diagnosed it may seem like the darkest of times but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
What has changed in how you live today?
I now have a son (born after diagnosis) so my life has changed completely. I am probably less of a workaholic and more of a ‘seize the moment’ type of person now.
Are you afraid of it coming back?
Yes, I live in fear daily. It never leaves, just some days the fear is quieter than others. It takes away the innocence of everyday illnesses. To others a headache is just a headache, to me what if I have brain metastases (when cancer spreads from the original area to the brain). Your head can go to some dark places.
Did it affect how beautiful you felt?
Yes, I had steroid bloat, no hair, no brows and lashes at one point. I have now been on hormone meds for ten years and I gained weight. I won’t lie, my self-esteem has taken a battering. I have lost faith in my body and no longer feel attractive.
Tell us something totally random!
I camped out in the rainforest in Ecuador for two nights. That was fun, not good if you don’t like spiders though!
If you liked this post then please share, we would love to hear what you think! You’ll also help us to raise awareness around this cause #breastcancerawareness
A fellow triber
Hannah x
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