The core principles of my self-care are adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.  I have a new job and am back to work after some time off. As I adjust to a new schedule of going to work, I am in transition with all aspects of what is really important to me in my efforts to control what I can in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

In this episode, I provide an update on a different week of trying to fit in self-care essentials. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

Episode mentioned:

Learning to Row in a Community of Breast Cancer Survivors

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After breast cancer, everything is something even if it is really nothing. Routine breast cancer screening continues for me because I have one remaining breast (the other side is an implant). I talk in this episode about when an MRI report raises the alarm bells. Then there is the additional monitoring because of possible gynecologic side effects from tamoxifen that landed a second (planned) healthcare appointment on my calendar for the week. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

LET'S CONNECT:

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The core principles of my self-care are adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.  I have a new job and am back to work after some time off. As I adjust to a new schedule of going to work, I am in transition with all aspects of what is really important to me in my efforts to control what I can in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

This episode focuses on my realization that I am not getting enough sleep.I talk about figuring out how to get enough sleep when my body is waking up at 4am without an alarm. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

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In this episode, I share what I learned about my implant at the 12-month follow-up appointments with the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon. Despite high satisfaction with the outcome of my 1 surgery, I was not without questions about how the reconstructed breast looks and how the incision healed. In my follow-up appointments, I heard from the doctors some information that would have been helpful to have before surgery or earlier in the recovery. Tune in for the details and see if you can identify the gaps that were closed at my 12-month follow-up appointments.

 Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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 the opinions of the host. 

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I was working up to this anniversary in a lot of ways. Largely, it was a major accomplishment (and healing) to get to the point of one year post diagnosis and surgery. When I was almost there, I felt so good and so recovered. I have shared in recent episodes:

 One Year of Breast Cancer Survivorship: Facing Fears and Reaching Recovery

When the actual date arrived this year, I looked at my watch at about 8:20pm and realized “it’s June 14th and at this moment a year ago, I was in the recovery room”. This year, I was at a small venue with my husband and our friends for dinner and a show of a group that plays some of my very favorite music (Asleep at the Wheel).  I honestly feel that my full day and the fun event planned for the evening was exactly how I needed to mark this anniversary.  

I will elaborate on how it feels to be one year out and highlight some of the action items that come along with this point in time.  

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

LET'S CONNECT:

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Tamoxifen side-effects are often described by health care providers in broad terms. Natalie shares specific side-effects from taking Tamoxifen in this episode. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

LET'S CONNECT:

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Recovery is possible after a breast cancer diagnosis! As I celebrate my first year of survivorship, I reflect on the biggest fear factors I had to overcome. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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. 

LET'S CONNECT:

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Natalie shares her experience at a special weekend event dedicated to teaching breast cancer survivors the sport of rowing. The learn-to-row weekend was hosted by We Can Row DC. Despite the heat and the threat of storms, the serenity on the water allowed no space for the unhelpful thoughts that can come up after a breast cancer diagnosis. 

Search for a cancer survivor rowing program - Survivor Rowing Network 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

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.

LET'S CONNECT:

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This episode was recorded when recovery from breast cancer surgery was still the primary focus in my life. Post-op life was a little less hectic at this point in time. There certainly seemed to be fewer health care appointments than right after surgery or in the month right before surgery.

Despite fewer appointments, life was anything but routine, because recovery from breast cancer surgery is not a routine thing. Listen as I describe the switch back to real clothes (and sleeker bras) and my efforts to get out and about on my own for the first few times after surgery. 

The Cordaw brand supportive bra I purchased from Amazon 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare needs, questions, and concerns.  This podcast contains the opinions of the host.

LET'S CONNECT:

[email protected] 

Natalie shares her reflection on what it was like one year ago, when she received the biopsy results confirming breast cancer. Listen to her story of what it felt like at that moment, filled with fear and unknowns, to now. Natalie shares where she is now, moving forward as a survivor. 

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience. This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person who knows someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. My hope is that you get a glimpse of what this life is like. 

Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. 

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare needs, questions, and concerns.  This podcast contains the opinions of the host.

LET'S CONNECT:

[email protected]