I am sharing my experience at the medical oncologist (breast oncologist) that took place the other day. I talk about why I get emotional at each of these visits and how surreal it is to be the breast cancer patient. It is my hope that this information will highlight the importance of this visit as an opportunity to communicate what you are feeling and ask questions. This visit is the face-to-face time in the relationship with your doctor and captures just a small portion of what your doctor can do to support you. 

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.

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Now that I have had a few appointments with my medical oncologist, I have figured out the routine of how the appointment generally goes. I have developed a few helpful strategies I use to prepare for each visit. I share these with you in this episode because I want to provide information you can use to get the most out of these doctor visits. 

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] 

Since being diagnosed, having surgery, and learning to thrive in survivorship, I have come to realize that the healthcare team does not really know what it is like to be the patient. In this episode, I share 3 realities of how my providers view me, the patient. These observations are contrasted with my past work as a nurse and the experience I had as a chemotherapy infusion nurse. This experience with breast cancer has shed light on how different the patient perspective is, compared to being an empathetic caregiver sitting in front of a patient, doing a job.  

Listen to the end to catch my “bonus love note” at the end of the episode: Advocate for yourself! 

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 Host Natalie D'Itri

The first few weeks after surgery went rather quickly. This episode was recorded 16 days after surgery. I share the full story of what happened at the plastic surgeon’s office. I also talk about how I feel and what is happening at this point in my recovery. This is my story of recovery from a nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction (which was the placement of an implant at the same time as the mastectomy surgery). 

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. 

LET'S CONNECT

Email Host Natalie D'Itri

In this episode, I share my realization of what I was afraid of now that I had a breast cancer diagnosis. It was 4 weeks from the time of the biopsy results until I went to surgery. At that time, there still were a lot of unknowns that made coping essential. In this episode, I reveal my experience of figuring out what I was afraid of.  

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. 

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. 

Follow, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. Share this podcast with others!

Email Host Natalie

Yesterday marked six months since my breast cancer surgery, which included a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. In the initial two months post-surgery, I had frequent follow-ups to monitor the healing progress of the skin on my left breast and the implant. During the surgery, I opted for a nerve grafting procedure, an additional cost not covered by my insurance.

Despite anticipating the insurance denial for the nerve grafting, I proceeded with the surgery. Fast forward to my six-month follow-up, and the doctor gently poked my left breast, asking if I felt anything. Unfortunately, I felt nothing in the breast area, confirming a likely permanent numbness.

I knew that it was only a possibility that the sensation would come back to the skin over the breast and to the nipple, but I still had hope that over time (meaning after many months of recovery), some sensation would return. I can still have hope but the reality seems to be what I have become used to already. I know I will be okay - it is just another time to process information.  It takes time.  

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. 

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Email Host Natalie D'Itri

This point in time is a major milestone for me. It has been 6 months since I had a left mastectomy. A year ago I never knew this was how I would tell my life’s story now. I recently went through a lengthy process of multiple screenings and biopsies before getting the cancer diagnosis and finally, having surgery to remove the cancer - the mastectomy. 

Throughout this entire journey, there have been times when I needed to look beyond my health care providers to find information regarding treatment and future care options. This episode features my stories of advocating for myself. 

Follow, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. Share this podcast with others!

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. 

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. 

CONNECT

Email Host Natalie D'Itri

This episode features my day in the life after a mastectomy, recorded on post-op day 12. This is a time in the immediate recovery period when I had a lot of health care appointments, including the wound care to heal the skin on the side where I had a mastectomy. This was also a time when my treatment planning was still in process, as some test results were still pending.

Follow, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. Share this podcast with others!

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience (screening, diagnosis, and what happens next). This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person close to someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. That's why I'm sharing my experience. I hope this podcast gives you a glimpse of what this life is like. 

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

LET’S CONNECT

[email protected]

Facing uncertainty is a certainty in life. Sometimes this is anticipated uncertainty, but often it is not and it may happen without any warning. Breast cancer life is filled with a great deal of uncertainty. Uncertainty during the screening and diagnosis journey is only part of the experience. There is more uncertainty that comes with survivorship. In this episode, I share my thoughts on uncertainty as a survivor. I also share how the diagnosis has affected my outlook on facing future uncertainty.

Follow, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. Share this podcast with others!

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience (screening, diagnosis, and what happens next). This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person close to someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. That's why I'm sharing my experience. I hope this podcast gives you a glimpse of what this life is like. 

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

CONNECT [email protected]

It has been 5 months since I had a mastectomy. The physical recovery from surgery is now pretty much complete. The emotional recovery is still in progress. I am navigating the gray zone of breast cancer survivorship. I share what I encountered in the past few months that was mostly not anticipated. 

Follow, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. Share this podcast with others!

Breast Cancer Life is a podcast about my breast cancer experience (screening, diagnosis, and what happens next). This is for you, the person who may be facing a diagnosis, and the person close to someone facing the reality or real possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis. Nothing could have prepared me for this lived experience. That's why I'm sharing my experience. I hope this podcast gives you a glimpse of what this life is like. 

The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

CONNECT [email protected]