In today’s episode, I am speaking to the incredible Stacey Owen.

Stacey and I met on the navigating menopause program last year which I co-curated and co-hosted with charity Trekstock. Together with a team of incredible experts and co-host Jemima Reynolds, head of health at Trekstock, we helped guide young adults in their 20s and 30s to work out a way forward, that’s right for them.

Stacey’s breast cancer treatment saw her go into a medically induced early menopause, aged 30, a common but often unspoken side-effect of hormone-receptive breast cancer treatments. At first, just grateful to be out of active cancer treatment, she didn’t realise how much the menopause and its symptoms were impacting her life. She says: “I felt like I was the only person going through this – I felt very alone, it was very isolating. I hardly spoke about it to anyone.”

Fast forward a year and a bit and Stacey was seen in Davina McCall’s second documentary, Sex, Mind and the Menopause.

What happened in the time between a very closed and hidden experience until showing up and speaking up on national TV is what I want to get to the bottom of in today's episode. What an incredible transformation!

I share Stacey’s frustration with the entire situation and the lack of discourse around the topic as a whole. She says: “I was kind of so annoyed at all women. For the fact that the menopause is so common, it’s everywhere. Yet, when I stepped into the menopause world, there was nothing and I was like ‘Well, what’s everyone else been doing?’ It’s quite sad really.”

Stacey is also an illustrator and you can find some of her incredible artwork on @thecancercells on Instagram.

Find out more about Trekstock: https://www.trekstock.com/

Here are the highlights:

(06:40) Stacey’s journey from diagnosis

(12:25) How much awareness did she have of the side effects from her medications

(18:41) Getting information should not be patient-led

(22:09) Discovering Trekstock

(30:08) What did Stacey learn?

(33:45) Davina McCall’s documentary, Sex, Mind and the Menopause

(41:56) What advice Stacey would give to people diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s

About Dani:

The Menopause and Cancer Podcast is hosted by Dani Binnington, menopause guide, patients advocate for people in menopause after a cancer diagnosis, and founder of online platform Healthy Whole Me.

There is lots of information out there about the menopause but hardly any if you have had a cancer diagnosis as well. Many people say to me they have no idea what their options are, who to ask for help, and that they feel really isolated in their experiences.

I started this podcast because there was nothing out there when I was thrown into surgical menopause at the age of 39, which followed on from my cancer diagnosis aged 33.

Through the episodes I want to create more awareness, share information from our fabulous guest experts, doctors and other specialists in the cancer and menopause field.

And of course I will share stories from the people in our community.

So that together we can work towards a better menopause experience. For all of us.

More educated, better informed and less alone.

Connect with Dani:

Instagram @healthywholeme 

Facebook: @healthywholeme 

Join Dani’s private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

For oodles of inspiration, healthy recipes, yoga classes and all round positivity go to her website: https://www.healthywholeme.com/