Welcome to Season 2!

In this episode, I have a conversation with Toral Shah. Toral is a chef, nutritionist and an advocate of functional medicine. She is passionate about the role of food in the prevention of diseases in general, and cancer in particular.

In this episode, we talk about so many things, from what motivated her to become interested in food, her own breast cancer diagnosis at a young age and how she became a passionate advocate of functional medicine.

We also talk about the health inequities and challenges that affect those from the BAME community, the various ways we can improve this situation and the different strategies she has implemented to spread this message.

Toral also explains what functional medicine is all about, the importance of nutrition in health and what we can do to kick start a healthier lifestyle.

It was a fascinating conversation and I hope you enjoy it.

The show notes are at https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode21

Please connect with Toral at www.theurbankitchen.co.uk

Connect with me on social media platforms @DrTashaG

Tasha x

Welcome to the best bits of the My Breast My Health podcast.

In this episode, I have collated snippets from all the guests who have appeared on the podcast so far and wrapped them into one lovely package for your listening pleasure. It was such fun editing this episode for you, and I have to say that you are in for a treat.

Today you can listen to stories of those affected by breast cancer and experts who share their knowledge surrounding various breast cancer topics. I also make an appearance describing what working has been like during the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can find all the links of these episodes in the show notes:

www.mybreastmyhealth.com/episode20.

I am taking a small break for the summer and will back very soon. In the meantime, connect with me on Twitter and IG @DrTashaG.

Happy listening and have a great summer!

Tasha x

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer that affects women. However, can it affect men too?

The answer to this question is, yes it can!

The incidence of male breast cancer is relatively low, however, it does exist. 

This is not something men really think about as breast cancer has been so strongly associated as a disease that mainly affects women.

Because the incidence is low, we don't talk about it very much. Awareness surrounding this topic is poor which actually means that men don't seek help as readily as women would if they experience breast symptoms.

This may be one of the reasons why men present with larger cancers and in a more advanced stage compared to women.

So, if you want to learn something new and find out more about male breast cancer, then check out this episode.

You can find the show notes at:

https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode19

Happy listening!

Metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer is when the primary breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body and so the disease is therefore incurable. 

The number of people living with stage 4, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is increasing every year. It is estimated that around 35000 people in the UK are currently living with MBC.

In this episode, I have a conversation with Mary Huckle. Mary is a personal trainer and pilates instructor. She has also been living with MBC since 2014 following her primary breast cancer diagnosis 7 years earlier, just shy of her 42nd birthday.

It was an amazing and honest conversation and I thank Mary for sharing her story.

You can check out the show notes at https://mybreastmyhealth/episode18.

Follow me on IG and Twitter @DrTashaG

Enjoy listening.

Tasha x

In this podcast episode, we talk about all things related to the benefits of fat in breast surgery. 

Yes, you read that right, F.A.T. So, you may be wondering, how can we use this precious commodity in order to help the appearance of the breast following surgery?

Today's guest is Dr Jacqueline Lewis. She is an oncoplastic breast surgeon, who has a background in plastic surgery. As a result, she has the expertise to operate on those with breast cancer, whilst at the same time ensuring the best aesthetic outcomes.

This podcast episode was really fun to record as I have known Jackie for some time. We talked about all things fat-related incuding, how it can be used to benefit breast surgical outcomes, what part of the bodies is best for liposuction and which patients this technique would work best on.

Check out the show notes at https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode17.

If you want to connect with me, and say hello, then check me out on twitter and Instagram @DrTashaG.

Enjoy listening and stay safe.

Tasha x

The emotional effects of a breast cancer diagnosis can be life-changing. How can we cope with such varying emotions from fear, anxiety to depersonalisation and depression? 

In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Nazanin Derakhshan who is a professor of experimental psychopathology at Birkbeck University London. Her academic work involves looking at the cognition and emotional interactions in emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Recently she has concentrated her work specifically investigating emotional vulnerability in those affected by breast cancer and developing ways to help increase resilience.

She shares the story of her own breast cancer diagnosis and the reasons that have motivated her work in this field. At the end of the episode, she shares some helpful and proven strategies that can reduce symptoms such as anxiety, fear and depression, to help achieve a balance in life after a breast cancer diagnosis.

You check out all the good stuff including her facebook group and details of where to find her at:

https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode16


Enjoy listening!

Tasha x

In this episode, I talk to Juliet Fitzpatrick who opted to have a mastectomy and go flat and decided not to have breast reconstruction.

Juliet was diagnosed with screen-detected breast cancer at the age of 54. She did not find or feel any lumps or abnormalities and so a breast cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock. We talk about how her initial operation was unable to remove all the cancer and how ultimately she needed a mastectomy. Juliet decided not to have any form of breast reconstruction and she explains the reasons behind her decision and how it made her feel empowered and in control.

Juliet now advocates passionately in spreading the message of how 'going flat' is a choice and that it is an area of breast cancer treatment that should be talked about more openly.

It was a fascinating conversation and one that I think you will enjoy.

Juliet has blogged about her cancer experience, so please check out her website at www.bloomingcancer.co.uk.

You can also connect with Juliet on social media:
Instagram @Julietkfp
Twitter @Juiletfitzy

You can connect with me on social media:
Instagram @DrTashaG
Twitter @DrTashaG

If you want to check out the show notes then please head over to  www.mybreastmyhealth.com/episode15

Hope you enjoy the episode, and stay safe.

Tasha x

Everything has changed. The way we live our lives, work and play. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is far-reaching and will no doubt be long-lasting.

The way we are living our lives has changed, we all have had to adapt, including how we work. As a breast cancer surgeon, I continue to go to the hospital and provide a breast cancer service as best as we can given the circumstances. 

In this podcast episode, I take you behind the scenes where I describe what I do in a typical snapshot of a week. You'll find out how so many things have changed, from what we do in clinics and the way we conduct them, to the impact the pandemic has on our operating capacity.

The format of this episode was different from the usual solo or interview episodes I normally put out. If you enjoyed listening to this please connect on social media. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram @DrTashaG and let me know if you want more of these types of 'behind the scenes episodes'.

You can also go to the show notes at https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode14.

Thanks for listening and stay safe.

Tasha x

Welcome to a new episode of the podcast. In this episode, I talk to Sarah Robart who is a genetics counsellor. Her role is to assess the risk of an individual of developing breast cancer based on their genetic makeup, as well as their family history of breast cancer and other related cancers.
 
It was a fascinating conversation where we delve deeper into what predetermines whether someone may be eligible for testing, the logistics of the actual test and what impact a positive result may have on other family members.

We also talk about the DIY genetic testing kits or the direct consumer kits and the various dangers associated with them.

You can find the show notes at https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode13.

This episode was recorded before the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic outbreak that has since affected our lives in unimaginable ways. The release of this episode was as a result delayed as I recorded an unscheduled episode about the effect of the pandemic on breast cancer services (episode 12).

As always, I would love to hear from you. If you want to connect with me then please say hi on twitter or Instagram @DrTashaG.

Enjoy listening and stay safe

Tasha x

Hello and welcome to this special episode of the podcast.

In this podcast episode, I talk about what impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on breast cancer services and treatment in the UK. 

We are currently living in extremely difficult and uncertain times. The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has affected the world in unimaginable ways. Certain countries are being affected more than others. Wherever we live however, this is a virus that is affecting us all. 

Hospitals are preparing for the influx of people we know will need acute life-saving medical treatment. More ITU beds are being created, doctors and nurses are being trained in different areas in order to be ready for deployment to the front line. Retired doctors and nurses are being recalled to cover the increasing staff shortages as more health care workers fall ill or having to self-isolate.

As a result, the way other medical conditions are being treated is, at the moment, changing. This includes breast cancer.

The guidelines mentioned in this episode can be found at:

www.mybreastmyhealth.com/episode12.


Stay safe and if you want to connect, reach me on Twitter or Instagram @DrTashaG.


Tasha x