What happens when cancer treatment ends, and the real unravelling begins?

In this first episode of the year, Rebecca and Monica talk honestly about the long, often invisible phase of healing that comes after survival. The delayed psychological fallout. The breakdown that arrives months or even years later. The guilt of feeling better when others aren’t. And the quiet relief of realising, one day, down the road, that cancer no longer dominates your every thought.

Rebecca shares openly about the darkness she was in this time last year, the exhaustion of “going through the motions of life,” and the slow, self-compassionate work that eventually led to a feeling she hadn’t known for a long time: lightness. Monica reflects on her own post-cancer breakdown, the wisdom of the body, and why healing cannot be rushed or compared.

This conversation isn’t about bouncing back, silver linings, or forced positivity. It’s about trauma, time, listening to the body, and the hope that can exist even when you’re not sure you want to keep going.

If you’re in the messy middle of life after cancer — or wondering why you feel worse now that treatment is over — this episode is for you.

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. And you are certainly not alone.

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I’m Rebecca, founder of Women Beyond Cancer. Life after cancer can feel uncertain, overwhelming and lonely. I support women to move forward with self-compassion, reflection, and a connection to nature. You don’t have to navigate it alone. 🌿✨

👉 Explore more about weekly journalling at https://womenbeyondcancer.co

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this week’s episode of Slightly Radiated, Fully Human, we dive into the myth of linear recovery after cancer. What happens when healing doesn’t go to plan - our plan? What happens when fatigue, brain fog, or old symptoms return years later?

Together we unpack the frustration of “taking three steps back,” the guilt that comes with needing medication again, and the impatience that flares up when the body demands rest. Through our usual honest conversation, we explore how recovery is more of a winding, serpentine (sometimes tortuous) path than the straight climb we wish it were - and how our bodies often whisper (or shout) for attention long before we listen.

This is an episode about patience, and making peace with the slow rhythm of healing. It’s about stumbling and making it part of the dance rather than a failure.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this deeply personal episode, Monica invites Rebecca to share her story — from the moment she discovered a lump during Breast Cancer Awareness Month three years ago, through diagnosis, gruelling treatment, and the silent aftermath that followed.

Rebecca opens up about the emotional toll and challenges of chemotherapy, the loneliness that comes after the hospital appointments stop, and the emotional struggles that followed. They discuss the importance of journalling as a therapeutic tool for processing fear, grief, and ultimately a way towards healing.

Together, they explore how writing — even just a few words — can help release what’s been trapped inside, reconnect us with our bodies, and begin to restore a sense of agency in life after cancer.

This is a conversation about vulnerability, resilience, and the quiet magic of putting pen to paper.

Please share it with anyone you know who’s on this journey through cancer.

💗 Join Rebecca’s Women Beyond Cancer journalling sessions every Wednesday at 1pm UK time: https://womenbeyondcancer.co/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this episode of Slightly Radiated, Fully Human, we, Monica and Rebecca, explore the layered and often complicated relationship with joy after cancer. Is it permissible to feel joy and what role does it play when life feels uncertain or heavy? What does joy look like and how do we notice it in the midst of healing, grief, or fear?

Together, we explore how joy shows up in everyday moments — from the smell of morning coffee, a dog’s waggy tail, to time spent in nature. We reflect on joy as a radical act of healing, tied to mindfulness, gratitude, and presence. This conversation is both tender and grounding, offering gentle reminders that joy is not frivolous — it’s essential.

Enjoy listening and please leave a comment if this podcast resonated with you in some way.

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I’m Rebecca, founder of Women Beyond Cancer. Life after cancer can feel uncertain, overwhelming and lonely. I support women to move forward with self-compassion, reflection, and a connection to nature. You don’t have to navigate it alone. 🌿✨

👉 Explore more about weekly journalling at https://womenbeyondcancer.co

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this episode of 'Slightly Radiated: Fully Human', Monica and I dive into the complicated relationship between self-care, guilt, and healing after cancer.

Together, we explore:

* Why self-care is essential but so often feels selfish

* How guilt can sneak in as a form of self-sabotage

* The pressure to always appear grateful after cancer

* The importance of self-compassion when caring for others

* Sharing experiences and honest conversations can help others feel less isolated

* Every healing journey is unique and personal

* Healing involves navigating both highs and lows

This is a raw and vulnerable conversation about the uncomfortable truths of life beyond treatment—where healing is about learning, unlearning, and finding softness with ourselves.

👉 If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who might need a reminder that they’re not alone in their healing journey.

Love Rebecca x

p.s. I mentioned in our conversation a quote and that I couldn’t remember the author. Here it is: Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel - Steven Furtick

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In the latest episode of Slightly Radiated: Fully Human, Monica Otten and I talk about the importance of self compassion in our continued recovery when someone we love gets a cancer diagnosis.

Here's what we shared:🙏 Self-compassion is crucial when facing life's challenges.🫶 Caring for others can lead to neglecting one's own needs.😍 It's important to prioritise personal well-being while caregiving.☕ Rituals can help ground us and provide comfort.🌄 Finding joy amidst sorrow is essential for emotional health.❤️‍🩹 Each person's journey through illness is unique and personal.💚 Grounding techniques can help manage emotional stress.🪴 We must remember to nourish our roots to sustain ourselves.💫 Creating mindful rituals can enhance our self-care practice

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

When cancer enters your life, so much changes — including your relationships. In this episode of Slightly Radiated: Fully Human, we talk honestly about the surprising shifts in our personal connections during and after cancer. Some people vanish without explanation, unable to walk alongside us. Others we haven’t seen in years suddenly reappear with unexpected kindness. And then there are those extraordinary friends and family who go far beyond what we could have imagined, offering practical help, emotional presence, and unconditional care.

We also talk about language. What words were helpful and lifted us up, and why some words unintentionally miss the mark. We also explore how cancer can deepen intimacy, how vulnerability transforms relationships, and why some bonds don’t survive the journey.

If you’ve ever wondered why your social landscape feels so different after cancer, or how to support someone in a way that truly helps, this conversation is for you.

Rebecca: www.womenbeyondcancer.co

Monica: www.perudaskincare.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this episode, we talk about our personal experience of travel after cancer treatment - physically, emotionally, and mentally. We explore the impact on our nervous systems, the overwhelm, and the quiet fears and anxieties that can come with planning or taking a trip.

But we also talk about what helps: patience, compassion, self love, and the permission to do things our own way.

Travel after cancer, whether a weekend away or a long haul flight, comes with new challenges as well as unexpected insights.

Monica Otten - http://perudaskincare.com/

Rebecca Perkins - http://womenbeyondcancer.co

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

In this episode we talk honestly about post cancer fatigue. Fatigue after cancer isn’t just tiredness. It can feel like frustration, grief, self-doubt, and the weight of invisible expectations. We explore the mental, emotional, and physical toll it takes, and the pressure to “get back to normal”.

Most importantly, we ask: what if fatigue isn’t something to fix, but a message from our body asking us to slow down and honour everything we’ve been through? We share how we’re slowly learning to see it not as a flaw but as a way to be gentler, slower, and more human.

Let us know your experience of fatigue once treatment has come to an end.

Love

Rebecca x

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com

Monica founder of Beyond Skin and me, Rebecca, founder of Women Beyond Cancer, two cancer survivors, sit down to talk openly about the unspoken parts of cancer recovery - grief, identity, healing, and hope. Unscripted. Unfiltered. Real voices in conversation. Full of truth, humour and a refusal to pretend that it’s all fine.

Get to know us in this first episode as we introduce ourselves, how we met, and what drew us together. Each episode we’ll take a deep dive into one question and how it impacts our lives. Our episodes will be around 20-30 minutes, something you can listen to whilst you’re out walking or pottering at home, or on your way to work.

Our aim is that you feel less alone in your recovery and more connected to a wider community of women who know what it feels like.

Don’t hesitate to leave comments or ask us questions.

Love

Rebecca x

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rebeccaperkins.substack.com