Grief isn’t a ‘real menopause symptom’, I know, but… how can I host a podcast for people affected by cancer and not talk about grief!

Grief isn’t only about losing someone we love. It can also mean the loss of fertility, the loss of identity when our bodies and sexuality feel unfamiliar, the loss of certainty about our future, or even the loss of trust in a body that feels changed by treatment. And grief comes up in most of our conversations!

So in this episode, I am joined by therapeutic coach Henny Flynn to talk about it.

Henny runs our Empowered Menopause After Cancer programs, and she is an incredible coach with so much wisdom and knowledge.

Subscribe to our Menopause And Cancer newsletter: https://menopauseandcancer.aweb.page/p/4cfed538-bdea-4608-b0bf-d35f26bfa946

If you want to learn more about how you can tackle some of your most stubborn menopause symptoms, get a copy of Dani’s book here: https://amzn.eu/d/bjU18OM

Other Episodes with Henny:

Ep 110 - Fierce and Practical Self-Compassion: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-110-fierce-and-practical-self-compassion/id1631842514?i=1000660975386

Episode 162 - Beyond Being Strong: Self-Compassion and the Realities of Life After Cancer: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-162-beyond-being-strong-self-compassion-and/id1631842514?i=1000710207943

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

07:42 Empowered Menopause Support Gap

18:17 Facing Grief with Compassion

21:33 Survivor or Victim: Embracing Grief

25:34 Navigating Grief and Uncertainty

28:47 The Weight of Constant Grief

35:04 "Walk, Talk, Heal Together"

37:32 "Bravery and Self-Compassion"

39:36 "Addressing Grief as Actionable"

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

What happens after active cancer treatment ends, when you’re sent on your way with hormone therapy such as tamoxifen or Aromatase Inhibitors and expected to just get on with life?

I’m joined by oncologist Claire Macaulay, a breast oncologist whose work focuses on what happens when patients fall off what she powerfully describes as the “treatment conveyor belt.” We’re also joined by a whole group of people from our community who will inform how this session goes.

Together we explore:

1. When oncology appointments end, but the impact of hormone treatments on daily life is only just beginning.
2. Why so many people struggle to stay on Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors
3. How side effects can impact quality of life, relationships, and sexual wellbeing, and why up to half of patients don’t complete their prescribed course.
4. How to know the unique benefit for you of being on these treatments

This is a compassionate, practical conversation about treatment-induced menopause, being believed when side effects are severe, and how better support could help people stay on treatment without suffering in silence.

Please leave us a review for the podcast - it means the world to us

You can also leave a review here: https://g.page/r/CY_ucIbbJqWMEAI/review

Dani’s book ‘Navigating Menopause After Cancer’ https://amzn.eu/d/0eYDBEt

Blog post mention: https://menopauseandcancer.org/menopause-post-cancer-relief-from-hot-flushes-and-night-sweats/

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

11:48 "Managing Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk"

18:12 Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Hormones

25:09 "Balancing Cancer Treatment and Quality"

31:46 Longevity, Menopause, and Health Concerns

35:02 Menopause, Cancer, and Conflicting Advice

42:40 "Diagnostic Holiday for Symptoms"

48:52 Tamoxifen vs Aromatase: Bone Health

51:26 "Managing Medication Washout Decisions"

01:00:09 Managing Night Sweats and Sleep

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

If you’re feeling low on motivation to start exercising or to keep up the good work, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I’m joined by Christine. Christine is here to remind you that even when life changes overnight, strength, movement and hope can still be found.

Christine had to relearn how to walk after cancer and then to relearn how to cycle. Just one month after lung surgery, she took part in Tour de 4, founded by Chris Hoy. She cycled 38 miles and raised over £10,000 for Cancer Research UK, as part of an event that raised more than £3 million for cancer charities. Amazing!

In this conversation, we talk about finding motivation after life-altering treatment, using movement as medicine, and focusing on the here and now.

If you’re inspired, join us for our BOOST30 challenge in March or for a fundraising event later in the year.

JOIN BOOST30: https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/Boost30

GET INVOLVED: https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/

To sponsor Christine's next event, go here: https://gofund.me/16fe7fc67

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

06:06 Post-Cancer Recovery Challenges

07:51 "Facing Cancer with Resilience"

12:17 Thriving as Amputee and Survivor

19:01 "Monumental Charity Event Experience"

23:21 Adapting to Running with Prosthetics

27:23 "Embracing Change, Winging It"

28:30 Couch to 5K and Community

33:13 Boost30 Challenge: Empower & Support

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

If cancer treatment pushed you into menopause, you may be sitting there scratching your head, wondering what on earth is happening to your body, why no one warned you, and where you’re supposed to turn for support. That’s exactly where Holly found herself.

In this episode of The Menopause and Cancer Podcast, I’m joined by Holly Adcock, who first had vicious night sweats during chemotherapy and later came into our community through one of our in-person Menopause and Cancer workshops. Holly shares her lived experience of navigating menopause after cancer while facing complex and ongoing treatment decisions about her own care — a powerful reminder that menopause after cancer is rarely linear.

Instead, it’s a wriggly road. One that often feels like an uphill hike, with twists, setbacks, and moments where you’re not quite sure which way to turn next.

I hope this conversation will make you feel like someone is walking alongside you, hand in hand, reminding you that you are not broken, you are not failing — and you are not alone on this hike.

If you are like me, then maybe putting one foot in front of the other is what is good for you too - below are the links to our walking challenges - come walk with me.

The links are here:

BOOST30: https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/Boost30

GET INVOLVED: https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

07:05 Osteoporosis, Endocrine Therapy, and Cancer

12:43 "Facing Chemotherapy Expectations"

16:25 Understanding Menopause and Its Symptoms

20:01 "Unheard Challenges of Menopause"

23:32 "Revived by Friendship and Support"

30:22 "Life-Changing Career Redirection"

31:31 "Embracing Positivity Through Reframing"

40:08 "Surgical Menopause Decision Struggle"

Connect with Holly:

https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/associate-holly-adcock

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Amy Comander, an expert I’ve been wanting to bring onto the podcast for a long time.

Amy is a breast oncologist, lifestyle medicine physician, and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner based at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is, quite honestly, many people’s dream oncologist — someone who truly understands that surviving cancer is about far more than getting through treatment.

In this conversation, we start with menopause and ask an important question: what drove a breast oncologist to skill up so deeply in menopause and lifestyle medicine?

We explore lifestyle medicine through a menopause-after-cancer lens, discussing what is genuinely supportive, what needs to be personalised, and how to talk about health without placing unrealistic pressure back onto patients.

Amy also shares more about the PAVING the Path to Wellness for breast cancer survivors. This program is designed to support breast cancer survivors and those navigating menopause with practical, evidence-based tools.

I promise you will walk away loving Amy just as much as I do! Listen and be inspired!

Resources & links mentioned in this episode:

1. PAVING a Woman’s Path Through Menopause and Beyond
2. 👉 https://healthylearning.com/paving-a-womans-path-through-menopause-and-beyond-epub/
3. The PAVING the Path to Wellness Manual and Workbook (2nd edition)
4. 👉 https://healthylearning.com/paving-the-path-to-wellness-manual-workbook-second-edition/

- Books ship internationally https://healthylearning.com/paving-the-path-to-wellness-manual-workbook-second-edition/

25% discount code for all books: PAVING25

Episode Highlights

00:00 Intro

03:54 Improving Cancer Treatment Side Effects

08:47 "Menopause Champions in Healthcare"

11:41 Holistic Patient Care in Oncology

14:54 "Lifestyle Medicine Journey Unveiled"

18:46 "Menopause Impact After Cancer Treatment"

19:42 "Key Focus Areas in Survivorship"

23:12 "Gap in Survivorship Care"

34:38 "Inspiration and Self-Care Motivation"

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

This week, we’re diving into something that so many of us know far too well — scanxiety. That mix of fear, worry, and sleepless nights that builds before routine scans can be overwhelming on its own… But when you add menopause after cancer into the mix, it can get even more intense.

To help us unpack what’s really going on, I’m joined by Louise Baker, an applied neuroscience specialist who works with people recovering from brain tumours. Louise explains what happens inside the brain during moments of stress and fear, and shares practical tools to help manage scanxiety with more understanding and self-compassion.

In this episode:

1. Why scanxiety happens and why it’s so normal
2. How menopause symptoms can make it worse — physically and emotionally
3. What’s going on in the brain during periods of stress
4. Practical, science-based tips to ease anxiety before and during scan time

Whether you’re counting down the days to your next scan or supporting someone who is, this conversation is for you. You’re not alone.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

09:01 Fear, Neuroscience, and Interoception

10:37 "Living with Persistent Stress"

15:12 "Coping with Scanxiety"

18:02 "Kindness Cushion for Stress Relief"

22:52 Healthcare Admin Stress in NHS

32:53 Post-Cancer Uncertainty and Menopause

36:26 "Hyper-vigilance and Stress Response"

39:47 "Activating Calm Through Awareness"

42:44 "Manifesting Future Experiences"

48:02 "Anxiety Coping Techniques Explained"

Here is more support from Louise: https://on.soundcloud.com/uXzBLOsnuFftph0uAs and https://whileiwait.uk/

For more suport around FEAR with Louise, find episode 131

For more suport on Anxiety and everything you can do about it, go to Dani’s book ‘Navigating Menopause After Cancer’ https://amzn.eu/d/0eYDBEt

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

Episode 201 - Sexual Health After Cancer Treatment: A Practical Show-And-Tell Guide

In this practical workshop, we focus on sexual health after cancer. This is a hands-on, show-and-tell session, designed to normalise conversations about sexual health and offer realistic options for managing discomfort after cancer, whether you’re navigating this alone or with a partner. We’ll look at dilators, compare vibrators and get into the nitty-gritty of it all!

You’ll learn:

1. What Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is, and why it commonly occurs after cancer treatment
2. What practical, evidence-informed tools may help — including dilators, vibrators, sex toys and supportive pelvic aids. Dani and her guest expert Eleanor, will show you lots of options!
3. When and how these tools can be used safely, and how to choose what might be right for you

As always, the focus is on choice, reassurance and empowerment, with no pressure and no one-size-fits-all solutions.

Our expert is Eleanor Gardener from Pelvic Relief. You can find El here:

https://pelvicrelief.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOopffFtQo419pC_DdXAL-7IYwjB487zJNSIyBqOqUHxfmzb91kdz

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

In this empowering episode, Dani talks with Dr. Zainab Wasim, an Oncology Specialty Doctor and Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, about how simple, evidence-based lifestyle changes can transform life after cancer.

You will learn what lifestyle medicine actually is, how the key pillars: movement, nutrition, sleep, stress and social connection - can support recovery, and why starting small can make a real difference to how you feel.

Dr. Zainab shares insights from her 12-week coaching pilot for breast cancer survivors, which achieved measurable improvements in wellbeing and confidence, and was featured by the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

You’ll learn:

1. What lifestyle medicine is and why it matters after cancer
2. How each pillar can support menopause symptoms and survivorship
3. How to choose your first step without feeling overwhelmed
4. Why small, consistent actions create the biggest impact
5. Practical ways to bring lifestyle medicine into daily life

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

06:47 "Prioritising Patient Survivorship Support"

09:45 "Rise of Lifestyle Medicine"

16:09 Holistic Lifestyle Assessment Program

21:03 "Domino Effect of Cancer Support"

23:45 "Introducing Lifestyle Medicine Program"

25:28 Wellness Goals and Group Support

29:36 "Agency in Sustainable Programs"

38:54 Reframing Guilt Through Empowerment

You can find Dr Zainab Wasim here on @doctorzainabwasim and here on her website: Zainab Wasim - Lifestyle Doc

Start here with our Our YouTube Wellbeing Series — guided meditations, breath work & mindfulness.

Learn more: ‘Navigating Menopause After Cancer’ by Dani Binnington — Amazon link

Menopause And Cancer website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

In this New Year episode, Dani is joined once again by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, GP, gynaecologist and menopause specialist for an action-packed conversation that gives you the tools and confidence to build your own personalised menopause-after-cancer care plan.

If you’ve ever felt lost in the system, unsure what to ask, or left to manage symptoms on your own, this episode will help you make sense of it all. Together, Dani and Shilpa break down what good care should look like, how clinicians can keep the door open even when HRT isn’t an option, and how you can advocate for yourself in appointments.

We cover:

• What a personalised menopause-after-cancer care plan includes

• Key questions to ask — and red flags to look out for

• How to look after your bone health, heart health, metabolic risk

• Managing menopause symptoms without hormones

• Complementary therapies, lifestyle adjustments and realistic strategies

• GSM, sexual wellbeing, lubricants, moisturisers and dilators

• Mental health support, screening tools and psychological therapies

This is the episode to take notes on - a practical toolkit to help you start the year with clarity, confidence and a plan.

If you’re new here, make sure you subscribe, we’ve got an incredible year coming up.

And don’t forget to get your copy of Dani’s book, Navigating Menopause After Cancer, now a #1 bestseller https://amzn.eu/d/en8LLC9

You can find Dr Shilpa McQuillan here on Instagram and https://www.instagram.com/berkshiremenopauseclinic/?hl=en and here on her website www.berkshiremenopauseclinic.com

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

08:51 "Supporting Patients Through Dialogue"

14:01 Individualised Approach to Menopause Symptoms

18:32 "Prioritising Patient Care with Follow-Ups"

22:56 Understanding HRT Beyond Initial Concerns

32:04 "Lifestyle Changes for Menopause Relief"

38:36 "HRT Benefits and Alternatives"

45:36 "Healthcare Awareness and Early Action"

50:56 Assessing Risk Factors in Care

56:02 Empowering Bone Health After Menopause

01:09:11 Anxiety During Menopause: Common Struggles

01:12:29 Practical Local Mental Health Support

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

Why is it so hard to get the right help, ask the right questions, and know what to do when it comes to menopause after cancer?

In this episode, Dani is joined by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, a gynaecologist, GP, and menopause specialist - for an honest conversation about why menopause after cancer remains so difficult to talk about, both for patients and clinicians.

Together they explore what happens when menopause is left untreated, its impact on mental health, sexual wellbeing, and work, and why empowering patients in decision-making leads to better outcomes. 

This is the important bit! Your thoughts and feelings and ideas matter! You matter!

Dr McQuillan also shares practical advice and helpful resources for patients and clinicians alike.

As the year ends, Dani reflects on how far we’ve come; and shares a special poem to close with warmth and hope for the year ahead. So make sure you stay tuned to the end.

You can find Dr McQuillan Shilpa here on Instagram and https://www.instagram.com/berkshiremenopauseclinic/?hl=en and here on her website www.berkshiremenopauseclinic.com

For more support head to www.menopauseandcancer.org

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

04:38 Menopause Symptoms Overlooked in Cancer

07:53 Clinicians' Fears: Uncertainty and Blame

12:11 "Long-Term Cancer Treatment Challenges"

17:03 Cancer Worries and Holistic Challenges

21:25 "Communication is Key for Care"

23:28 Patient Advocacy and Information Struggles

34:32 Navigating Specialist Pathways Effectively

38:29 Empowering Menopause Health Strategies

Connect with us:

For more information and resources visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org

Or follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancer

Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub