“I don’t have time.”

“I can’t switch my brain off.”

“I’ve tried it before - it didn’t work.”

Sound familiar? In todays episode, Dani explores how easy it is to not try breathwork or meditation when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or just fed up. But here’s the truth: these simple tools can make a real difference, especially for people navigating menopause after cancer.

In this solo episode, Dani reads a little from her book, shares a short poem, and introduces our new Wellbeing Series on YouTube — guided meditations and mindfulness practices designed to help you actually start. No pressure. No perfection. Just a moment to breathe.

Watch the Wellbeing Series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseandCancer?sub_confirmation=1

Navigating Menopause After Cancer: https://amzn.eu/d/2y957Oy 

Episode Highlights:

00:00 "Intro

04:44 "Wellbeing Series for Our Community"

07:33 Practical Meditation for Everyday Life

11:21 Prioritising Self-Care Through Planning

13:51 "Mindfulness Benefits for Women"

18:24 "Embracing Imperfection in Meditation"

22:44 "Self-Care Series on YouTube"

24:03 She Let Go by Safire Rose 

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’s episode is a little different — I’m taking you behind the scenes of two very special moments: our 50km fundraising walk and a powerful all-day event at Future Dreams House. Wherever you are at - whatever symptoms you may have, this episode will make you feel good! Promise!

You’ll hear real, unfiltered snippets from the trail, including a brilliant chat about Viagra and vaginal moisturisers (yes, really!) with one of our wonderful supporters, Eleanor Gardener from Pelvic Relief and a doctor friend. These conversations, full of honesty and laughter, are exactly what happens when we walk side by side and talk openly about menopause after cancer.

Then, we shift from muddy boots to the magic of community health spaces, exploring how coming together, sharing stories, and building trust can truly change people’s health journeys.

Find all your menopause after cancer answers in the book: https://amzn.eu/d/8y9a901

For the Ohnut and all the other brilliant tools to help with sexual health symptoms, go to Pelvic Relief https://pelvicrelief.co.uk/

For how to fundraise for Menopause And Cancer yourself, go here: https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/about

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction - “Walking to Find Strength"

12:46 Chat with Eleanor Gardener

14:45 Vaginal Moisturiser Development Journey

22:20 Gynaecological Cancer and Menopause Care with Dr Jo Bailey 

25:05 "Educating Healthcare on Menopause Care"

33:21 Menopause Support for Cancer Survivors

40:42 "Building Relationships Beyond the Organisation"

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, Dani is joined by Alyson, a listener of the show and valued member of our community, to talk honestly about low libido, zero sex drive, intimacy, and finding pleasure again after cancer.

Has your sex life changed? No libido? Can’t be bothered? 

Alyson shares her personal journey — from enjoying a healthy sex life to suddenly being thrown into menopause during chemotherapy, and how her libido “completely left the building.” She opens up about the reality of navigating these changes, what we want, what our partners want, and how complex it can be when everything feels different.

Alyson also shares practical tips for reigniting desire and highlights why a positive mindset matters when it comes to intimacy after cancer.

At the end of the show, Dani makes an unusual offer and shares a bit more from her own experience than usual!

While Dani’s book Navigating Menopause After Cancer doesn’t go into huge detail about libido, it does cover vaginal health and vaginal oestrogen from a worldwide perspective, offering evidence-based insights and practical guidance.

The Kindle e-book is just £1.99 — so go grab your copy here https://amzn.eu/d/a2QTVE6

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

10:23 Seeking Menopause Support & Solutions

16:11 Grieving Sexuality After Cancer

22:39 Balancing Desire in Relationships

27:31 "Schedule Time for Self-Care"

34:23 Negative Focus in Belief Systems

44:20 Exploring Power Dynamics in Sex

52:30 Changing Perspectives on Intimacy

53:51 "Quality Over Quantity in Intimacy"

Find Alyson here: https://www.alysonfilippalcsw.com/

Alyson’s resources: 

The book Prerequisites to Ecstasy https://amzn.eu/d/hN6IRtf

Slow Sex https://amzn.eu/d/a1dzSsN

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, I’m joined by the brilliant Sinéad for an honest conversation about the ongoing reality of menopause after cancer.

We talk about what it’s like to navigate life after treatment — how our bodies and identities change, how frustrating it is to have to work so hard at everything (even when considering a simple supplement!), and why it’s so important for others to understand that this journey doesn’t just stop when the treatment ends.

Sinéad also shares from her personal experience of cancer and trauma, and brings her coaching hat to offer some brilliant, practical tips on resilience.

I have a feeling you’ll be nodding along as you listen.

Sinead is a Transformational Coach and workplace Culture Consultant. For more information or to contact Sinead go to: https://www.abetter-workplace.com/

To find our events and workshops go here: https://menopauseandcancer.org/events/

Get a copy of Dani’s book to fins out about all your evidence-based treatment-options: https://amzn.eu/d/ddeS6AD

Episode Highlights: 

00:00 Intro

05:20 Cancer's Impact on Job and Confidence

07:03 Adapting to Personal Change at Work

12:57 Post-Cancer: Struggles Beyond Treatment

14:47 Difficult Decision: Surgery and Miscarriage

19:26 Questioning Resilience Vs. Overexertion

25:47 Practicing Self-Compassion: A Journey

30:30 Workplace Culture and Self-Compassion

34:50 Adapting to Personal Change

37:10 Resilience: Innate Trait or Learned Skill?

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

October is a busy and often overwhelming month — with Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns everywhere and World Menopause Awareness Day on the calendar. For many in our community, it can be triggering, noisy, and emotionally exhausting.

That’s why this month, I’m handing the microphone over to you — our incredible community. In this special episode, we share the things we wish our friends, families, workplaces, and the wider world really understood about navigating menopause after cancer.

Joining me for this honest (and slightly unpredictable!) chat are Rachel, Anna, and Rebecca — each bringing their unique perspective, warmth, and a few friendly rants along the way.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

04:50 Community Support and Awareness Initiatives

09:19 Treatment Transition and New Challenges

18:04 Balancing HRT with Healthy Lifestyle

22:10 Balancing Emotions and Motivation

25:50 "A Journey from Isolation to Insight"

26:53 Prioritising Self-Care Amidst Busy Life

31:20 "Realisation of Hidden Depression"

33:50 Coping with Anxiety Post-Cancer

40:23 Upcoming 50km Fundraising Walk

In this episode we talk about:

Join us in London on the 4th October for PAUSE LIVE menopause show. Use code MANDC10 for 10% off your tickets

Support our 50km fundraising challenge and sponsor us https://fundraiseformenopauseandcancer.raiselysite.com/search

Join Anna for an online Community Connect meet-up: https://menopauseandcancer.org/events/

Get a copy of Dani’s book to fins out about all your evidence-based treatment-options: https://amzn.eu/d/ddeS6AD

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 today’s episode, we’re exploring something that affects every single cancer survivor, yet often goes completely unspoken: the state of your nervous system, and how it might be silently shaping your menopause symptoms.

I am joined once again by the brilliant Dr Louise Oliver, GP and certified breathing practitioner, whose insights on snoring, mouth breathing and menopause had a huge response when she first appeared on the podcast. This time, the focus shifts deeper — to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), how it’s impacted by the loss of oestrogen, and why your breathing patterns may be the key to finding better balance.

Together they explore:

• The two branches of the autonomic nervous system — and why so many survivors feel stuck in "fight or flight"
• Why oestrogen affects breathing efficiency — and what happens when it’s suddenly removed through treatment
• How disrupted breathing might worsen hot flushes, anxiety, night sweats, gut issues, and poor sleep
• Most importantly, what you can do to feel better

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

09:06 Chronic Anxiety and Sympathetic Nervous System

12:45 Stress Response and Physical Discomfort

14:09 Balancing Autonomic Nervous System

26:29 "Check Your Breathing Habits"

29:43 Breathing Techniques

Missed our first episode with Dr Louise Oliver?

Listen to: Ep 132 – Does the Way You Breathe Make Your Menopause Symptoms Worse? https://podfollow.com/the-menopause-and-cancer-podcast 

Get your copy of Navigating Menopause After Cancer: https://amzn.eu/d/6HTJ4hU 

Information from Dr. Oliver: https://www.drlouiseolivertherapeuticlifecoaching.com/post/stress-menopause - Great diagram of the menopausal autonomic nervous system dysfunction model in this blog.

https://www.drlouiseolivertherapeuticlifecoaching.com/post/health-and-well-being-jigsaw-puzzle

Learn more about our work: 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

The menopause transition after cancer can feel overwhelming — it’s hard to know what to do next, how to process it all, or even where to start. This episode offers a gentle, creative way in.

Rory Green shares her own story as a cancer survivor, writer and psychotherapist, navigating menopause, and how writing became a powerful outlet for healing, release, and self-discovery. Rory runs transforative Write To Be You workshops and today, she tells us how we could all make a start to tap into the healing powers of putting pen to paper.

We talk about:

• Why writing is more than just words on a page
• How journaling supports emotional wellbeing after treatment
• The magic of small, honest moments
• Tips for anyone wanting to start (or restart) writing for themselves

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

03:36 "Tyranny of the Red Pen"

09:57 Creating a Safe, Warm Haven

15:49 Guided Imagination Journey Experience

21:06 Healing Space for Women

28:04 Feelback: Emotional Response Sharing

31:52 "Intentional Journaling Practice"

35:42 Returning to Self Through Connection

37:29 "Creating Safe Spaces for Truth"

40:16 "Invitation to Self-Expression"

Here’s more info on Rory and her beautiful work: https://www.writetobeyou.com/

Buy my book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Menopause-After-Cancer-comprehensive/dp/1068499907

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 of The Menopause and Cancer Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Carys Sonnenberg — GP, menopause specialist, and women’s health expert — for a practical, empowering workshop all about bladder health.

We ask the questions many of us wonder but rarely say out loud:

• What’s normal when it comes to bladder habits?
• How often is too often to wee?
• Urinary tract infections and treatments
• Prolapse and what helps

Dr Carys breaks it all down for us — from understanding how cancer treatment, menopause, and pelvic floor changes can affect bladder function, to simple and effective things you can do to feel more confident and in control.

We also explore what can help, including:

• Pelvic floor exercises
• Lifestyle strategies
• Hormone-free treatments
• Medications that may be suitable for cancer survivors

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:04 Understanding Bladder Health Issues

07:24 Discussing Sensitive Health Symptoms

12:27 Pelvic Floor and Bladder Health

15:10 Urinary Health and Hygiene Tips

19:11 Managing Acute & Recurrent UTIs

21:34 Managing Recurrent Urine Infections

24:54 Managing Bladder Urges & Incontinence

33:20 Individualised Pelvic Floor Treatment

34:59 Cancer, Intimacy, and Body Image

44:46 Pelvic Floor Exercise Misconceptions

50:01 Overcoming Pelvic Floor Challenges

Buy my book here: Navigating Menopause After Cancer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Menopause-After-Cancer-comprehensive/dp/1068499907

You can find Dr Sonnenberg here https://rowenahealth.co.uk/

These are resources Dr Sonnenberg mentions: https://thepogp.co.uk/resources/booklets/

https://squeezyapp.com/ 

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 speak with Laura – a young cancer survivor who was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (a form of cervical cancer) at just 31 years old. Like so many others, her treatment pushed her into early menopause, and she was left with more questions than answers.

Laura opens up about:

• The emotional shock of menopause in her early 30s
• What she wishes someone had told her when symptoms started
• The turning point that came with seeing a menopause specialist
• Why art and creative expression became her unexpected lifeline
• How she’s felt herself slowly transforming — from caterpillar to butterfly, wings a little clipped, but flying nonetheless

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

09:15 Navigating Menopause After Cancer

11:30 Unmonitored HRT, Chronic Fatigue Struggle

14:49 Navigating Life Post-Cancer Treatment

18:39 Delayed Diagnosis and Sharing Experiences

22:34 "Sharing Cancer and Menopause Journeys"

27:02 "Trusting Intuition & Menopause Guidance"

29:25 "Feeling Seen and Understood"

31:55 Improving Patient Access Initiative

35:24 Rediscovering Art Through Life's Changes

Buy my book here: Navigating Menopause After Cancer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Menopause-After-Cancer-comprehensive/dp/1068499907

Laura’s Instagram is here: https://www.instagram.com/art.is.healing/?hl=en

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 180 - No amount of alcohol is safe. Now what?

In this episode, I revisit the topic of alcohol after cancer, following powerful updates from the World Cancer Research Fund’s “Alcohol and Cancer: Let’s Talk” campaign.

We now know alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including breast and bowel. And while the safest amount to drink is none, real life drinking habits are of course much more complicated. 

In this episode, I share my own journey with alcohol and I ask you gently to reflect on your own relationship with it. We explore how we can navigate that, without guilt, without judging and with real understanding.

Learn more: World Cancer Research Fund – Alcohol & Cancer

Buy my book: Navigating Menopause After Cancer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Menopause-After-Cancer-comprehensive/dp/1068499907 

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Alcohol and Cancer: New Insights

06:55 "Navigating Alcohol After Cancer Diagnosis"

11:27 Redefining Alcohol Consumption Mindset

13:12 Alcohol Journey During Cancer Battle

18:22 Alcohol Sensitivity Post-Treatment

21:48 Navigating Sobriety and Social Perception

25:21 "Finding Self Through Sobriety"

28:42 Decade of Sobriety Reflections

33:39 Alcohol Guidance and Support Offer

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