Upfront About Breast Cancer

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting.

Let’s be upfront about advanced care planning and breast cancer.

Living with metastatic breast cancer means making decisions about your treatment and care that is right for you. One of the challenges of metastatic breast cancer is the chronic nature of the disease and the uncertainty of what the future holds. As well as working with your treating team to work out decisions surrounding your current care, it’s also good to think ahead and talk about the care you may want in the future, if you are unable to communicate your preferences for care yourself.

Advance care planning allows you to think about and document your preferences for future health care and can often provide a sense of relief, to allow you to focus on living life fully in the present.

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Sonia Fullerton. Sonia is a consultant in palliative medicine who assists in patient centered decision-making and advance care plans.

We’ll hear about who should consider developing an advanced care plan, what the process involves and who can assist you, where to get the advice you need and the questions you should ask.

This podcast was recorded in November 2021.

RESOURCES:

• Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on planning ahead when you have MBC via My Journey
• Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience
• End of life preferences for care via Dying to Talk Discussion Starter
• Advance Care Planning Australia
• National Advance Care Planning Support Service on 1300 208 582 for more information and advice. 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday (AEST)

Palliative care:

• Finding the words: starting a conversation when your cancer has progressed
• Palliative Care Toolkit
• Palliative Care Australia

To help us continue to develop podcasts that are relevant to our members and their breast cancer diagnosis, we ask for your feedback via our online survey.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by Dry July.

Want to get in touch? Visit our website at bcna.org.au, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. 

Let’s be upfront about the challenges you may face in accessing specialised breast cancer treatment, care and support when living in rural, remote and regional areas in Australia. 

A breast cancer diagnosis is difficult enough, and many people from regional and remote areas often experience additional hardship and stress due to the absence of specialised services. There can be significant physical and emotional distress and financial strain due to the increased need to travel for treatments and tests and the loss of income. Finding practical information and support is important to ensure everyone has access to the best treatment and care.  

In the episode, we’re joined by Sandy Vlatko and Asha Scott. Asha lives in Kalgoorlie, a regional part of Australia, located nearly 600km northeast of Perth. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and had to travel to Perth for a large part of her treatment, including surgery, IVF and radiation, which added further complications and stress to her already worrying situation. Sandy is a McGrath Breast Care Nurse who is based at Kalgoorlie Health Campus. She helps her patients navigate their breast cancer experience, including the many trips to Perth, educates them on their treatment plans and navigates their many worries and concerns.  

We’ll hear about how Sandy helped support and navigate Asha’s complex medical situation in a regional setting and how she helped organise her treatments away from home, manage access to breast cancer services and other practical support available including allied health. 

RESOURCES: 

- State government, community assistance and other organisations that can help people with breast cancer via My Journey 

- The financial cost of breast cancer via My Journey  

-Cancer Councils in each state and territory offer a range of services for people affected by cancer. Contact your Cancer Council on 13 11 20 for information about: Financial assistance schemes , accommodation options, travel assistance , practical assistance such as home help , grants or subsidies that may be available in your stage , programs that provide free legal, financial and workplace assistance advice and access to a financial counsellor. 

To help us continue to develop podcasts that are relevant to our members and their breast cancer diagnosis, we ask for your feedback via our online survey.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by Cancer Australia.  

Want to get in touch? Visit our website at bcna.org.au, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258

Episode 1: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: D Day: Diagnosis Shock

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. BCNA’s Helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about Charlotte’s diagnosis story including the initial shock and common reactions in the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis. Charlotte discusses physical and psychological responses, including fight and flight, information control, and anxiety spikes. We also explore what information and tactics helped her process the information and how she told her loved ones of the news.

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on:

• Coping with a diagnosis of early breast cancer
• Practical help when diagnosed with early breast cancer
• Talking to children about your breast cancer diagnosis
• Reactions of parents when you are diagnosed with breast cancer
• Support for you when diagnosed with early breast cancer

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 2: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, With Dr Charlotte Tottman: A Tale of Two Husbands: Emotional Isolation

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about Charlotte’s experience of emotional isolation during her cancer journey, which is the feeling of being alone in the intense experience of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, despite being surrounded by loved ones. Charlotte shares her 'tale of two husbands' in which she reveals her own feelings of emotional isolation following unexpected responses from both her long term and current husband and her ex-husband. We learn about the importance of empathy and strategies of how to best get emotional needs met. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on partner support.

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 3: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, With Dr Charlotte Tottman: The Showing Up and The Letting Down: Surprises and Disappointments in Relationships

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about the surprises and disappointments often experienced at various stages of a breast cancer journey and the expectations we often don’t realise we have of others. Charlotte shares her experience of being surprised and thankful for those who stepped up, as well as her experience of feeling let down by those who disappeared. We also hear about how best to respond to disappointment, recalibrate expectations and how to clearly communicate your emotional and practical needs to those around you.

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on

• Managing support and concern from the people around you 
• Support for you when you are diagnosed with EBC

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 4: What you don’t know until you do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: The Mirror Image: Body Image Difficulties

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about Charlotte’s experience of the changes to her body as a result of cancer treatment and how the changes to our physical form can challenge our sense of self, identity and who we are. Charlotte shares her personal stories of the challenges she faced after her second surgery, the triggers and responses she had to un-learn and strategies she used to change her mindset to focus on what her body could do as opposed to what it looked like. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on

• Changes to the way your body looks and feels 
• Choosing to stay flat after mastectomy

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 5: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: The Snow Globe Effect: Change of Perspective

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about the Snow Globe Effect, an analogy Charlotte uses to explain how a cancer experience can change a person’s perspective, values, priorities and how they live their life. We explore confronting mortality, re-thinking past choices and decisions and how we can be empowered to live our best life going forward. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on

• Dealing with emotions after an early breast cancer diagnosis
• Your new normal after breast cancer treatment
• Emotional wellbeing and DCIS

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 6: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: The Meltdown: Post Treatment Adjustment

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about what post treatment adjustment is, including physical and psychological recovery, rehabilitation once hospital-based treatment ends and what you can expect in the years that follow. Charlotte shares her personal post treatment adjustment story including her ‘Meltdown’, the strategies she used to help her recognise and acknowledge the adjustments she needed to make, and how important sleep and taking time for herself were in helping her find her feet again. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on

• Coping with the emotional effects of breast cancer treatment 
• Your new normal after breast cancer treatment

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 7: What you don’t know until you do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: The Next Version of You: Managing Expectations

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about post treatment adjustment and the role that the expectations we have of ourselves, and the expectations others have of us play in a cancer experience. Charlotte reflects on how she changed various aspects of her life through her cancer journey to adjust to the next version of herself and find a way forward, rather than trying to find a way back to her pre cancer self. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on

• Your new normal after breast cancer treatment
• Beyond active treatment: the impact on you and your relationships

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.

Episode 8: What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman: Learning New Dance Steps: Sexuality and Intimacy

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to the Upfront About Breast Cancer What You Don’t Know Until You Do with Dr Charlotte Tottman podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Each episode is raw and real and covers a range of topics, some of which may be triggering for people at various stages of their journey. The intention is to have meaningful conversations, present relevant information and provide practical strategies that may help someone or someone you know on their cancer journey. BCNA’s helpline provides a free confidential telephone and email service for people diagnosed with breast cancer, their family and friends. Our experienced team can help with your questions and concerns and direct you to relevant resources and services. Call 1800 500 258 or email [email protected].

In this episode of What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman, we hear about sexuality and intimacy using the ‘dance steps’ analogy and how they are impacted by a cancer diagnosis and treatment. We explore contributing factors including body image difficulties, fatigue and other treatment side effects. Charlotte discusses common responses and how strategies including communication, humour and learning ‘new dance steps’ can help with connection and closeness, both physically and emotionally with your intimate partner. 

To help us continue to develop our podcasts, we ask for your feedback via our survey.

Resources:

- Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on sexual wellbeing and intimacy. 

- Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by JT Reid.

Produced by Dr Charlotte Tottman and BCNA 

Engineered and edited by Jane Nield at SEN Studios

Visit our website at www.bcna.org.au/, email us at [email protected], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 if any of the content in this podcast has raised any concerns or questions.