Stories
Explaining your new normal after breast cancerA friend may look at you and see someone who has finished treatment, returned to work, or posted a cheerful photograph from a barbecue. You may feel grateful…
The Small, Stubborn Comforts That Carry Us Through RecoveryThere are days in survivorship when the grand language disappears. No brave declarations, no carefully arranged gratitude, no inspirational music swelling in…
A Beginner’s Guide to Talking With Your Oncology TeamWalking into an oncology appointment can make even a confident person forget every question they meant to ask. You may be processing scan results, treatment…
Why I Finally Let My Daughter See My Mastectomy ScarFor months after my mastectomy, I treated the bathroom like a stage set that needed careful lighting. I showered with my back turned, changed clothes under a…
The Reality of Tamoxifen: Hot Flashes, Cramps, and Quiet RageTamoxifen is often described as a reassuring little tablet: take one each day, reduce the risk of breast cancer returning, get on with your life. That…
How to grieve the life you thought you’d have and still live this oneAfter treatment finishes, the expected rush of relief can arrive with an undercurrent of grief. Scans are clear, appointments have ended, and life is…
Using the Cancer Card Without Losing YourselfThere is a phrase many survivors use with a grin, a wince or both: “I’m playing the cancer card.” It can mean asking for a quieter day, leaving a draining…
What I'd Change About My Own Treatment Journey and What I'd KeepThree years out from my last infusion, the blur of those months has finally started to settle into something I can look at without flinching. Treatment is one…
The strange comfort of matching scars: my first support group meetingThe first support group meeting was on a wet Tuesday evening, the sort of night when Melbourne trams fill with damp coats and everyone arrives holding a…
How to Host a Zoom Support Group That Feels HumanA breast cancer support group does not need polished slides, matching mugs, or a perfectly managed agenda. It needs a welcoming screen, a little structure, and…