Stories
When Healing Does Not Fit a Simple Answer“Are you all better now?” can sound like a kind question, especially when it comes from someone who has been worried about you. It may arrive at a barbecue, in…
The Grocery Store Kindness I Still CarryThere are moments in survivorship that arrive without warning. They do not happen during an oncology appointment or when a scan result lands in your inbox.…
What actually happens at a genetic counselling appointmentA genetic counselling appointment can sound intimidating, particularly when you have already spent months learning medical words you never wanted in your…
The number that kept me glued to the couch for a weekIt was a Tuesday in late spring when my oncologist's office called and asked if I had a few minutes. Of course I had a few minutes. I had nothing but minutes.…
How I Survived Breast Cancer While Working a 9-to-5 and Raising TwinsI never planned on joining the club nobody asks to be part of, but there I was, sitting in a breast screening clinic in Parramatta, hearing words like…
The Art Of Saying No To Well-Meaning But Exhausting VisitorsThere is a special kind of love that arrives carrying flowers, homemade soup and several updates about people you have never met. It means well. It can also…
Why I Finally Threw Away My Cancer Survivor T-ShirtFor years, the T-shirt sat in the back of my wardrobe, folded beneath pyjamas I never wore and a cardigan reserved for medical appointments. The words across…
How to do scar massage without making it hurt too muchThe idea of pressing on a fresh surgical scar makes most people wince. After a lumpectomy, mastectomy, or reconstruction, your chest feels tender, tight, and…
What I Lost When I Lost My HairWhen my hair started falling out, I thought I understood what was happening. Chemotherapy was doing its job, and hair loss was one of the side effects I had…
Making peace with the nipples my body no longer needsThere is a particular kind of absurdity in looking at your post-mastectomy chest and thinking, “Well, the architecture is impressive, but the nipples are now…