Stories
What to say when a friend is diagnosed with breast cancerWhen someone you love says, “I’ve got breast cancer,” your brain may briefly become a washing machine full of loose socks. You want to help, say the perfect…
When growing your hair back feels complicatedHair regrowth is often described as the happy part after chemotherapy. People talk about the first soft fuzz, the exciting appearance of eyelashes, and the…
Five Things I Wish I’d Known Before Port PlacementThe first time someone mentioned a port, I pictured a small metal button hidden beneath my skin and imagined the whole procedure would be as simple as…
My first prosthesis fitting felt like a bad dateMy first prosthesis fitting felt like a bad date, the sort where you spend far too long choosing an outfit, arrive with hopeful expectations, and discover…
Designing a pillow fort after mastectomy that actually helpsPillow forts are meant for rainy Saturdays and sleepovers, not surgical recovery. Mention building one in a breast cancer support group in Brisbane and the…
What Happens After Chemo Ends Is Its Own Kind of RecoveryThe last chemotherapy appointment can feel like a finish line. There may be a bell, a hug from a nurse, a photo, or a quiet drive home with a takeaway coffee.…
What my lymph nodes taught me about asking for helpI used to think of lymph nodes as tiny background characters in a biology lesson: present, important, and easy to ignore. Then breast cancer put them in the…
The morning a shower changed everythingThe water was hot enough to fog the mirror, soften the edges of the room and convince me that this would be an ordinary morning. I was thinking about the…