Stories
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…
The Secret Language of Scar Tissue: A Survivor’s MapScar tissue has a vocabulary of its own. It can speak through tightness when you reach for a high shelf, a tug beneath the arm when you pull on a bra, or a…
Asking for Help Without Feeling Like a BurdenBreast cancer can rearrange the quiet agreements in a relationship. The person who once packed lunches, organised school pick-ups or remembered every bill may…
What My Kids Asked Me About Cancer That Broke and Rebuilt MeCancer entered our family through a sentence I never wanted to say aloud: “Mum has breast cancer.” My children heard the words, watched my face, and began…
The Day I Realized I Didn’t Have to Be Brave AnymoreFor a long time, bravery was the outfit I wore to every appointment. It came with a practical handbag, a water bottle, a list of questions, and the determined…