At Breast Cancer Haven, we know first-hand that a breast cancer diagnosis is completely devastating for those directly affected and for those who are close to them. First, there is the physical impact: the symptoms of the disease and the debilitating side-effects of treatment. These often include: extreme fatigue, hot flushes, nausea and vomiting, a crashing immune system… to name just a few.
Alone, all these would make it impossible to live a normal life. But the physical effects are only the first part of the story. The toll it takes on a woman’s emotional and mental health is often overlooked and under-discussed. The initial shock of a diagnosis is known to lead to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) such is its emotional impact. This shock often gives way to depression, anxiety and uncertainty, the feeling that life has been changed irreparably and fear that the disease will return. Breast cancer robs people of their individuality – the feeling that they are no longer the person they were. It is cruel and uncompromising. Although the disease is rare in men, 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime.
For all these reasons (and more) the work we do at Breast Cancer Haven is vitally important. We provide a unique programme of care to everyone affected by breast cancer. We help women (and men) put their lives back together again following a diagnosis. Our support programme is tailored to the needs of each individual. We spend time talking to each visitor to find out exactly what their needs are – how are they feeling, what symptoms they are presenting with and we then provide them with complementary therapies to help them target these issues.
To give you an idea of how this works in practice, I’d like to introduce you to Sarah. When Sarah first came in to our London centre, she spent an hour with one of our specialist health care professionals discussing the impact of breast cancer on her physical and mental health as well as on her family. Following this discussion, Sarah’s personal treatment plan included counselling to help develop coping strategies around her fear of dying and leaving her kids behind and to know what to say to them.
It included a nutritional workshop to help her eat as well as possible as her chemotherapy treatment had severely compromised her digestive and immune systems. Her treatment plan also included acupuncture to help manage the deep exhaustion and fatigue from her chemotherapy sessions.
Sarah’s mastectomy had left behind a large and unsightly scar, which she could not look at. This tough, sinewy, painful scar tissue meant that day-to-day tasks were no longer possible. She couldn’t even reach up to get a cup out of her cupboard, let alone enjoy her physical exercise – a huge part of her life prior to her diagnosis. The constant, nagging pain in her shoulder was exhausting and prevented her from sleeping.
A few sessions of scar tissue massage, performed with aromatherapy oils, relieved the tightened muscle, helping to regain her mobility and significantly reduce her pain. She started to feel better about her body image again and felt more like making the effort to look good again.
In truth, Sarah is fictional. However, the story is utterly typical and could be any one of our thousands of yearly visitors who go through our support programme. We receive no government funding and are entirely reliant on charitable donations without which we would not be able to continue our vital work. Our ultimate vision is that everyone gets access to the support they need. It’s an ambitious goal but with 55,000 women in the UK diagnosed annually, we can’t afford not to be ambitious.
By Sally Hall, CEO, Breast Cancer Haven