 While Breast Cancer is something that all of our warriors experience and fight for every day, October is an opportunity to spread this awareness on an even high level and open the world's eyes to what this disease really is.
Hello, warriors! Welcome back to the blog and welcome back to part two of our blog discussing what breast cancer awareness means to us. While we are rapidly approaching the end of October and the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we hope you know how incredibly proud we are of each of you. We know this year's difficult situation has prevented us from doing what we all normally like to do to spread awareness, raise money, and gather with our fellow fighters, supporters, and warriors. 2020 can't cancel our hope, our fight, our journey, or the color pink. We all continue to stand in solidarity together, continue to fight together, and support one another. We know this year might be weighing heavy on you and your family, but please believe us when we say that we understand and we are with you. Please continue on your journey, continue with your fight, and continue using your story to prepare and educate others. Your fight can be a light in the darkness for others and for the rest of 2020 and beyond. Have you been feeling at a loss this month, that you haven't found your voice in this battle, that you're not giving back enough or doing enough? Don't be discouraged. Your voice and everything you're doing every day speaks volumes. To help give our own bit of help and support for the rest of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond, we wanted to create a blog on how to make everyday Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Your voice, your journey, and how you choose to handle and battle your diagnosis is a testament in itself. Even if you aren't particularly vocal or you don't share your experience in a blog or through social media, that doesn't mean your journey doesn't impact others. When you go in for your treatments, consider the people sitting around you. This could be their very first or very last treatment. A kind smile, sharing your experiences with them, or just being a positive presence within this little snapshot of time can cause a ripple effect to those battling around you. How youR battle progresses also doesn't go unnoticed by your doctor or nurses. They find comfort, inspiration, and drive from how hard you fight and in the relationship you build together. Your journey and battle can bring you closer to your loved ones than ever before and can create a bond that you never expected. How you live in your survivorship and how you share your experiences with a new friend or coworker leaves an impression too. Don't think you have to shout from the rooftops and put yourself in the spotlight if you don't want to. Every step of your journey affects someone. If you want to be public about your experience, that is a welcomed expression too. Writing a blog, documenting your experiences on Facebook or Instagram, being a mentor to someone recently diagnosed, participating in group meetings, and more can also help others and raise awareness. No matter how you chose to share and express your experience, both are just as important and beneficial as the other. There are many steps you and your loved ones can take to promote awareness throughout the entire year, here are some tips and suggestions to make that possible.
We know that your voice is important. Each of your individual stories is worth telling, saving, and sharing. We know that awareness and what we need to cure breast cancer isn't at the level that it deserves and what it should be. Every day we are fighting to make your voices louder, the cure closer, and helping to educate the world about this horrible disease. While so much of the world just sees Breast Cancer Awareness Month as pink ribbons and fundraisers, we see your stories, your pain, your frustrations, and all that you go through every day. Let us stand together to make Breast Cancer Awareness month more than just a month, and finally beat this disease once and for all.
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 Continuing with the second part of our Beauty Regimes During Treatment blog, we want to touch on care for your hair, your nails, and beauty product options.
We are back with the second part of our Beauty Regime blog, with tips and suggestions on how to make yourself physically feel better during and after treatment. In the first part of this blog, we talked about mental health, skincare, and beauty products that can make a world of difference. They can help you feel more comfortable, more at ease, and feel more like you. For this blog, we are going to be adding a few more tips for makeup, regrowth of your hair, and caring for your nails. Your hair and nails are sometimes the two biggest factors during treatment where you will see effects before anywhere else in your body. Depending on how you react to treatment, as you know, you can begin to lose hair all over your body, not just on your head. It is already difficult to lose your hair, but attention needs to be drawn to the difficulties of losing your eyebrows, your eyelashes, and even your arm hair. It's a hard adjustment and can make you feel a little out of touch from your own body. The same goes for your nails. Unless you're within the circle of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorhood, how chemo and treatment affect your nails can come as a big surprise. It can be a painful process for your nails. They can become very brittle, begin to crack and flake, and even fall out. This can happen to both your fingernails and toenails, making everyday tasks difficult and making shoes very painful to wear. Taking time to care for your scalp, skin, and nail beds during and after your treatment can help with encouraging healthy hair regrowth and healthier nails. [Makeup Tutorial] One of the first things we wanted to mention is that there are so many amazing outlets available to you to help your survivorship journey. While planning this blog, we stumbled across many important resources but wanted to share one in particular. We found an amazing channel on YouTube called "Breast Cancer Care". Not only do they have videos on how to give self-breast exams, but they also have tons of different videos on how to care for and create eyebrows, eyelashes, skin care, lip care, and more for those going through chemo and beyond. Visit their channel by following the link below. This channel and their website is an incredible resource and a huge comfort for those going through treatment and recovery! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwjuAw12CWanY-8BOp24Vfw [Regrowth] Being kind to your hair, even if it's not so kind to you during treatment, is key. Using mild shampoos and conditioners can help care for your skin and hair while it's going through so much during treatment. There are also many other head covering options available to you. You can add a wig into your wardrobe if you'd like. A lot of insurance companies, according to Everyday Health, will cover the cost of a wig for medical purposes with a prescription for a cranial prosthesis. Soft and gentle head scarfs are also an option to keep your head warm and protected from the sun and other natural elements. Keeping your head covered can help regulate your body temperature, which is key in keeping you healthy. Please do not forget sunscreen if you're going to be outside. We also encourage you to invest in a deep healing lotion for your skin. After your treatment has ended, there are wonderful all-natural growth options to help stimulate your hair, eyelashes, and nail growth. After treatment, as your hair begins to regrow, it will be very fragile. Be kind to it in every way possible. Keep it short until it becomes stronger, and avoid dying or getting it permed or chemically straightened during this regrowth process. [Nails] The focus on hair loss often overshadows the effect that chemo and treatment can have on your nails. Using a cuticle cream and moisturizing hand lotion can strengthen your nail beds. Keeping your nails short and trimmed neatly can avoid painful tears, cracks, and infection. Avoid using acrylic and other similar nail techniques, as they can lead to infection. If you want to use a polish, use all-natural and water-based polish brands. Avoid going to the nail salon if you can, but if you have to go, bring your own sterilized equipment, polish, and tools. Make sure all spaces that your nails are worked on are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before you get your nails done. Avoid chewing on your nails and cuticles, as opening up your skin or creating an irritation can also lead to infection. [Conclusion] Please remember that you can visit us through your treatments and survivorship journey. We provide scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, and laser hair removal, among our many resources. How you define and feel beautiful in your skin is whats important. No one has the power to take that from you or define how you should be doing this for yourself. Be bold, be strong, and continue to fight beautifully. If you have any questions about this any of our services, don't hesitate to reach out. During these continued difficult times, we encourage you to take extreme caution protecting yourself and your loved ones from the pandemic. Please stay safe and be well.  Sometimes you just need to find a connection or a voice that echos your own during your battle with breast cancer or during your recovery. Where better can you find that without leaving the comfort of your couch than the hundreds of blogs out there?
Some of the biggest things we are proud to offer are support, guidance, knowledge, and awareness. We've said it before and we will say it again: finding your tribe and support group before, during, and after your treatment is imperative to your well being. You need love and support to help fight your battles, even if that just means sitting with a friend, bringing a family member to your treatments, or sharing your story with others. No matter what that looks like for you, make it your own and an important part of your life. There might even be some support and love found in places you never expected and from people you'll never meet. You can read all the books, pamphlets, and articles give to you by your doctor. But finding a voice that echoes your own is very important. It makes you feel heard, relatable, seen, and not alone. Some of the best places to find this connection today is in the hundreds of blogs written by men and women who are or have been in your shoes, and by their family members. You don't have to go far to look for them, just from the comfort of your home on your phone or computer. We wanted to share some of the top blogs out there that deal with breast cancer on a multitude of topics. No matter where you are on your journey, you will find a voice for exactly what you need to read and hear. If these blogs don't speak to you, there will be one out there waiting for you. My Cancer Chic From the heart and pen of a young breast cancer survivor named Anna, comes My Cancer Chic. Anna was diagnosed at 27 and during her treatment, it was hard to find women to connect with that were age and going through the same thing she was. She created her blog to share her story to hopefully find others like her and a place to pour her passion for style and beauty into. She is now three years into remission and carries her mission statement of love, support, and fashion for all who need it. To read Anna's blog, follow the link below: http://www.mycancerchic.com/ Breast Cancer? But Doctor...I Hate Pink! The tough as nails Ann Silberman is the author of this blog whose "never back down" motto shows in every post. Her to the point, honest, and truthful experiences give a real day to day insight into her treatments, therapies, and live victories she enjoys along the way. She's very open about her Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and fills her blog with joy, humor, and grace. Her blog chronicles from the beginning of her experiences in 2009 to today. To read Ann's blog, follow the link below: http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com/ Booby and the Beast Writer Jen Campisano was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at 32 and started her blog to keep friends and family updated. When she beat her diagnoses, her blog turned its focus towards mothers needing help to handle their metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. She is a proud activist working hard to raise awareness, fighting to find a cure, and is currently writing a book. To read Jen's blog, follow the link below: http://www.boobyandthebeast.com/ Let us Be Mermaids Written by Susan Rosen, she uses the unique and beautiful image of a mermaid to remind women fighting with metastatic breast cancer that just like mermaids, they are strong, sensual, feminine, and incredible beings. The blog and the comparison serve as a reminder that everyone is inspired and awed by their presence. She's finding beauty in a time when it's easy to lose that feeling. To read Susan's blog, follow the link below: https://letusbemermaids.wordpress.com/ The Breast Place We want to make sure our followers and the beautiful women we work with know that we also have our own blog. We write two blog posts a month for our patients, friends, and those looking for comfort and information. Our blogs range from updates within our offices, to day to day life, and educational tidbits. They have a consistent thread of support and inspiration through them all. To visit our blog, follow the link below: https://www.thebreastplacesc.com/blog You have a voice that needs to be heard. If you haven't found yours yet, we hope these blogs and these women help a little bit every day. |
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