Navigating Breast Cancer at 24

Today’s post is from one of our younger beneficiaries who has kindly agreed to share her story. Josephine, 26, from London suffered awful reactions to nearly all the treatments she underwent but has since found many complementary approaches to support her recovery.

I was diagnosed at 24 years old in the spring of 2014, May to be exact, following an operation to remove what they thought was something called an “Intraductal Papilloma”.

I initially found the lump on Valentine’s Day, or rather my partner did. It was a very small pea-size lump under my nipple. I made a GP appointment soon after and got referred to the breast unit at The Royal Free Hospital. They did a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy and told me that I didn't have cancer but they wanted to remove the lump.

They told me I should celebrate! How wrong they were… and how sad it was, because I did celebrate and thought that would be the end of it.

On the surgery day I was then told they needed to “re-check the tissue”. Low and behold, two weeks later I was called in early and told that it was cancer; grade 2, invasive lobular carcinoma, highly oestrogen and progesterone positive.

10 Great Things about Yes to Life's First 10 Years

In case you didn't already know, this month Yes to Life is celebrating its 10th birthday. In today's post our founder and chairman Robin Daly shares his top 10 great things about Yes to Life's first 10 years. Find out more about how you can get involved here.

1. Well number one has to be people: I have met so many extraordinary and lovely people on this journey. Before we even started to run any services, warm, resourceful, passionate and caring people started to get on board to help make Yes to Life into a reality. And that has only accelerated over the years, as more and more fantastic people are working in the charity and volunteering their skills, time and passion in an enormous variety of ways.

2. And number two - people: Once we had the bare bones of a service in place, we started interacting with, and supporting the most courageous, determined, creative people who came to us for help. It is an absolute privilege to be able to share a little part of their extraordinary lives - the immense challenges, the joys, the tears, the losses and the triumphs.

Robin hits the Airwaves - Watch out UK Health Radio!

Today's post is about a really exciting new development - Robin is hosting our very own show on UK Health Radio. The brand new 'Yes to Life Show' will be launching tomorrow at 9am (repeated at 9pm) with an interview with health journalist Jerome Burne, so don't miss it! 

As any of our followers will know, a few months ago we let our Founder and Chairman Robin Daly loose on the blog. His page 'Words from our Founder' has proved to be a big hit with Robin taking on many contentious topics and giving a wealth of insight and evidence as to why we need to rethink the way we approach cancer in the UK.

But Robin, never one to rest on his laurels, decided this platform was not enough. Now he has convinced the good people of UK Health Radio to give him his very own show! The 'Yes to Life Show' will be your weekly dose of everything that is moving forward in the world of cancer. Robin will be interviewing a diverse mix of scientists, oncologists, practitioners and extraordinary survivors who have exceeded all expectations by thinking outside of 'the box'.

Robin is planning on interrogating this 'box' and we are looking forward to hearing about all he may discover.

Embracing Better Health through 'Coffee with a Purpose'

Today's post is from founder of Loveursoul and creator of 'Coffee with a Purpose', Lucy Batham-Read. 'Coffee with a Purpose' is a support group scheme designed to bring together practitioners and those interested in taking control of their health holistically to share knowledge, experiences and of course coffee! Lucy is working in partnership with us to win funding to start a 'Yes to Life Coffee with a Purpose' scheme specifically run by, and for, people who have or have had cancer. To find out more and vote for us to win please click here it is free and takes a few minutes, thank you!

‘Coffee with a Purpose’ is all about bringing people together to find ways to boost well-being and define boundaries to remain healthy in mind, body and soul. These groups are supportive spaces where people can begin to work out what is right for their own health and start to make choices that will help them to live the life they want.

Living in the 21st century is tough at the best of times but living life to the full can be made much easier if you listen to your body, live from the heart, trust your instinct, and forgive yourself for being human. Sometimes it takes trauma for us to wake up and ‘smell the coffee ‘and whilst this may be an incredibly tough way to do it, for some it is the beginning of their freedom.

My own life has, in parts, been incredibly tough both physically and emotionally and I have learnt some hard lessons. Now it is time to put those lessons to good use.

'Take Control and Live' by Gillian Gill - A Review

Today’s post is a review of the recently published ‘Take Control and Live – Surviving Ovarian Cancer’, an autobiography by Gillian Gill.

In October 2000, Gillian Gill (or Gilly as she is known) was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Her prognosis was bleak, with her oncologist breaking the devastating news that she had only a few months left to live. Yet here we are 14 years later, reading a very different story. Gilly’s book is the story of her unique journey through cancer; it is a story full of painful truths but also an incredible account of hope and an indomitable will to live.

The book’s title, ‘Take Control and Live’, is a mantra which runs through Gilly’s whole experience of cancer and is what she sees as the fundamental tenet of her recovery:

‘I can sum up my story like this: although different therapies help in different ways, recovery is about trying to give oneself positive healing messages, by natural means and by becoming adept at listening and responding to your body’s needs. It’s a bit like driving a car and being personally responsible behind the steering wheel. Fundamentally, it’s about being empowered to do things for oneself, not about handing it over to others. They can help, yet ultimately it’s only you who can do it’

Mindchoice: On silence

Today's post is from Clare McLusky who provides us with an insight into her experience with cancer and the popular practice of Mindfulness. 

Clare has a Masters degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy from University of Oxford and teaches Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy to people living with cancer. Clare is also a qualified Occupational Therapist, Yes to Life Helpline volunteer and one of the founding members and facilitators of Oxford Sangha, practising in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. 

Clare will be running a 'Mindfulness for Living Well with Cancer' Course in Oxford for 8 weeks starting on the 23rd April, for more information please see her website.

I am teaching MBCT or Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy to a group of 10 friends.  This has been a very rewarding and enjoyable experience.  Each week my friends arrive in a flurry of activity and chattiness and there is a real cocktail party atmosphere at 10 in the morning, with everybody chatting at once.

Last Thursday I led a silent day of practice and after we had come out of silence gently and slowly and reflected on the experience, the day was then drawn to a close with the bell.  However, we continued to sit and chat for a while.  The difference between the beginning of the day and the end of the day was striking – one person spoke at a time, people listened and then the next person spoke.  It was wonderfully calm and peaceful and nourishing.

Mind Choice: Turning Towards Difficulties

Today's post is the fourth written by Clare McLusky who provides us with an insight into her experience with cancer and the popular practice of Mindfulness. 

Clare has a Masters degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy from University of Oxford and teaches Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy to people living with cancer. Clare is also a qualified Occupational Therapist, Yes to Life Helpline volunteer and one of the founding members and facilitators of Oxford Sangha, practicing in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Do you have the patience to wait

Till your mud settles and the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving

Till the right action arises by itself?”

Lao Tzu

I recently went on a course entitled Mindfulness Based Pain and Illness Management led by Vidyamala Birch and Gary Hennessey of Breathworks. I felt very honoured to be there, at the foot of Snowdon, with such authentic and humble teachers as Vidyamala and Gary.

Vidyamala’s teachings come direct from her own experience of living with pain for over 30 years and change in response to what she learns through her own practice. 

Puyssentut - A unique retreat for people with cancer

Today’s post is by Kirsten Chick a nutritional therapist, consultant and lecturer with over 10 years' experience. She currently works at the Vision of Hope Clinic (www.visionofhopeclinic.com), where many cancer patients seek a holistic approach, including nutritional advice, ozone therapy, vitamin C therapy and more. Here she introduces Puyssentut, a unique retreat for people with cancer to pursue recovery in the South of France.

My passion for nutrition began when I was diagnosed with cancer over 15 years ago. This was the beginning of a journey that would lead me to re-evaluate my approach to life, healing and self-nurturing. My aim is not only to share the important discoveries I've made, but to help people to find their own way, learn their own lessons and rediscover the joy and wholeness in their own lives.

Puyssentut is a very special place run by a wonderful couple with a clear and heart-led intention: “to provide a source of well-being and inspiration for people with cancer.” These are not “detox retreats” or “cancer cures”. This is something much more profound and earthy. What people with a cancer diagnosis often need most is a calming space where they can relax, be nourished and reconnect with themselves. Puyssentut provides just that.

What will you leave behind when you go?

Today's post is about the difference you can make to others through Yes to Life, by setting up a legacy.

It’s a question that many people consider at some time in their life, one that drives many to want to have a positive impact on society in one way or other, to value their friends and family, to pass on their lifetime’s wisdom through writing or some other medium, or a host of other initiatives. Many of

us have a sense of ourselves as part of a continuum that others, particularly our own children, will continue to inhabit after we are gone.

One of the greatest storehouses of potential accumulated by people takes the form of their lifetime’s savings, often, but not always in the form of their home. At the end of life, the necessity of a home or savings may disappear or be only needed in part by others. This creates an opening for doing something amazing with your ‘nest egg’ of life capital.

In order for ‘something amazing’ to be one of the possibilities your life results in for others, a little time needs to be given to considering this now, whilst you have the time and energy to devote to it.

Take the Scare out of Losing your Hair

Today's post is by Sabine Brannan and Audrey Ball, two women who make it their business to support women through hair loss. They are joining forces to offer an exclusive workshop with Yes to Life, to help 'Take the Scare out of Losing your Hair'. The workshop is being held on Thursday October 16th at 2.30pm in Islington, London. For more information and to book tickets please click here.

As a woman the idea of losing your hair is incredibly difficult to come to terms with, yet this is the experience of around 8 million women in the UK today. Hair loss is a well-known side effect of chemotherapy, and during this especially tough time it can be even harder to find the self-confidence needed to face the world. You need not feel alone, we are here to share our experience and expertise to help you develop your own style and feel comfortable in your self, however you choose to manage and cope with your hair loss.

Yes to Life - Ten Years On

Today's post is written by Yes to Life's founder Robin Daly, who discusses how the charity came into being, the journey it has taken in the last decade and the personal reasons he is determined to see it continue to grow.

This summer it is ten years since the event that propelled me into creating Yes to Life as a charity - the untimely death of my beautiful 23 year old daughter, Bryony. At that time, Yes to Life already existed as a Trust to raise money for treatment to help Bryony, and the desperate need for a charity to support others with cancer looking for answers outside of standard treatments had already been acknowledged.

From 'Why me?' to 'What more do I want from life?'.

Today's post is written by Claire Timmerman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 24 years old. She has very kindly shared her story with us in the hope that it will inspire others to remain positive when facing a cancer diagnosis, and in life after treatment.

Claire and her husband hold Simply Sumptuous retreats in Orgiva, Southern Spain. One of the retreats - 'Women and Cancer' (7th - 14th June 2014) - is dedicated to women who have experienced cancer.

When I was 24, I was out having drinks with friends one night.  It was Friday 13^th and all of a sudden I found myself doubled over in pain.  Not one to normally leave a bar early - well I was only 24 - I went home.  The weekend was spent with sporadic bursts of a similar abdominal pain until finally on Monday, I went to the doctor, who sent me to hospital that night. The next morning I found myself having emergency surgery for the removal of a large ovarian cyst – the size of a cantaloupe melon!  I never imagined that a few days later they would tell me that the cyst was part malignant – I had ovarian cancer.  It was a surreal feeling.  Even afterwards, when friends and relatives would be in touch and they would be in tears, it just felt odd. 

Mind Choice: Seize the day

Today's post is the second post written by Clare McLusky who provides us with an insight into her experience with cancer and the popular practice of Mindfulness. 

Clare has a Masters degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy from University of Oxford and teaches Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy to people living with cancer. Clare is also a qualified Occupational Therapist, Yes to Life Helpline volunteer and one of the founding members and facilitators of Oxford Sangha, practicing in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

January was a real struggle and it took me practically the whole month to recover from Christmas and to feel alive and focused again.  The festive period combined with the school holidays is frequently a time when I find myself becoming scattered and depleted.  The culmination is that I drift along feeling tired, eating more, meditating less and becoming increasingly unaware of where my attention is and consequently making less choices in the moment, for example, about whether or not to follow a train of thought.  I am more reactive than responsive to life.  This vicious cycle keeps going until I have a deadline that can no longer be put off.  I then do the necessary to feel alive and focused again in order to get the job done, which for me is a return to healthy eating, exercise, meditation, journal writing and setting intentions.  Thank goodness for deadlines!