So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer

Are you struggling to decide what breast surgery to choose? Do you want to know if it’s worth having both breasts removed? How do you work out whether to have a breast reconstruction? There are so many things to consider when it comes to breast surgery, and in this episode I’m going to answer all your questions with this week’s guest, Anushka Chaudhry. She’s a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and like me and is committed to making sure her patients get the best possible care. She also dedicates her spare time to helping her patients. She set up the Aurora Breast Cancer Wellbeing Charity and posts videos on Instagram to explain breast cancer treatment. We’re  really lucky to have her as a guest. 

 

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You can follow Anushka on instagram -  @askanushka

 

Or visit her website: www.anushkachaudhry.com

 

Her support group Aurora for younger women with breast cancer is here: @aurorabreastcancerwellbeing

 

And you can follow South Asian Supernovas here: @southasiansupernovas  

 

My amazing  podcast poet is Donna Ashworth and you heard  a poem from her new book ‘Wild Hope - available now in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for the show, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. 

 

You can find me on social media  -  Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

You can also watch this episode! Head to my Youtube channel @DrLizORiordan to see this season’s episodes as they are released and lots of other useful videos full of reliable information. 

 

AND MY BRAND NEW MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS HERE! Find out what I’ve been up to and get some useful recommendations by subscribing here 

 

Another place to find out more about breast cancer is my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’. And if you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is also available in all good bookshops.

 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

I'm really excited to tell you that we're starting season 2 with a bit of sparkle. Amy Dowden is one of the highest ranked ballroom and Latin American dancers in the county, and star of Saturday Night blockbuster TV show Strictly Come Dancing.  And like many of you, I was so  angry and sad  when she told us that she had breast cancer in May last year at the age of 32. She’s bravely shared each step of her journey, and  I’m thrilled that Amy has joined me to talk about her diagnosis, dealing with breast cancer in public, and of course, her  dancing. 

 

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Amy’s new series of Dare to Dance will be available on BBC iPlayer from 10th March. 

My amazing  podcast poet is Donna Ashworth and you heard  a poem from her new book ‘Wild Hope - available now in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for season two, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. 

 

You can find me on social media  -  Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

You can also watch this episode! Head to my Youtube channel @DrLizORiordan to see this season’s episodes as they are released and lots of other useful videos full of reliable information. 

 

Another place to find out more about breast cancer is my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’. And if you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is also available in all good bookshops.

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

 

I’m  excited to announce that So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer is back! Season two is coming soon, packed full of useful - and reliable - information for anyone who’s just been diagnosed, from how to tell your kids, to how chemo works, and what to eat… all powered by YOUR questions.  Here’s a little flavour of season one, and details below of how you can get in touch.

 

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If you’ve got a question for season two, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

You can also watch the podcast this season! Head to my Youtube channel @DrLizORiordan to see this season’s episodes as they are released and lots of other useful videos full of reliable information. 

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

 

Another place to find out more about breast cancer is my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’. And if you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is also available in all good bookshops.

 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

To mark the end of the month I’m releasing another bonus episode! This is  a conversation I had in my previous podcast Don’t Ignore the Elephant which was hugely popular and I think could help you too.  It’s all about sex, and I’m in conversation with sex expert Sam Evans - aka Sam Talks Sex. 

 

After Annice’s episode on the menopause, I had so many questions about sex and intimacy, and a lot of your queries are answered in this show. We cover sexual health, sexual pleasure, why lube is your best friend and how to learn to be intimate again when cancer has stolen your sex drive. I had emails from women crying tears of happiness after listening the first time, thanking me for letting them know they’re not alone. I hope it can do the same to you.

 

Follow Sam on Instagram here

 

And find out more about Jo Divine here

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If you’ve got a question for me for season two, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next series to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

Happy New Year everyone! While I prep season two I’m sharing a couple of bonus episodes with you. They’re conversations from my last podcast,  Don’t Ignore the Elephant. I covered the things that no-one else talks about, and it touched a lot of people at the time.  They’re subjects I’m really passionate about as a breast cancer patient myself, so that’s why I’m re-releasing them now as part of ‘So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer’.

This re-run is all about taking the fear out of death and dying, with Palliative Care Physician Dr Kathryn Mannix. After listening to Kris Hallenga talk about her living funeral and coming to terms with the end of her life, I thought this would be the perfect listen. So many people got in touch when it aired the first time to say it had brought them peace, and I really hope it does the same for you.

 

You can find out more about Kathryn’s book here

 

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If you’ve got a question for me for season two, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next series to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

Getting a diagnosis of breast cancer can be terrifying. One of the first thoughts that ran through my mind 8 years ago when I found a lump was ‘Am I going to die?’ It’s often the first question my patients asked me when I told them they needed chemo. You could say it’s a ridiculous question to ask, as we are all going to die at some point, but the fear of dying from breast cancer is real. This week’s guest, Kris Hallenga, has been living with that fear for the last 14 years. She’s the founder of CoppaFeel and author of ‘Glittering a Turd’, and I know she’s an inspiration to many of you. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer when she was only 23, and she’s achieved more in those years than many of us do in a lifetime.

 

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If you want to find out more about Kris and her work, you can find her here:

 

Instagram - @howtoglitteraturd

Website - How To Glitter a Turd

Her book - Glittering a Turd

Her podcast - Glittering a Turd 

Her charity - CoppaFeel

 

You can also learn more about funerals and living funerals via Legacy of Lives 

 

If you want to read more of  Donna Ashworth’s poems, her new book ‘Wild Hope’ is available in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for me, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next episode to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

 

This is the last episode of our first series! 

 

Thank you to all my brilliant guests, to our incredible poet Donna Ashworth and of course to you - for listening, and for sharing all your questions and stories with me.

 

I've really enjoyed making this and it's been so moving to hear about how the podcast is helping you - so keep your feedback coming.

 

I'll be re-releasing some old episodes of my previous podcast here  in the new year while I prep for Season 2 - I hope you enjoy them. 

 

Are you scared that you’ll get lymphoedema? Has anyone actually told you what it is? Do you wonder if there’s anything you can do to prevent it ? I’ve had so many questions about this - and it’s something that has worried me ever since I was diagnosed all those years ago. On this episode, I’m going to put your mind at ease and tell you everything you need to know with this week’s guest Dr Melanie Thomas. She’s the National Clinical Lead for Lymph Wales and she’s my go-to woman whenever I’ve got a question about lymphoedema.

 

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You can email Melanie at  LymphoedemaNetworkWales@wales.nhs.uk

 

To find out more about lymphoedema and LVA surgery, visit her website 

 

You can also follow Melanie on Twitter (X) 

 

If you want to read more of  Donna Ashworth’s poems, her new book ‘Wild Hope’ is available in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for me, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next episode to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

Do you ever wonder if every breast cancer patient is treated the same? I thought they were until I listened to this week’s guest talking about her experiences during  treatment. Several of you shared your own stories with me saying that cancer isn’t talked about in your community.  You’re also wondering why you don’t see yourself represented in breast cancer spaces. On this episode, I’m speaking about this with Leanne Pero MBE, founder of Black Women Rising, who's leading the charge in making breast cancer more inclusive for women of colour. 

 

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You can follow Leanne Pero MBE on Instagram here

 

Black Women Rising is also on Instagram here

 

Find out more on the Black Women Rising website 

 

If you want to read more of  Donna Ashworth’s poems, her new book ‘Wild Hope’ is available in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for me, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next episode to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

Did you know that exercise should be the first treatment you get for breast cancer? Maybe you’re motivated to finally get fit but you don’t know where to start? Or has someone told you that exercise can stop your cancer coming back but you don’t believe it’s true? On this episode I’m answering all your questions about breast cancer and exercise with this week’s guest, Dr Kathryn Schmitz from the University of Pittsburgh. She’s dedicated her life to researching the benefits of exercise for cancer patients and her book, 'Moving Through Cancer: An Exercise and Strength Programme for the Fight of Your Life', is my go-to guide.

 

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If you want to read Kathryn’s book, Moving Through Cancer, it’s available here and in all good bookshops. 

 

You can also read more on the Moving Through Cancer website (movingthroughcancer.com) or follow Kathryn on Instagram or X (Twitter.  

If you want to read more of  Donna Ashworth’s poems, her new book ‘Wild Hope’ is available in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook

 

If you’ve got a question for me, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next episode to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.

Are you struggling to cope with the menopausal side effects of breast cancer treatment? Do you lie awake at night tossing and turning as the sweat pours off your body? Maybe you wish there was something you could take when HRT is off the table? On this episode I’m going to answer all your questions about breast cancer treatment and the menopause with this week’s guest, Professor Annice Mukherjee. She’s a consultant endocrinologist, and the author of ‘The Complete Guide to the Menopause.’

 

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You can get a copy of Annice’s book 'The Complete Guide to the Menopause: Your Toolkit to Take Control and Achieve Life-Long Health' here or in all good bookshops. 

 

You can also follow Annice on X (Twitter) and Instagram .

 

The MSK research we mentioned about supplements is here.

 

And here is where you can find British Menopause Society guidance about  HRT and how to treat menopause.  

 

The new medication I mentioned from the US - Flibanserin - has a write up here if you want to learn more about it. 

 

And the amazing Maggies has some menopause advice here.  

 

 

If you want to read more of  Donna Ashworth’s poems, her new book ‘Wild Hope’ is available in all online bookstores. You can find out more about Donna on her website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

If you’ve got a question for me, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note. You can find me on social media (see below), or e-mail me at hello@oriordan.co.uk . 

 

If you want to find out more about breast cancer whilst you’re waiting for the next episode to drop, you can watch the videos on my YouTube Channel  or read my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control.'

 

If you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir  ‘Under The Knife’ - is available in all good bookshops.

 

You can follow me on social media for regular updates - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

Finally, if you loved the show and want to help other women like you find it, you can leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts, or you can show your support to help keep the show going and buy me a coffee here.