Dear Pauline,

In November 2019, you will find a lump in your left breast. Immediately scared, you worry that this could be cancer. A few days later, your worst fears will be confirmed by your new medical team, the people who are now responsible for all the decisions surrounding your care and treatment. This completely disempowers you. It is cancer.

Like getting on a Ferris wheel that has no stop, doctors, investigations, hospital visits, then surgery, chemo and radiation. Time passes and your treatment is finished. All the time you have spent at home because of the pandemic, you will search for a way to rehabilitate and deal with the effects of breast cancer, the shock and difficulty in coming to terms with the new you.

Looking at Marie Keating Foundation, they have a survivorship and Thrive programme, it is exactly what you want.

It’s run virtually due to pandemic restrictions which does not cause any problem, as everything is really well co ordinated by Helen and Fiona and Paul.

Immediately, everyone finds a safe, comfortable and most of all welcoming space. Helen and Paul are lovely, caring and most compassionate. The content is targeted at recovery and rehabilitation with an emphasis on sharing group think.

The whole group identifies very well, the common struggles faced by all the lovely women here. I feel that the tools we are learning will give us the confidence to move forward on our journey. We are becoming empowered as self-managers, supporters of each other. We have forged a network of fantastic survivors and thrivers.

This Pauline is exactly what you needed.

Regards,

Pauline.