My Story...
Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at age 35, I was living a full life. I was running a busy steakhouse, was renting a flat with my boyfriend and was a social butterfly, often found at a festival, seeing live music, or out with friends having dinner and drinks. I didn't think too much about how my life was going, I was just along for the ride. But the ride came to a screeching holt that sunny April day I was told I had breast cancer.
I think we can all remember that exact moment, that second, that we got that news. The shock, the disbelief. Then straight into the whirlwind of tests, scans, hospital appointments and treatment plans.
Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with Stage 2, Grade 3 Triple Negative breast cancer. As my mum had breast cancer in 2007, I was sent for genetic testing. After going through a gruelling chemotherapy regime, I had a lumpectomy (WLE) before finding out that I had tested positive for the BRCA1 gene fault. This can lead to a 65-85% lifetime risk of getting breast cancer and a 40-60% chance for ovarian. Due to this, I elected to have a double mastectomy and to have my ovaries removed, putting me straight into surgical menopause. This was followed by a 1 year clinical trial for a drug called Olaparib.
When I emerged from the whirlwind over a year later from my diagnosis, I felt like I'd been put through the wringer, the Kirstie that came out was not the same as the one that went in. During treatment, my mind and body were fully engaged in getting through the days, keeping up my busy schedule of treatment, riding out the side effects, recovering from surgery and keeping friends and family up to date with everything that was happening.
When treatment ended and I was told I was cancer free and only needed to come back in for check-ups, I felt like I had been pushed out of the bizarre cocoon of cancer treatment and back out into a life that I no longer recognised.
There is so much pressure to feel elated after getting the news you are in remission, and of course I was happy and relieved, but in reality so much had changed for me. My body was different, my busy and stressful job now seemed impossible, I felt anxious and low, I still suffered with fatigue and nausea and I could not stop worrying that the cancer was going to come back.
Forced Menopause
One of the biggest changes and challenges for me was being in surgical menopause at 36 years old. I had already experienced a taster of this when chemotherapy put me into a temporary menopause where I experienced the side effects of hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain and anxiety. I was told very little about what to expect from the menopause and was given no information at all on how to handle it. Within a few days of my ovaries being removed, I was plunged into a tumult of menopausal symptoms, I felt 20 years older than I was. The main side effects for me were intense anxiety, brain fog, aching joints and muscles, loss of libido and more. I was not allowed HRT due to the cancer so again had to go in to research mode, desperate to find anything that could help my situation. The long term health ramifications of a young, forced menopause were again not explained to me and I had to find out for myself the effects on my heart health, brain health and bone health.
Life Changes
These experiences led me down the path or rediscovering who I was and what I wanted from my life. Over the next few years, I did a deep dive on health and wellness, trying everything from juicing to breathwork to sound baths. I learnt about recovering from trauma, the mind body connection and coping strategies for anxiety, as well as how to manage my menopause through nutrition, exercise and stress management techniques. Through my various learnings and adventures, I formed a lifestyle and mindset that worked for me. I learnt that I could take back some of the control I had lost, by investing in my health, both mental and physical. It became my passion. I also felt a real need to give something back.
It was at this point I decided I wanted to change my career. I wanted to help breast cancer survivors like myself navigate the choppy waters of survivorship in a way that was positive and future focussed. To help other women who may be feeling lost and confused about how to move forward with their lives to get their power back.
I decided to become a life coach for breast cancer survivors and began a 2 year diploma in Wellness & Resilience Coaching.
My local hospital has just opened a new Cancer Wellbeing Centre, and I began volunteering there once a week. When a job came up as a Cancer Care Navigator I jumped at the chance, leaving my 15 year career in hospitality management to enter the world of cancer services. While there I gained valuable experience into the wants and needs of cancer patients and also became a facilitator for the Macmillan HOPE course, aimed at cancer survivors who have finished treatment. For my diploma case studies, I was able to use women from the breast unit at the hospital, from whom I learnt so much about the unique struggles and hopes of cancer survivorship.
I now work part time as a Health Coach for cancer patients, looking at ways to help optimise their health and wellbeing during treatment. These last years have given me a wealth of experience, knowledge and empathy for those touched by cancer. I have been continuously amazed and inspired by the people I have coached and have gained as much from them as hopefully they have gained from me.
Due to my own experiences with surgical menopause, I have also undertaken a diploma as a Menopause Wellness Practitioner and am excited to be able to focus on this all important topic during my coaching sessions; bringing my knowledge, passion and first hand experience together to support women to be empowered in menopause with knowledge, wisdom and practical tips and strategies.
My Coaching Promise
As a coach I am here to hold your hand through this survivor journey, in an equal partnership. I provide a safe, empathetic and non-judgemental space for you to explore your life, your hopes and dreams, your barriers and your future goals. Together we can form a plan of action steps to get you where you want to be, while honouring the challenges you have faced and continue to face. This process does require a real commitment from you, as any sustained change does, but if you are ready, now can be the time to use what you have been through as a catalyst for a positive future.
So, are you ready to begin?
