How does a breast cancer diagnosis impact on our
body-image, self-esteem and sense of physical well-being?
The way in which we perceive our
bodies has a significant impact on our personal and social well-being. As
women, breasts constitute part of our femininity - the way we see ourselves and
the way others see us, not only our partners, but the way we present ourselves
socially and professionally.
There is good evidence to show that women diagnosed
with breast cancer are less confident about their bodies and that our diagnosis
and the impact of treatment carries significant implications for all aspects of
our health.
We shared our varied experiences
as a group - some of us had had a lumpectomy, others had had mastectomies, some
of us had chosen not to have reconstruction, others had experienced
complications, perhaps as a result of breast surgery, including failed
reconstructions, recurrence and secondary breast cancer.
Our attitudes towards our breasts
reflected our varied views about what our breasts meant to us as women, for
instance, some of us were very comfortable with life after a mastectomy, and
without reconstruction, whilst others described feeling a huge lack of
confidence. It was clear that a loss of confidence about our body image
undermined our sense of self-worth and 'other' worth in personal and social
relationships.
Some women had been able to
regain confidence as a result of reconstructive surgery, others had not. Some
women had been able to regain their confidence as a result of supportive
partners, whereas some partners had also found it difficult to cope with the
changes in our bodies.
We all had in common an
experience of a complete loss of our confidence in our bodies as a result of
developing cancer and we shared our continued anxiety about whether we would
remain well. The ongoing impact of challenging treatments on our bodies and
health, including our sexual health, is often hidden from our loved ones -
weight gain, pain, fatigue, hot flushes and vaginal dryness are just a few of
the challenges some of us experience. All these symptoms have a significant
impact on our overall health and well-being and for some, this was far more
difficult to manage than the impact of breast surgery.
Naz told us that a lack of
self-compassion and a tendency to depreciate ourselves is one of the biggest
risk markers for depression. Isolation and being unable to share our concerns
increases our vulnerability. We all shared how much we valued the support of
the group and having a safe space to share our deepest fears and concerns.
#ResilienceDiscussion
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