03. How to cope psychologically with a breast cancer diagnosis with Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield

Being diagnosed with breast cancer floored me mentally. I could handle the side effects of chemo by swallowing tablet after tablet, but I couldn’t stop the thoughts running through my head. Like many of you, I would lie awake until the small hours of the morning thinking things like ‘Am I going to die?’, ‘IIs it going to come back?’ ‘How am I going to get through this?’ On this episode I’m going to help you deal with the tough stuff with the help of the amazing Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield, who has dedicated her life to helping women like us deal psychologically with a cancer diagnosis.

You can watch the video Lesley mentioned from Shore-C about friends and families’ reactions to an advanced breast cancer diagnosis here

You can find more info about the Flat Friends charity here for women who have had a mastectomy. 

Follow this link to find out more about Maggie’s Centres and the counselling they offer to cancer patients

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 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 @DrLizORiordan 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.