Hearing those Words
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is incredibly shocking and emotionally overwhelming. It’s completely natural to feel a mix of fear, anger, and sadness. The moment you hear the word “cancer” alongside your name changes everything – leaving you disoriented, regardless of the stage of your diagnosis.
As BCA Founder Roxann puts it, “it’s a mind fuck for sure.” It’s important to acknowledge the range of emotions you are, and will experience, and know that you are not alone. BCA is here to walk this path with you, to empower you into healing your way.
Take a moment to breathe and honor whatever it is you are feeling. Together, we can navigate this challenging journey, offering support and finding strength in our community. You are resilient, and there are compassionate resources available to guide you through this time.We know how you feel. And you are not alone.
Health Insurance
Your Breast Cancer Team
Regardless of the treatment path you choose you will need a team of medical professionals to administer or help you get the treatment you desire. It is important to find doctors that are good at their job as well as being compassionate towards you and respectful of your boundaries. You will also interact with their staff quite frequently so it is also important that their office culture is pleasant for you. This can be challenging.
Surgeons, Oncologists & Anesthesiologists present themselves as knowing what’s best for you. Yes they have more experience than you with breast cancer, however they don’t personally know you – they don’t know what is important to you for a quality life, they don’t know what side effects are unacceptable to you.
Alternative medicine practitioners also do not know what you want to ultimately get out of a treatment with them. Clear communication is very important to achieve that goal. Asking enough questions so you clearly understand what the expectations of any given treatment are is critical in understanding if it’s worth your health, time and monetary investments.
To get the treatment you want as well as the emotional support you deserve from your team it is essential that you actively advocate for yourself. BCA is here to help you do that, whether it be to teach you how to advocate for yourself with a doctor and staff or as a Patient Advocate Consultant accompanying you to your appointments or something in between, or something more, BCA is here for you.
*Note Roxann got to where she is today because she is a fierce advocate for herself. She can be heard saying “ I do a lot of things well, taking NO for an answer, isn’t one of them!
Your Personal Support System
Because you have a beast cancer diagnosis you need a good emotional support system. This may likely be the biggest challenge of your life. If you are diagnosed with late stage breast cancer or one of the more rare types your life is literally on the line. Breathe. We know your are in shock, and terrified. Call your closest person immediately. You will need many different people to help you with many different things for you. It’s important to garner the assistance of those closest to you quickly and ask for their help in getting others on board for you. If you are not used to asking for help this can be challenging – this is bigger than you can handle on your own. Accept that – and ask for help right away. You will be glad you did!
Breast Cancer Support Groups can be very helpful, or not. Join a couple and see if they work for you.
Sometimes you will want to talk to strangers that don’t have breast cancer, it can be weirdly easier – make Duality part of your support team.