A cancer survivor on the value of self-care
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For many people diagnosed with cancer, it can take a while to come to terms with their new appearance and changing body.
It’s one of the unseen impacts of a cancer diagnosis, one that greatly affects the mental health and wellbeing of those undergoing treatment. Below, ACT local Dina Clarke shares her story and how through her treatment, she learned about the value of self care.
Dina’s Story
I’m Christina but prefer to go by my nickname, Dina. I’m 42 and live with my partner Chris and my daughter Alex (age nine) in Karabar, Queanbeyan.
I first found a lump in my left breast in 2022 about two weeks after my 40th birthday. There has been a lot of cancer in my family, and it’s always been at the back of my mind that it might happen to me. I lost both paternal grandparents and my brother to cancer, and my dad has prostate cancer which is under observation.
Despite this, I was still in complete shock when the surgeon gave me my diagnosis. I felt completely numb and barely followed much more of what he told me after that. I didn’t know how I would tell my parents, who had lost one child already, or how to tell my daughter.
I had a lumpectomy on my left breast, then chemo and radiation, and I’m now on endocrine therapy. The cancer was estrogen-receptor positive, so I’ve been put into an artificial menopause to stop the cancer growing back.
A few days after my first round of chemo, I heard about an organisation called Look Good Feel Better that was running free workshops to help people going through cancer treatment manage the physical and emotional side-effects of treatment. I signed up as a fun way to spoil myself in an environment that was supportive and understanding.
As I hadn’t lost my hair yet or started to look ill, I was worried that I didn’t “look” like a cancer patient, but I still wanted to know what the options were for wigs and head coverings, as well as how to draw on eyebrows. My worries turned out to be unfounded, because the other ladies attending were all at different stages of treatment anyway.
I’ve learned some really important things from the workshops which I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. In particular, how important it is to protect your skin from the sun, which types of cap are most comfortable (bamboo is the best!), and different ways to tie up scarves.
Learning all this useful information was great, but what has really stuck with me is the feeling of being understood and supported.
Cancer treatment is really lonely because even the most loving friends and family can’t understand what you’re going through unless they’ve been through it themselves. Talking to the other participants about their experiences and treatment was really comforting, and the volunteers running the workshop, many of whom had been through it themselves, were so understanding.
I also took part in some of Look Good Feel Better’s virtual workshops as there were periods when I couldn’t drive because of brain fog, or go out in public because of being immunocompromised.
My daughter was very excited that I was learning how to apply make-up, and she wanted to learn too. Of course, seeing your mum go through cancer treatment is really scary, so teaching her how to apply make-up was a way to make this a more positive experience.
We started having special mum-daughter days when I was well enough, where we’d put on makeup together, dress up and go out for a movie and lunch. These were some of my most precious times during treatment, and I still think of them fondly.
It’s taking me a long time to recover, so I’m not sure if or when I’ll be able to work as hard as I used to. It’s probably best if I don’t return to that way of living, but it’s hard to let go of the way you’ve always been.
Self-care is really important during the whole cancer journey, and it’s good to set some time aside to pamper yourself a little and meet others who are going through similar things.
Before diagnosis and treatment, I felt that I didn’t have time to look after myself between work and parenting. I take much better care of myself now, taking life slowly and getting plenty of exercise. In part, I have Look Good Feel Better to thank for this.
