Blogs

Written by Liz Benditt A breast cancer diagnosis is life-altering, and no doubt you’ll want and need a ton of traditional medicines and treatments. However, alongside conventional treatments, there's a fragrant friend called aromatherapy that's making waves in the world of breast cancer support. In this blog post, we'll explore how aromatherapy can be a comforting ally for breast cancer patients, with insights from some pretty cool studies. Easing Anxiety with Aromatherapy Imagine being in the hot seat for a breast biopsy – you’re staring down at a rather large needle pointed at your boob; anxiety levels can skyrocket. But...

When I was 27 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, non-hormonal type of breast cancer: Triple Negative. As I had to come to terms with this life-changing diagnosis and go through all the treatment motions (surgery, chemo & radiation), I was surprised at how much energy I was spending on navigating the social waters. You could say I was getting a degree in psychology because I dealt with all types of people. Some gave me support, inspiration, and love, while others frustrated, triggered, or hurt me. And 99.9% of the time, the latter group just didn’t know...

Written by Liz Benditt It seems like such a small thing – but one of the biggest challenges in my recovery has been lifting restrictions. Immediately surgery, my surgeon made it clear I should not attempt to lift anything over 5 lbs. This is a pretty common post-op instruction. After my single mastectomy surgery, I had limited use of my right arm thanks to the combination of drains, stiches, and swelling. But even after my drains came out, the weight restrictions persisted for a lot longer than I anticipated. Even now, 3 months post-surgery, I am still working back to...

Written by Liz Benditt After 4 cancers over 8 years, I thought I was done. But apparently 5 is my new number….. because in December 2022 I learned I had a new breast cancer in the opposite breast from my first breast cancer in 2017. And this time there were more tumors, more widely distributed around the breast such that a lumpectomy wasn’t an option. I went to two different medical centers to get second and third opinions – I needed to be absolutely sure that I must have a mastectomy. While each medical center’s team had slightly different approaches to...