Helen

For 44-year-old cancer patient Helen the Look Good Feel Better workshop offered a sense of calm amidst a shock diagnosis of breast cancer. This is Helen’s story…

“I was breastfeeding and noticed that one breast produced less milk than the other. There was a mass of tissue which I assumed was a blocked milk duct which would explain the lack of supply. My doctor examined it wasn’t too concerned. I went back a year later, after my aunt had passed away from breast cancer, and expressed my concern. It intuitively didn’t feel right. I was back in her office two weeks later diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. I felt numb. It was a very surreal situation. She said my reaction was very stoic. I heard her words, but couldn’t process what it meant.

Little things have changed, not those grand sweeping concepts that I’ve read about. Taking a walk in the sunshine during chemo treatment was just lovely. Being present and patient to my now two-year-old as she discovers her independence.

I hesitated to attend the Look Good Feel Better workshop at first, because I was the kind of woman that would leave the house with just a bit of moisturizer on my skin. On the surface, I thought that was just about a bit of make-up and styling.

But I realized it was much more than that after I attended. The best thing about the Look Good Feel Better workshop was that it reignited my need for self-care, self-love and self-respect. I was starting to feel comfortable in my own skin at the age of 40 something, but lost a large part of that during the initial stages of treatment. I came out of the program more positive about little things I could do to make myself feel better. I continue to wear blush every time I walk out of the house, and sometimes even a little eyeliner. The small pieces of me that I lost during treatment are starting to find their way back.”