After my mum was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer on Friday June 15, 2012, an ironically sunny afternoon, her oncologist recommended chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy then radiotherapy as her treatment plan. After eight rounds of chemotherapy my mum had a mastectomy in December 2012 followed by radiotherapy in January 2013 to target the … Continue reading JS Kicking Cancer’s Ass Theme 10 of 13: The Coping Mechanisms

My mother’s battle with breast cancer is not something I was open to talking about. I do not think I will even manage to fully delve into what that time of our lives was like for me because I am a really private person and it feels like I am sharing my deepest intimate thoughts … Continue reading JS Kicking Cancer’s Ass Theme 9 of 13: The Second Born aka The Nurturer

October 13th is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It is a day meant to bring understanding to the most serious form of the disease. Many people do not realise that breast cancer itself does not become deadly until it spreads outside of the breasts. In honour of Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day that was yesterday, … Continue reading JS Kicking Cancer’s Ass Theme 8 of 13: The Cancer

Anticipatory grief is the name given to the tumultuous set of feelings and reactions that occur when someone is expecting the death of a loved one usually due to a terminal illness. Grief that occurs before death can be similar to grief after death (conventional grief) but it is also unique in many ways. Grief before … Continue reading JS Kicking Cancer’s Ass Theme 7 of 13: The Anticipatory Grief