Olubukola Ayodele: Healing is not just about treating the disease
Olubukola Ayodele, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“I was privileged to share my Thursday evening with some amazing black women who were at different stages of their breast cancer journey. This event was organised by From Me To You … The Art Of Survival. I touched on Insights on Breast Cancer Care. The goal was to empower them with Knowledge, Tools, and Hope to navigate their journey with strength and resilience.
The key message was that healing is not just about treating the disease, but also about caring for the whole person’s body, mind, and spirit.
Some of the elements of the discussion included:
- Treatment options available for breast cancer: Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
- Tips to managing treatment side effects such as:
– Fatigue: Gentle movement/exercise, hydration, and proper rest.
– Nausea: Small, frequent meals, ginger tea
– Hair loss: Cooling caps, scarves, wigs- your choice, your empowerment.
– Pain & Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory foods, physical therapy, and guided relaxation. - Tips for Emotional & Mental Well-being:
– Mindfulness techniques for coping with stress and anxiety such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation.
– Meditation & visualization: picturing your body healing and affirmations.
– Journaling: Write down thoughts, fears, and small wins.
– Reclaiming joy: Find moments of happiness, even on hard days.
– Helping others: Volunteering, mentoring, or advocacy. - Importance of building a support system
– Family & friends – Be honest about your needs.
– Support groups – Connect with others on a similar journey.
– Professional counseling – Therapists specializing in cancer support can help. - The impact of chronic stress on our body. A lot of the women acknowledged that on reflection they had gone through a stressful situation around the time of diagnosis.
- Learning to advocate for oneself. Majority of these women had never had clinical trials discussed with them. The need for diversity in clinical trials is crucial. Education and improved communication is needed for both healthcare professionals and the public. CLINICAL TRIALS ARE NOT LAST RESORT!!! I pointed them to several resources where they could explore available clinical trials around the country such as Cancer Research UK (CRUK) trial finder and Make 2nds Count clinical trials registry.
On closing, I reminded them that their healing journey is unique and there’s no “right way” to heal. Healing is a balance of medicine, self-care, and mindset.
I’m grateful to Judith Neptial and Ashleigh Neptial for their kind invitation and I look forward to the next time to connect and share.”
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