I was diagnosed with stage 2 hormone receptor positive breast cancer at the age of 37. I went through a treatment plan that included 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 radiation treatments, and a single mastectomy with reconstruction and implants on both breasts. I am currently on my second of five years of hormone therapy (monthly Zoladex injection and daily Arimidex pill). During my treatments, I had a difficult time finding information on how to combat the effects of my treatments on my physical appearance. So, I tried different things until I found what worked for me. Now that I am on the downslope of my journey, I want to share the beauty tips that I compiled during my treatments.

While going through breast cancer treatments, your first priority is destroying the cancer and staying healthy, but I found that when I looked in the mirror and saw a face that did not look sick, it made me feel less sick. I knew in my head that I had breast cancer and saw my calendar that was full of doctor’s appointments, but in my heart, I did not feel like a cancer patient. That is my hope for other women, that they would fight the cancer with all they have but would not see themselves as cancer patients.