Liz O'Riordan - breast surgeon with BC Recommended to Read

As Liz realised herself .... she thought she ‘knew’ how her patients were feeling, but it was only after she was diagnosed herself and had the surgery and all the side effects, the glances, the fears ... that she realised she knew nothing at all, really!

We need to advocate for ourselves and SPEAK UP when we think we are unhappy with the standard of care ... and the forum here is a good place to bounce off ideas and what concerns you about ‘accepted procedures’ ....

I watched 2 podcasts by Liz last night. I realised that what I needed, the approach I needed, from the doctors, nurses and other health professionals differed at each stage and will probably continue to be so as my treatment continues. At times I need blunt honesty (when asking questions), at times a gentle and empathetic approach (when in pain or fearful) and at times I use dark humour to shield me from the worst of things (usually when facing a new bump along this rough road we travel).
I think what we need as patients is for the medical team to take our lead as each appointment and each patient will be different. 
That said, I have immense respect for each and every of the medical team I have had the fortune to be involved with, not only do they provide treatment but they rely on us to tell them what we need of them, even as we don't really know ourselves. 

Thanks @arpie I know all three of these people and they are worth listening to. Fazila interviewed me last year. 

Bumping this one - if you haven't read Liz's Blog on her own Breast Cancer - you should! .... 

And here is a Zoom Chat with Liz O'Riordan and Kelly Shanahan and Fazila Seker, about Covid and Living with Breast Cancer ..... I haven't watched it all, but it should be good!

https://www.facebook.com/FazilaSekerMOLLI/videos/199795578121528

I found this book to be excellent.
if you don’t want to or can’t afford to buy it, I found it in my local library.

I helped Liz with the section on men and breast cancer.

Well done @Halla ... she has also written an informative book on Breast Cancer too, that some on the forum have read.  I think you can get it as an ebook too.

It is a very well written blog by a knowledgeable person who now acknowledges what a lot of specialists don't - re the total affect that a BC diagnosis & treatment can do to a person.  It validates those of us who HAVE had unfortunate side effects .... All the best with your treatment.

Just got it on audible, thanks for the suggestion 🙏🏻  @arpie   Looking forward to it, I’m devouring all the information I can about everything right now 

Bumping this one, as a MUST READ by all BCNA members.

@Giovanna_BCNA - can this one be ‘stickied’ so it stays at the very top of the Discussion Page ... with “RECOMMENDED TO READ” added to the title for all newbies (and existing members who haven’t seen it before?)

It is invaluable information from a UK Breast Cancer surgeon, diagnosed herself with Breast Cancer at age 40 and how shocked she was, to go thru the surgery and all the treatment (chemo, rads and TABs) and her own massive side effects were the same or worse than what her patients had been telling her for years and she ‘thought she knew’!

She has a recurrence as well. :( 

She has had to abandon her career as a surgeon, due to both the physical and mental side effects of her own surgery and treatment.  

Take care xx

Liz and I were diagnosed at the same time and I liaised with her on the section on men and breast cancer. It is a great reference for us all.