For the second year running, BCAC has funded a young New Zealand breast cancer survivor to attend the annual C4YW conference for young women with breast cancer.
The conference, hosted by the Young Survival Coalition and Living Beyond Breast Cancer, was held in Orlando, Florida and was attended by Aucklander Emma Crowley, a 26-year-old who has recently finished treatment for breast cancer.
Emma says the conference was an amazing opportunity to meet inspirational women who’ve been through the same thing as she has.
“It was of great value to have access to an abundance of information in one forum; and expressly aimed at young women”
Emma attended several sessions, but her highlight was a workshop presented by American support group, Beyond Boobs.
The organisation aims to educate women about breast cancer, support those with the disease and inspire everyone “to live with an ‘!’ life”.
Says Emma: “The session was very uplifting and was a good reminder of things we should be doing daily such as reducing stress, looking after number one, exercising, and stepping out of our comfort zones.”
Emma says it was positive to hear about the things you can do for yourself to help improve your health and your outlook on life.
She says the group was particularly inspiring because it wasn’t your usual support group. For instance, they organise regular events, but don’t hold back on the types of activities they indulge in and include things such as sky diving.
Emma also attended a session on breast reconstruction, which she found particularly useful as she is about to undergo reconstruction surgery later this year.
The two surgeons who addressed the workshop said that many US surgeons now prefer to opt for DIEP flap reconstruction, rather than TRAM flap or LAT DORSI reconstructions because the DIEP option only involves the transfer of fatty tissue and blood vessels rather than muscle.
Another uplifting session was with breast cancer survivor and chef, Nancy Waldeck and dietitian, Shayna Komar, who offered some good tips on healthy eating after a cancer diagnosis.
They noted the importance of getting enough probiotics in the diet to keep you healthy. Probiotics help to keep your immune system strong and healthy and are very beneficial your immune system is under pressure as a result of chemotherapy.
Emma says the duo also recommended consuming more nuts, in particular, almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts which contain excellent nutrients to help keep you healthy after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Sadly, this year’s C4YW conference is to be the last, but Emma says something similar is planned for next year in Texas.
She hopes something eventuates because it’s a positive experience to meet other young women who’ve travelled the breast cancer journey and an incredible opportunity to be exposed to the latest thinking and research on breast cancer in young women.
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