In this episode, we speak to Fay, who talks about struggling with sex and intimacy in the months following her breast cancer treatment.
After finding a lump while on a work trip in April 2018, Fay was diagnosed with primary breast cancer. She was initially very calm about the situation. But treatment later caused some problems for her.
I don’t feel like a woman anymore
Shortly after being diagnosed, Fay underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction, and radiation treatment.
All of this took a toll on her body, and the physical effects made her feel like she’d lost her femininity. It impacted how she felt about sex and intimacy with her husband.
She tells us about the anxiety this caused her, and how – after a lot of worry and isolation – she was brave enough to talk to her husband about it.
I was really frightened and nervous, thinking: what if he’s not attracted to me anymore? I look completely different. I’m not the woman he married, I’m not the woman he chose.
Fay
Everyone’s experience is unique to them. This podcast contains the personal story and experience of the speaker, rather than that of Breast Cancer Now.
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Breast Cancer Now and Ann Summers are working together, to help women affected by breast cancer to start the conversation about their sex and intimacy issues. If you have any questions, or want to talk things through, we're here to support you.