Are you or do you know a cancer survivor? We areĀ celebrating National Cancer Survivor Month thisĀ month andĀ are grateful to have Anne Thompson - one of our biggest supporters and recent bloggers - share her inspiring journey with breast cancer. Her story offers valuable insights and hope to anyone currently battling this difficult illness or looking for ways to offer support to someone who is.
by Anne Thompson
I doubt there are few of us who have not known a friend, a family member or have experienced for ourselves the very real fear that a diagnosis of cancer can bring to an individual or family.
My Diagnosis And Action Plan
It will be 2 years ago next month, that I myself, was diagnosed with Stage 0 DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ) breast cancer that required a lumpectomy and 4 weeks of radiation therapy treatments. Due to the excellent prognosis of my condition I was hesitant at first to even discuss it with friends or family.
Fortunately, I had a lumpectomy within a week and after a full recovery from surgery, radiation treatments started in earnest. I did suffer the typical side effects of radiation therapy such as fatigue, skin changes much like a sunburn, thickening of the skin, discomfort, butĀ using Magnolia Skin Essentials was a game changer.
I'd like to share the role Magnolia Skin Essentials products played in helping me find the lump in the very early stages and how it soothed my skin from the radiation treatments.
The Products That Helped Me
It all started when I wanted to take a quick shower one morning. I had run out of my bath gel so I grabbed the new Magnolia Skin Essentials Oatmeal Lavender Bar that had been delivered the day before. As I was rubbing it between the palms of my hands then onto my shoulders and arm I thought, "Wow! This is so smooth and wonderful!" My hands just seemed to glide over my skin.
Then when I started to wash over the torso area it was then that my fingers felt a lump on the underside of my left breast. Something I had never felt before. I realized immediately that I had a serious situation to deal with but I also realized that if not for the silky smooth texture that the Lavender bar created between my fingers and chest wall I could very well have missed this new finding.
I'm not sure if it was the natural oils in the soap (Virgin Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, or Olive Oil), but whatever it was it allowed my fingers to feel more smoothly the contours of my breast and heightened my ability to feel the tissue beneath my fingers.
After my diagnosis, one way I found to help care for my skin while fighting breast cancer was by using natural products. This I found with Magnolia Skin Essentials Turmeric and Neem Oil Bar. I found it to be particularly effective in providing relief and satisfaction. Turmeric contains a powerful antioxidant called curcuminĀ which can protect the body from free radicals, helping reduce inflammation and maintaining skin elasticity.
Neem oil, on the other hand, has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties that can keep skin healthy and moisturized. Early studies suggest that Neem oil may also help reduce the appearance of scars or stretch marks. Together these two ingredients work to revitalize and soothe your skin while helping you fight breast cancer.
The Magnolia Blossom Hand and Body Lotion was a gem. I found this to be an excellent bonus after bathing with the Turmeric and Neem Oil Bar, especially for the few weeks after therapy ended. I am happy to say that the skin on my breast has no long-lasting side effects from my treatments.
One Final Note
Everyone's experience while being treated for cancer is as unique as the individual themselves. Some will experience greater burns than others from radiation therapy, some will experience more difficult side effects from chemotherapy than others. Some will have a more promising prognosis than others. It seems so unfair, but nevertheless, we are all in this together. If by sharing my story and experience I can help someone in some small way to ease any discomfort they may have then I am truly grateful for this opportunity to have shared my experience with you.
