Are you planning for a mastectomy?

Get the Top 10 Tips for Preparing for a Mastectomy

A practical and helpful resource for women and caregivers preparing for a mastectomy and beyond.

Additional Resources

Want more ideas and tips for strength in the journey? Here are some tools and inspiration!

Support Communities:

Cancer Support Community: Uplifts and strengthens people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer: A national nonprofit that connects people with trusted information and a community of support.

Learn, Look, Locate: Connecting physicians and survivors regarding education, community outreach, social media, and innovative breast cancer research and treatment options.

Firefly Sisterhood: Provides one-to-one social and emotional support to women who have been impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis.

Imerman Angels: Provides free, personalized one-on-one cancer support for cancer fighters, survivors, previvors and caregivers.

Best advice:

DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING. While knowledge is power, get your power from your trusted team of physicians and doctors. The internet is full of information that will only put too many fearful messages in your mind. While there are trusted sites and valid information, it is better to rely on support communities, mentoring, and care teams.

Communication and Caregiving:

CaringBridge: A no-cost, nonprofit health platform to share and document a health journey, simplify care coordination, and connect caregivers with a supportive community.

Practical Needs:

Meal Train: Simplifies the organization of meal giving between friends, families, and neighbors.

Instacart: Whatever you want from local stores, brought right to your door.

Netflix: Unlimited movies, TV shows, and more.

Inspirational Tools:

Nightbirde Foundation: Provides free “Gifts of Hope” boxes to bring hope to women with breast cancer.

Rose Robin Box: Supports women preparing for a mastectomy by sending a box full of encouraging words, special gifts, and recovery items.

Personal Recommendations

Favorite Quotes:

“Call it a clan. Call it a network. Call it a tribe. Call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

Jane Howard
“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”

George Eliot
“Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through. You won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm is all about.”

Haruki Murakami
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . you must do everything you think you cannot do.”

Eleanor Roosevelt
“A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”

Eleanor Roosevelt
“Nobody, but nobody, can make it out here alone.”

Maya Angelou
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and the time the tide will turn.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe
“In the middle of difficultly lies opportunity.”

Albert Einstein
“Just when you think things are falling apart, that’s when they are falling into place.”

Anonymous
“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”

Winston Churchill
“Your three best doctors are faith, time, and patience.”

Anonymous
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

The Serenity Prayer
“Difficult times always create opportunities for you to experience more love in your life.”

Barbara DeAngelis
“Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open."

John Barrymore

Favorite Books:

You Are a Badass

Jen Sincero
Walk Beside Me

Christine Handy
The High Five Habit

Mel Robbins
Atomic Habits

James Clear
Wild

Cheryl Strayed
Eat Pray Love

Elizabeth Gilbert
What to Say When You Talk to Yourself

Shad Helmsetter

Are you planning for a mastectomy?

Get the Top 10 Tips for Preparing for a Mastectomy

Additional Resources

Support Communities:

Best advice:

Communication and Caregiving:

Practical Needs:

Inspirational Tools:

Personal Recommendations

Favorite Quotes:

“Call it a clan. Call it a network. Call it a tribe. Call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”

“Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through. You won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm is all about.”

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . you must do everything you think you cannot do.”

“A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”

“Nobody, but nobody, can make it out here alone.”

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and the time the tide will turn.”

“In the middle of difficultly lies opportunity.”

“Just when you think things are falling apart, that’s when they are falling into place.”

“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”

“Your three best doctors are faith, time, and patience.”

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

“Difficult times always create opportunities for you to experience more love in your life.”

“Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open."

Favorite Books:

You Are a Badass

Walk Beside Me

The High Five Habit

Atomic Habits

Wild

Eat Pray Love

What to Say When You Talk to Yourself

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