What happens when you are diagnosed with breast cancer?

The statistics show that one in two of us will develop some form of cancer during our lifetime. But what happens when you hear the words, “I’m sorry, it’s cancer”?

What do you do after that life-changing diagnosis? 

How do you tell your family, your children? DO you tell your children? What about the plans you had made – holidays booked, house moves planned? 

And what do you do about your business? Do you keep working? Can you keep working? Should you tell your clients so they can understand, or will they scare them off?

These are all decisions multi award-winning brand consultant, designer, author and speaker Sapna Pieroux was faced with when she was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. 

Sapna feels passionately about sharing her experience, and using it to help others… in particular to encourage other women (and men) to check their breasts. So we recorded a special episode of the Get Rich Slow podcast with Sapna for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Here are some of the questions we asked Sapna in our conversation

  • How did you discover you had cancer? What did you find, and how quickly was it diagnosed?
  • What was your initial response or feeling?
  • Your oncologist said that breast cancer was an ‘affluent disease’. What did they mean by that?
  • You are British Asian. Do you think there is a cultural difference in how we approach cancer? And if so, what is the impact of that?
  • What do you think may have played a part in developing cancer, if anything? And how has this changed you?
  • Did you tell your children? If so, why and how?
  • How has breast cancer and the changes to your body changed your personal and physical sense of identity?
  • How has your mindset helped you deal with this so far?
  • What effect has this had on your business and your personal relationships?
  • What advice do you have for anyone worried about breast cancer?

Listen to our conversation with Sapna

You can listen to our conversation with Sapna here right now. Sapna has also asked us to share a link to CRUK in case you would like to make a donation to support cancer research. You can donate here.