"I am a survivor of Breast Cancer,
I am a Brother, a Father, a Sister, a Mother, a Daughter, a Son, a Friend.
I carry the scars on the inside, for those that carry the scars on the outside,
I will NEVER feel that helpless again, I am CHANGING things,
I am an unseen champion, I am an unsung hero,
I help drag the stories out of the darkness,
I help shine a strong and loving light on those in darkness,
I am guiding survivors toward the light of a better tomorrow,
I am a breastANGELS Supporting Contributor."

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Accepting With Grace
Mastectomy & Reconstruction, My Choice Before Breast Cancer.

How one woman broke the curse of cancer
What would you do if doctors discovered you had a potential 80%
chance of getting breast cancer?

Sharon Tregoning decided to do something. She’d already lost
her sister Bess to breast cancer, had developed three benign lumps
herself, and was undergoing the nerve-wracking routine of annual
mammograms and ultrasounds.

What readers are saying ...

“When I was making my decision and researching options, I found that there was very little information available for women in my situation -that being high risk of developing breast cancer.
Once I made my decision to have the surgery, I decided that I would write the book, and also include
very graphic photos, so that women are able to make an informed decision about what, if any action, to take.”
- Sharon Tregoning

An excerpt from Accepting With Grace is now available for you to read.
Adobe PDF Format | 1093 Kb | Opens In A New Window
Click Here To Download our eSnippet >
 

The book is available as an eBook or a Soft Cover Print, with the sales of
Accepting With Grace directly supporting breastANGELS.

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Advocacy

Further involvements with breast cancer related forums are :

• Participation in kConFab research into familial breast cancer
• Participation (along with Liz) in the book Positive by Sally Collings which covers positive experiences/outcomes
  as a result of cancer Read More >
• Participation in a thesis titled Navigating Uncertainty : The Personal and
  Professional Decision-Making landscapes of Bilateral Prophylactic
  Mastectomy by Rebecca Conning

Liz was also a participant in a number of surveys and was quoted in Breast Cancer Network Australia’s (BCNA) Hope & Hurdles - Information Guide for Women with Secondary Breast Cancer

Those quotes appear below :
About finding out she had Secondary Breast Cancer
“If you think back over your life, cancer won’t be the only experience that wasn’t welcome.  You’ve learned to live with each of these experiences. You’ve grown, you’ve laughed, you’ve cried, you’ve still been a friend, partner, mother, lover, etc., you’ve still been a valuable and precious human being. This news doesn’t change any of that.  It may alter the way you express who you are, but it doesn’t change who you are as a woman.”

About Faith and Spirituality
“My oncologist asked how does being told I have secondary breast cancer affect my spiritual journey?
This gives me a focus, a purpose and an opportunity to make meaning.”

And, on Living with Secondary Breast Cancer
“Your greatest support, your greatest strength and the aspect you have the most influence over is your attitude
- the way you think about your experience.  Your thinking will influence your journey.  I’m not for a second saying that you always have to be happy and jolly - that would be to live a phoney life. Just be real.  Enjoy the good days; continue to love yourself on the not-so-good days.  Be alert or aware of how your thinking, your attitude influences your experience.  Above all, listen to yourself.  Know deep within that whether you have cancer or not, whether you are well or not, know that you are lovable and acceptable.”

This one is my favourite and sits on the wall next to my desk.
This, I believe, is an important message for all of us - cancer or not.

Sharon Tregoning
Founder
 

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