The spring issue of Vita – Breast Cancer Care’s quarterly magazine – is out now, packed with real life stories, healthy living articles and much more.

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Real life stories

At the heart of Vita magazine are our real life stories.

In this issue, Dorothy – our fabulous cover star – talks about the shock of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 79. ‘I thought I was going to die,’ she says. ‘I was in the most dreadful state.’ But six years on, at 85, Dorothy says she has boundless energy and is travelling the world with her husband.

Our youngest contributor is Katie. At 27, she had a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer. Katie inherited an altered BRCA2 gene, which increases the risk of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Katie tells us why she feels ‘really lucky’ after having her surgery.

 

Find your way out of the fog

Do you sometimes feel you’re just not on top of things? Do you have more trouble concentrating or remembering things than you did in the past?

If so, you could be experiencing what medical experts call ‘cognitive impairment’. It’s more commonly known as ‘chemo fog’ or ‘chemo brain’, but it doesn’t just affect people who’ve had chemotherapy. Anyone who’s been treated for breast cancer can experience the effects of cognitive impairment.

Our top tips could help you find your way out of ‘the fog’.

Hot topic: breast reconstruction

The choice of whether or not to have breast reconstruction is a very personal one. We speak to three women, who’ve had very different experiences, about the choices they made.

Suzi chose not to have reconstruction after her mastectomy, and now has a range of prostheses for different occasions. Lynn had breast reconstruction years after her original surgery, and is very happy with the results. And Margaret, who had a double mastectomy without reconstruction, feels comfortable without wearing a prosthesis.

And there’s more

As well as all this, we bring you the usual mix of news, style and healthy living tips, we answer your questions about all aspects of breast cancer, and keep you up to date with Breast Cancer Care’s latest events, services and fundraising activities.

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