WATCH NOW - How do you tell your kids you have cancer with Caroline Leek

One of the questions I dreaded getting asked when I worked as a breast surgeon was ‘How do I tell my children?’ I don’t have children of my own, and I had no idea what to say. My breast care nurses would step in and I would breathe a sigh of relief. Judging from all your questions this week, telling your children you have cancer can be fraught with anxiety, worry, guilt and stress. And that’s the last thing you need when you’re going through breast cancer treatment.
This week’s guest is here to help. Caroline Leek is the founder and director of the FruitFly collective. Caroline’s mission at FruitFly is to help families talk about cancer, death and grief and to support children of any age with the tools they need to help them cope and know they’re not alone, and I’m thrilled she was able to join me - IN PERSON - for this special episode which you can also watch on my TH-cam channel.
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Here are some of the websites Caroline mentioned:
www.parentingwithcancer.org
www.fruitflycollective.com
www.pipskit.com
Ruth strauss foundation - for people facing end of life - ruthstraussfou...
Mummys star - www.mummysstar...
www.riprap.org....
You can also book tickets to the Parenting with Cancer conference in May here - (delegates are bothe healthcare professionals and parents)
buytickets.at/...
If you’ve got a question for the show, then please get in touch online or send me a voice note.
You can find me on social media - Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or e-mail me at [e-mail] .
You can also watch this episode! Head to my TH-cam channel @DrLizORiordan to see this season’s episodes as they are released and lots of other useful videos full of reliable information.
AND MY BRAND NEW MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS HERE! Find out what I’ve been up to and get some useful recommendations by subscribing here
Another place to find out more about breast cancer is my book ‘The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control’. And if you’re nosey and want to find out more about my life, my memoir ‘Under The Knife’ - is also available in all good bookshops.

[@SimonDanson]

I am not sure whether this is the right place to ask this. I have two friends who have breast cancer and I asked them how they wanted to be treated. They both said ' do not ask me about my condition just whether I am OK'. If they say fine just carry on and ignore it.
My comment is: if that is how strangers want to treat them how are they going to tell their children?
I am 75 male. I would just like advice on how to treat my friends. If that is how you would want to be treated as a cancer surgeon please let me know. Personally I would want to be asked about the details but I am not a person with 'big' breasts although I know I could get breast cancer.

[@cassieoz1702]

Be aware, gossipy friends can be an issue but stupid/callous school teachers can be an issue too. My friend's children were young, and she hadn't YET used the cancer word. Don't worry, the teacher decided she should burst their bubble after listening to gossip

[@lianeisme]

I have bee diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer Pr negative and Hr negative. I had a pet scan in October as I just got through cervical cancer and was told I’m cancer free. Then in January I’m diagnosed with a completely different cancer. It’s not in my breasts it’s in my liver and stomach they did a biopsy on the liver this is why the Her2 positive diagnosis. They have told me there is no cure. I live in Australia I was wondering if you know about and cures. The protocol they have put me on is 12 weeks Paclitaxel and every 3 weeks I’m given pertuzumab and trastuzumab I have been told I will be on this for the rest of my life every 3 weeks and eventually this will stop working. I’m so scared I don’t want to die.