58. Natalie Ditri Breast Cancer Survivor: Uncovering Fun in the Everyday Grind
Release Date: 08/08/2025
How Breast Cancer Robs me of my Future
Breast Cancer Life
After having a history of breast cancer, it makes you think about future dates differently. It may be that before I had cancer I thought about the next year‘s Christmas or birthday and hoped that everything would be the same as it is now. Definitely after the breast cancer diagnosis, when a holiday or in my case, planning a trip for next summer, comes to mind, I think to myself, and sometimes out loud to my family, “ I hope everything’s OK and the cancer is never back at that tome.”. I also think about how I better just get things done that I really want to do because...
info_outline
58. Natalie Ditri Breast Cancer Survivor: Uncovering Fun in the Everyday Grind
Breast Cancer Life
Checking in after 2 years since I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer to share that recovery from the trauma of a diagnosis is possible. In the last episode I talked about inner strength that I use in managing my mindset as a survivor. The outlook of knowing I will be ok and controlling the things I am allowed to control does not restrict me from looking back at my recovery. This podcast is about sharing my story and advocating. The milestones of recovery from what makes up a diagnosis are important to reflect on, in my opinion. Since it is summer, I am going to my pool...
info_outline
57. Natalie D'Itri Embracing Inner Strength Unveiled: Navigating Mindset and Hope After Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Life
The title says it all in this episode. It is really necessary to navigate my mindset on a regularl basis. Most days are busy with what needs to be done in the now or present (work, exercise, the daily tasks that fill our time). There is still always an opportunity for doubt or fear or loss of hope to creep into the forefront of my thoughts. I share what is helpful to stay on the positive track in this episode. I also talk about my awareness of what is not helpful and how I steer clear of the unhelpful thoughts. At first, when the MRI showed non-mass enhancements, prior to...
info_outline
56. Natalie Ditri's Reflection on Limb Restrictions After Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast Cancer Life
There are new realizations all the time in this breast cancer life experience. I recently realized I need to preserve the veins in my arm not affected by breast cancer surgery. I have been mindful about not getting any injections, blood draws or bug bites on my left arm since I had my mastectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection 2 years ago. Recently I realized that preserving the veins in my right arm is something to be mindful about. I have had a few blood draws over the past year. These are generally drawn from the same place in my right arm, at the bend of the elbow. The...
info_outline
55. The Breast Cancer Battle: Two Years After Mastectomy with the Plastic Surgeon
Breast Cancer Life
It has been 2 years since my mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with an implant. I am about to go to my annual plastic surgery follow up appointment right after recording this episode. I always say that the plastic surgeon put me back together after the breast surgeon took me apart to remove the cancer (and the left breast in my case). So you will hear me say that the plastic surgery appointment is easy compared to the medical oncology or breast surgery follow up appointments. The plastic surgeon did her work and I recovered. It is essentially a “well-visit” and she does...
info_outline
54. A Day of Breast Cancer Life
Breast Cancer Life
Two things happened on the day I am recording this episode that make me think about how my life is different because of breast cancer. I was doing so well not thinking about breast cancer today that I forgot to implement the usual precautions for avoiding any bug bites on my left arm. I was bitten by an ant on my left hand at the end of my walk today. Tiny ants biting seems like no big deal, but the general strategy for lymphedema prevention is to avoid impairing the integrity of the skin on the side where a lymph node dissection has been done. This includes avoiding bug bites! I know...
info_outline
53. Natalie Ditri: No fear of a cancer in my other breast
Breast Cancer Life
Once I got my diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma, I was immensely scared of dying. I was shocked and sad about the diagnosis. I was sure I needed a double mastectomy, because I never wanted to get diagnosed with another breast cancer. My doctors did not recommend a double mastectomy. I only had the left mastectomy. I started tamoxifen a few weeks after surgery. Now, two years since the diagnosis, I am confident that I will not be diagnosed with a cancer in my remaining (right) breast. There are two strategies in place for me at this time that lower my fear of another breast cancer...
info_outline
52. Tamoxifen vs aromatase inhibitor to prevent recurrence of my breast cancer
Breast Cancer Life
Because of breast cancer, fear of cancer recurrence is a permanent part of my life. I continue taking tamoxifen to reduce my risk of the cancer coming back. In this episode I share my thoughts on the good quality of life I have while taking tamoxifen. I value my strong body and theimited side-effects I have now. I also value a life with the lowest possible risk of breast cancer recurrence. I look forward to discussing what it might mean to switch to an aromatase inhibitor, in terms of further lowering the risk of recurrence and potentially experiencing more serious side-effects, with my...
info_outline
51. Healing After Mastectomy: Natalie Ditri’s Story of Breast Cancer and Recovery
Breast Cancer Life
Preparing for breast cancer surgery was all-consuming once I found out I had an invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I never stopped to think about what might be part of recovery from the nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomy until I was in the recovery room. Then I learned the skin on my left breast was potentially going to be at risk for impaired healing or tissue death. My plastic surgeon had a solution for mitigating this at-risk situation. In this episode, I am sharing how I spent the hours and days after the mastectomy, leading up to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This is...
info_outline
50. Natalie Ditri Mastectomy vs Lumpectomy to Remove my Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Life
I had a choice in terms of what would be the best option to remove the invasive ductal carcinoma that I had just learned was in my left breast. I had recently had a biopsy in a different part of my left breast. Given that there were 2 places that had the potential or were actually problematic, I opted for a mastectomy. I thought that if there were 2 problem areas, there were likely to be more problem areas in that breast. I did not want to take any chances on having more cancer. I also wanted to avoid needing radiation. By removing my left breast via a mastectomy, I was not likely to...
info_outlineChecking in after 2 years since I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer to share that recovery from the trauma of a diagnosis is possible. In the last episode I talked about inner strength that I use in managing my mindset as a survivor. The outlook of knowing I will be ok and controlling the things I am allowed to control does not restrict me from looking back at my recovery.
This podcast is about sharing my story and advocating. The milestones of recovery from what makes up a diagnosis are important to reflect on, in my opinion. Since it is summer, I am going to my pool fairly often right now. I love how the water feels on my body and swimming has always been a therapeutic activity for me. So of course I went to my pool as soon as I could after my surgery (2 years ago).
As I work to set goals in my life (also something I talked about in the last episode), I am planning more fun activities each week. Last week I met up at the pool with a few friends and neighbors. This pool time (alone or with friends) is what I call a “great escape”. It is not really an adventure but it takes me to such a different place the moment I enter the gates of the pool.
I crave these moments away from all that makes up my life. In the pool (at the pool), it is a time to move in the water and release physical and emotional tension as I swim (usually very leisurely) up and down the lanes. Last week, when I was with my friends, we sat and ate chips and dip (definitely therapeutic) before going to kick and talk in the water. We had a lot of space to ourselves and it was a completely relaxing block of time.
So as in last week’s episode I talked about doing more than just going through the motions of each week in a month, year, etc., I share my experience of how this can be such a boost to keeping connected and having a positive outlook plus some fun during a day in my breast cancer life.
I cannot say for sure if I would have found it so important to block out fun and intentionally plan my life ahead (for fun and function) if I had not been diagnosed with breast cancer. I do know that because of my breast cancer experience, I am grasping on to opportunities to have fun and connect with others, while also taking care of me with great intention.
My recent episode about navigating the mindset in survivorship:
Episode 57 Inner Strength Unveiled: Navigating Mindset and Hope After Breast Cancer
If you are interested in hearing my episode about the healing effects of swimming for me, listen here: Episode 48 Swimming for Self Love as a Breast Cancer Survivor
Also, if you’d like to be the first to receive updates and exclusive content from the upcoming Breast Cancer Life newsletter, please email me at [email protected]. I’d love to have you on the list!
LET'S CONNECT: