Breast Cancer Life

The Breast Cancer Life podcast is where I share my breast cancer experience. I hope this podcast informs you, as the one diagnosed or as the friend or family member of someone living breast cancer life. Nothing could have prepared me to live this life. That's why I'm sharing my experience. I am Natalie, your host. Join me as I share my journey. The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact Host Natalie [email protected]

How Breast Cancer Robs me of my Future 09/19/2025

58. Natalie Ditri Breast Cancer Survivor: Uncovering Fun in the Everyday Grind 08/08/2025

58. Natalie Ditri Breast Cancer Survivor: Uncovering Fun in the Everyday Grind 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 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: If you are interested in hearing my episode about the healing effects of swimming for me, listen here: 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 . I’d love to have you on the list! LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/37694105

57. Natalie D'Itri Embracing Inner Strength Unveiled: Navigating Mindset and Hope After Breast Cancer 07/22/2025

57. Natalie D'Itri Embracing Inner Strength Unveiled: Navigating Mindset and Hope After Breast Cancer 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 being diagnosed, I was reading a lot. I had no idea that I really had an invasive cancer in my breast. Then I got the biopsy results. My mindset shifted to getting ready for surgery. After surgery, I was focused on recovery from the mastectomy. Once I was healed and headed back to work, a new reality hit me. It was the reality of survivorship and living in the grey zone of uncertainty regarding the possibility of the cancer coming back. I got professional help to navigate the bid and very strong emotions that came with the new reality I was facing as a survivor. Fast forward to the present, when I am two years out from diagnosis and surgery. I am still healthy after the diagnosis. The reality of possible recurrence still lives in my head. I have had some time to experience the ups and downs of survivorship. I have learned to recognize what is helpful and not helpful to keep me on track with a positive mindset and hope for a healthy and fulfilling future, even after my breast cancer diagnosis. What am I doing? I take care of my mind and body, prioritizing sleep and exercise. I have built my community of others who really know what it is like to be a breast cancer survivor. I have worked on filling up the days, weeks, months and years with things I look forward to. Also, I have identified the triggers that lower my optimism of a lot of good years ahead. Most of the time, I know when to tell myself “don’t go there” in my head. 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 . I’d love to have you on the list! LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/37505860

56. Natalie Ditri's Reflection on Limb Restrictions After Breast Cancer Surgery 07/11/2025

55. The Breast Cancer Battle: Two Years After Mastectomy with the Plastic Surgeon 07/04/2025

54. A Day of Breast Cancer Life 06/20/2025

54. A Day of 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 the risk of lymphedema developing in my left arm is actually very low, but I do not want to do anything that would potentially allow for breakdown in the skin on my left arm or hand. As I was standing at the sink washing my hands after the ant incident, a flood of urine ran out of me. It left urine running down over my ankles, with visible streaks of urine on my pant legs and on the footbed of my sandals. I had no intention to sit on the toilet at this moment. What does this have to do with breast cancer life? Typically, with a pause I am able to get control of my bladder. Today was different. I cannot say for certain that I am having increased urinary urgency or incontinence because of my breast cancer treatment, but the symptoms are much worse than before I started tamoxifen in 2023. This urine flood reaffirms my recent decision to begin taking low-dose vaginal estrogen. I had discussed this option with my medical oncologist and my gynecologist last year. At the time I did not think I needed the estrogen, but after realizing the urinary side-effects I have are not getting better, I decided to get a prescription for vaginal estrogen. Without a cancer history, I would have not hesitated to add in estrogen as part of my peri-menopause or post-menopausal health care. Breast cancer life changes everything! 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 . I’d love to have you on the list! LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/37084500

53. Natalie Ditri: No fear of a cancer in my other breast 05/09/2025

52. Tamoxifen vs aromatase inhibitor to prevent recurrence of my breast cancer 04/25/2025

51. Healing After Mastectomy: Natalie Ditri’s Story of Breast Cancer and Recovery 04/11/2025

50. Natalie Ditri Mastectomy vs Lumpectomy to Remove my Breast Cancer 04/04/2025

49. Unnecessary surgery on the right breast 03/21/2025

48. Swimming for Self Love as a Breast Cancer Survivor 02/16/2025

48. Swimming for Self Love as a Breast Cancer Survivor My swimming workout is my ultimate treat each week. I consider it a great escape because it takes me to an alternate place. In the water, my body is horizontal. I glide through the water and work all the muscles in my body, from head to toe. I am on a different plane and weightless in the water. This roughly 45 minute experience restores my mental and physical energy. It helps me to feel better in my skin. When I finish, I take a long (and usually warm) shower. I head right home to finish drying my hair and am ready to start my day. I walk out of the locker room feeling both energized and relaxed. I could conquer anything in the day or I could take a nap (which I never do). I know that I crave the effects swimming has on my body. This swimming experience is a routine and a ritual. I have become so in need of the feeling that this moderate-intensity swim workout gives me that I cannot go without it. I have really come to rely on this swimming ritual to eliminate the feeling of stress that has lingered in me for a lot of days over the past 2 years, since my breast cancer journey started. I know that the best way to get rid of the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach at 2 or 3 am is to swim them away. Without any doubt, there is a much physiological benefit from time in the water, too. Feeling the butterflies in my stomach signals the stress I am experiencing. Much of this is related to the fear that breast cancer creates in me. That stress cannot live in me. I must release it. I have found that the pool is the best way, although not the only exercise I use to lower or eliminate my stress. I realize that this past year, swimming has become so important. There have been times when I was not able to swim. I did survive without the water, but now I know what is best for my mind and body. I am more in tune to my mind and body and I am more fearful of what will happen if I do not take care of it. Breast cancer is the biggest element of why I get to the pool each week. I did not always feel the effects of the water in such a deep way, although swimming has been part of my exercise for many years, even if more or less frequently than my current routine. The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare questions and concerns. This podcast contains opinions of the host. LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/35297995

47. Breast Cancer Survivorship: Reflecting on Milestones and Preparing for Medical Appointments 12/21/2024

46. Embracing Personal Projects After Breast Cancer Recovery 11/08/2024

45. Facing Uncertainty as a Breast Cancer Survivor 10/18/2024

45. Facing Uncertainty as a Breast Cancer Survivor I have talked often about living in the grey zone of survivorship. I know I am not alone in saying that this stage of breast cancer life is harder than the beginning when I was having additional testing and preparing for surgery. I had never discussed what it means to be a survivor with anyone when I was first diagnosed. No one sat down and talked about survivorship with me in the beginning, either. The focus was on getting all the information to formulate a treatment plan. Then it hit me like a brick wall after I was at a point when all the surgical recovery was essentially complete. I remember the moment at about 3 months after surgery when I realized that is when it gets more difficult. I am facing my future, which is filled with uncertainty. That is nothing new but there is an added consideration to add to my “future life”: Breast cancer. I do not know when or if the breast cancer will return. For my listeners, I want to share experiences that you might relate to. An episode of the podcast that I listened to over the weekend really resonated with what I have been going through for the past 15 months. The Breast Cancer Conversations podcast has had a few episodes that made a huge impact on me in the earliest months of my survivorship. When I listened to the episode #192 (referenced below), with guest David P. Bullis PhD, I knew immediately I had to share it with my listeners. In the episode, Dr Bullis talks about his work and experience, which comprises the content of his book, How to Get a Grip: Coping Strategies for Complicated Times. Dr Bullis says that the biggest enemy in cancer treatment is uncertainty. He really nailed it! Facing a future where the cancer might change my life goals or interfere with how I thought I would spend the rest of my life or my future years way down the road…… Cancer comes into my vision. I cannot put aside the “what ifs” of a breast cancer history (it is permanently part of my story/my life). In the episode, Dr Bullis also touches on control and decision-making, pointing out that we are using the best of our abilities at the time when we are making decisions. Once I read the book, I will share more. In the meantime, I encourage you to listen to the Breast Cancer Conversations episode and read Dr Bullis’s book. by David P. Bullis, PhD Episode #192 (released March 26, 2023) I listened on Apple Podcasts. This link is to the podcast website. Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare questions and concerns. This podcast contains opinions of the host. LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/33507837

44. Thank you for listening: Celebrating Connections as a Breast Cancer Survivor 10/11/2024

43. Back to Work as a Breast Cancer Survivor: Reflecting on 3 Months in the Job 10/04/2024

43. Back to Work as a Breast Cancer Survivor: Reflecting on 3 Months in the Job Life has evolved since last year, when I was in my breast cancer screening and diagnosis journey. Not long after I recovered from the mastectomy and reconstruction, I learned how hard it is to be a breast cancer survivor. The psychological aspects of being a survivor, particularly the fear of cancer recurrence, prevailed after the incisions healed. To get a sense of control over survivorship, I realized I had to prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutrition to care for myself. Survivorship takes more energy (mentally for certain) than the screening, diagnosis or surgery ever did. Early in survivorship, I spent time trying to care for myself. I sought out cancer support resources to get the help I needed to adjust to life as a survivor. Then, earlier this year, I reached a point where I felt like something was missing (not referring to my left breast, which was removed during the mastectomy). I decided it was time to go back to work as a nurse. In this episode, I look back at three months on the job and talk about how I managed to keep myself from falling apart. I did not perfectly fit in exercise. I lost track of how close I was to the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week. I prioritized walking to the subway as a primary source of movement in the workdays. I found places in my work day to fit in “exercise snacks”, those small bursts of activity to exert myself and raise my heart rate. I even found places at work where I can stand and work at a computer. I managed to accept disrupted sleep as part of my life and used some of those early morning moments for an early start at the gym. Some days I allowed myself to wake up a little later, even if it meant skipping the gym before work. I tried to be kind to my body and take the cue that more sleep is needed. I love food and found that although I had the best intentions of packing health snacks for work, I was not bringing enough to keep me from feeling low on energy and very hungry at the end of the day. The silver lining I share in this episode is that, after 3 months in the job, I now have additional flexibility to work remotely some days and get an extra day off some weeks. So after three months of getting by and being gone every week day all day, I get some time back in my week to restore the balance in my self-care priorities. Subscribe, rate, and review the Breast Cancer Life podcast. The content of this podcast is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional regarding your healthcare questions and concerns. This podcast contains opinions of the host. LET'S CONNECT: /episode/index/show/6c6e7b5f-5652-47f6-ad4d-fe598f8aa2a5/id/33324672