Brave Breast Cancer Patient Does Self-Injections — Here's How

Brave Breast Cancer Patient Does Self-Injections — Here's How

Audrey is a brave breast cancer survivor who lives in the UK and runs a YouTube channel called cancerwithasmile. On her channel, she shares all sorts of videos about her life with breast cancer, from her diagnosis story to her latest treatments and how they’ve affected her body and her life.

Most recently, Audrey has begun taking Zoladex injections to stop her ovaries from producing estrogen, which will help keep her estrogen-receptor-positive cancer from coming back, since it will have nothing to feed on.

Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile

One of the coolest things about Audrey is that she’s taken her treatment into her own hands—literally! Rather than travel to see her doctor once a month for injections or organize a time for a nurse to come to her home, she does them on her own at home and uses a special cream to numb the area and make her feel more relaxed about doing her injection. You can learn more about how she applies EMLA cream here. And you'll learn how to take it off in this video.

Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile

In the video below, Audrey talks about why she self-injects her hormone treatment, how it's done, and what she feels during the process. This video is not a tutorial, but we hope it will help other people who may have the option of self-administering injections understand that it's not as bad as they probably think, especially if you use a topical numbing cream like Audrey does. If you're wondering what you're in for in giving yourself some sort of injection at home, this could make a world of difference for you.

Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile Photo: YouTube/cancerwithasmile

Please talk to your doctor about whether this option is right for you and exactly how to go about doing it before trying a self-injection at home.

WARNING: Some viewers may be uncomfortable with the content of this video, which includes an actual injection. Watch at your own discretion.

[media height="270" width="480" provider="youtube" type="iframe" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zaBmP4XoPbw?feature=oembed" ad="true"]

Thank you, Audrey, for showing the world that injections don’t have to be as difficult and painful as many of us think they do. And thank you for sharing your story!

Elizabeth Morey

Elizabeth Morey graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI, where she dual majored in English Literature and Spanish with minors in Writing and Business Administration. She was a member of the school's Insignis Honors Society and the president of the literary honors society Lambda Iota Tau.

Some of Elizabeth's special interests include Spanish and English linguistics, modern grammar and spelling, and journalism. She has been writing professionally for more than five years and specializes in health topics such as breast cancer, autism, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Apart from her work at GreaterGood, she has also written art and culture articles for the Grand Rapids Magazine.

Elizabeth has lived in the beautiful Great Lakes State for most of her life but also loves to travel. She currently resides a short drive away from the dazzling shores of Lake Michigan with her beloved husband.

Back to blog
DEV MODE ACTIVE. BRAND: gg