Hormone therapy for breast cancer 7: Support

Coping with your thoughts and feelings can be a very difficult part of having cancer. Emotions like sadness, fear, worry and uncertainty can happen at different times. Life on hormone therapy and some of the side-effects may also be challenging for you. Give yourself time and space to deal with your emotions, and get help if you need it at any time.

You may need help and support emotionally, with your relationships such as your partner or family members, with access to appropriate and certified therapists, with changes in your body weight, with information about complementary therapies, with support and information about money, finances and insurance, with support around coping with your return to work, with peer-to-peer support.

Peer-to-peer support is the Irish Cancer Society's one-to-one support programme, providing emotional and practical support to newly diagnosed patients. All the peer support volunteers have had a cancer diagnosis. Please reach out if you think you need any information or support, it is there for you.

Your medical team also work with other specialist healthcare professionals, who can offer help with specific information, such as emotional, physical and practical concerns in a wide range of areas. So, please talk to your specialist nurse, who can refer you to the appropriate person, such as: a physiotherapist, a dietitian, a medical social worker, or a psycho-oncology service.

There are many other services available to help you to cope better with the information you have learned today. It can be overwhelming, so please do not suffer alone. Your medical team, the Irish Cancer Society Support Line, and the Daffodil Centres, as well as a network of cancer support centres, are all available to you.

The cancer nurses on the Support Line and in the Daffodil Centres, can provide information, advice and support to you at any time.

You can contact the Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700.

You can also call in and speak with one of the cancer nurses, in person, in a Daffodil Centre, in your hospital. No appointment is necessary.

There are also many cancer support centres around the country. They provide psychological, emotional, educational and practical support, in a warm and welcoming environment, to people with cancer, and to those who care for them. These centres are confidential, professional and caring, and are provided free of charge, so please avail of all these services.