Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Alice Vaughan is the Founder here at MASAJ and someone that we are beyond grateful to have guiding us through this exciting journey, bringing her rational, level-headedness to calm us in the madness of it all.
Having joined forces with MASAJ Founder, Scarlet, in 2018, they soon became an unstoppable team and saw MASAJ flourish due to their hard work, dedication and passion. Unfortunately during this exciting time for MASAJ, Alice also lost her Mum, Pam - who died with Breast Cancer in May 2021. Pam was truly MASAJ’s No.1 fan and it was she who gifted Alice the passion for aromatherapy, remedial medicines & practices that informs the work she does today.
As we reach the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Alice reflects on the profound impact that it has had in her life, highlighting the support resources at hand, the importance of self-examination, and emphasising the therapeutic benefits that Bodywork can have during this exceptionally challenging period.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to be honest - it’s something I never knew had a ‘month’ until this disease suddenly became part of my life. As this month closes, it feels fitting to me to share some thoughts on how the power of touch made a difference to the life of someone close to me, as well as the work our industry, alongside some incredible non-profits can do to help support those who find themselves impacted by Breast Cancer.My Mum, Pam
In late 2016 my mum, Pam, was diagnosed with breast cancer - one of the 55,000 women and 400 men who are given this diagnosis each year on average in the UK - that’s the equivalent of one person receiving this news every 10 minutes. She was in her early seventies, and otherwise incredibly healthy - she used to joke that she only felt the lump in the first place having recently lost weight on the back of an intensive schedule of tennis and pilates.
Pam lived with breast cancer and died because of it. But this wasn’t her whole story, of course - she was fiercely competitive (board games were all but banned in our house), she tried to learn the cello but was so awful that we begged her to give it up. She was effortlessly fashionable and a brilliant host. Her favourite snack was an entire punnet of blackberries, which she’d eat whilst watching Grey’s Anatomy. She was generous, and brave and forward thinking - and she absolutely loved MASAJ. It was she who first introduced me to aromatherapy - mixing clever tinctures and potions for any ailment which came our way, and was delighted when I chose to study it - always wanting to hear more about what we were developing at MASAJ.
She was bold and unafraid to talk about her diagnosis. She researched every symptom, treatment and possible outcome and made sure we knew what was happening. It’s my belief that we had so much time with her after her diagnosis because of her proactivity. She knew to check for lumps, and changes to her body - she knew to go straight to her GP when she had a concern, and she was willing to explore each treatment option presented to her. We had four and a half years with her after her first diagnosis, despite her cancer being aggressive and ultimately unforgiving.
The Power of Touch
The Power of Touch can bring about many benefits, and ultimately it can save lives. According to the latest research from Breast Cancer Now, 39% of UK women don’t regularly check their breasts for potential signs of breast cancer. Even within the segment of those who do check for symptoms, a third don’t feel confident that they would be able to recognise a change.
This lack of confidence can stem from many sources, of course. Research conducted in 2020 by the House of Commons Woman and Equalities Committee found that 61% of survey participants reported feeling ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’ about their body image most of the time - a challenge which contributes both to a reduced desire to conduct a self-exam, or to engage in monitoring bodily changes, too.
However - the fact remains that 40% of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by people who feel a lump - and the act of regularly conducting a self-exam allows you to become familiar with the way your breast / pecs / chest normally looks and feels. This breast self-awareness, or ‘knowing your normal’ will help identify any changes or abnormalities, such as a new lump or skin changes, and remains one of the most effective tools in the fight against breast cancer.
The idea of a self-exam may not feel completely comfortable for all, but the beauty of this process is that it can be easily incorporated into any part of your self-care practice; in the shower, when applying moisturiser or body oil, or as part of a self-massage routine. The best time to self-exam is a few days after the end of your period when you are likely to be less tender or swollen. No period, or an irregular cycle? Do your self-exam on the first day of the month, when you’re most likely to remember to make time for the check.
Those who receive bodywork regularly or practice a self-massage routine often report a greater feeling of healthy self-connection, and even a new appreciation for their bodies. Massage has the beautiful ability to bring us back into ourselves - to pay attention to our bodies and all that they can do, as well as to the aches and pains that we may often seek treatment for.
Know Your Lemons
We are fortunate to exist in an age where medical advancements, research and technology are contributing to people with cancer living longer. The Know Your Lemons app is a fantastic example of a resource which can help you understand your risk factors and track any changes - it even includes a self-exam guide, period tracker, and a reminder for self-exam time.
The Know Your Lemons Foundation has taken an innovative approach to breast cancer awareness - using the principles of equitable design to create a visually inclusive approach, overcoming literacy issues and including all demographics in an attempt to address global gender and health inequities. Using imagery of lemons to represent breasts, the Know Your Lemons Foundation have created assets which can have a global reach, and overcome cultural taboos around visual representations of breasts - simultaneously opening up conversation and removing fear from the topic of self examinations.
Clearly, it’s working - breast cancer patients who saw their campaigns had a 39% lower rate of Stage 4 breast cancers, compared to patients who did not. 94% said that they felt more confident about their breast health after seeing the Know Your Lemons campaign assets
Come As You Are
At MASAJ, we are determined to ensure that all members of our community feel able to access transformative bodywork in a safe and supportive environment. For those undergoing any form of medical treatment, exploring bodywork can be a special way to find power in non-clinical touch. To connect breath to body, and to mind - and to create space for recovery and relaxation.
Back in the days of MASAJ’s existence at the Gossamer City Project, Pam used to visit regularly between rounds of treatment to receive bodywork. To help with the lymphatic drainage which became a necessity after a mastectomy, the myofascial release which helped relieve the adhesions caused by scar tissue, and arguably most importantly - to find pure peace for ninety glorious minutes. I remain eternally grateful to the MASAJ Therapists who created space for her to just be ‘Pam’ - and held her with such care at every visit to our Studios.
If you’re undergoing any kind of treatment, and would like to explore bodywork options, the very best thing to do is to email our team via hello@masaj.me - so that our team can best assess which of our bodywork options might be best suited to your needs at this time, and help support you through the process.
We are fortunate to have a team of extraordinary bodyworkers in each of our studios - some of whom are trained in oncology massage or other specialities, to help support specific needs during or after clinical or medical treatments. If you decide to explore how massage can help in these most challenging of times, we promise that our team will always be here to hold you.
Know Your Normal
Our favourite experts have produced a range of accessible resources to help guide a breast self-exam:
Know Your Lemons Guide to a Self-Exam
The Coppa Feel ‘Self-Checkout’
The Breast Cancer Now Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Or if you’d like to access any support on the back of a diagnosis, we highly recommend the resources offered by Breast Cancer Now, Mind and Cancer Research.