You know, I think that nobody thinks that it will touch them. I certainly never thought so.
So don't be fooled by the fact that there is no history in your family. In my family
there was never breast cancer history, let's say.
You still need to do your regular check-ups and the screenings as
recommended by the country that you are living in and just take it seriously.
And I think it should be taken as women, as a form of empowerment, you know, instead of being scared about it to say,
okay, you know, I'm taking charge. I'm doing this proactively. And we do know, you know, that there is no better way than, you know,
early detection. That's really your best card to play. So take it seriously.
Hey, hey, and welcome to the Forties Formula, your go-to place for insightful discussions on navigating the forties and thriving in this transformative decade.
We're your hosts, Jasmine and Amanda, two women that are passionate about exploring the challenges and adventures that come with turning 40 and what lies ahead.
Our guest today is Isabel Galeano, a remarkable coach specializing in supporting cancer patients, both during and after treatment.
With over 10 years of experience in guiding individuals through the emotional and physical challenges of a cancer diagnosis,
Isabel's expertise lies in nutrition, stress management, emotional wellbeing and sleep coaching.
As a two-time cancer survivor herself, Isabel's journey fuels her passion to help others navigate their healing process.
She is a certified health coach and a functional medicine practitioner, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the conversation.
Hi, Isabel. Thank you for joining us on the show today. We're really excited to have you here and to listen to your story.
If you could, could you take us back to that time when you were 32 years old and you first found out that this wasn't just, you know, a little bump in the road?
Well, actually, it was probably the happiest time in my life. I just came back from my honeymoon and it was a beautiful wedding and I was really, really at a very happy place.
I was very happy at my work and everything was going perfectly well.
And it was really putting on cream on my body that I felt a very clear lump in my breast.
And I immediately took it seriously. And I think that's probably one of the best things I did in my life.
I immediately the next day went to see a doctor and that's how the whole process started with a biopsy that was done and that confirmed that it was indeed breast cancer.
And yes, I mean, it's something that you never expect that nobody can prepare you for, but that you have to start dealing with very, very quickly.
I read in an interview that in your early 20s, you were looking after your mother who was also suffering from cancer.
How did your diagnosis and your experience from before make you feel during that time when you found out?
Well, actually, it was interesting because my diagnosis came five years after my mother's passing.
And somehow it was the same doctor, although it was two different cancers.
And she was very shocked when she saw me and she was like, oh, my God, no, this cannot happen to you.
And I have to say that, interestingly enough, I had immediately kind of that survival instinct came in and I immediately said to her,
do not confuse me with my mother. It's not because she didn't make it that I won't make it.
This is a new story, another chapter. I'm going to make this.
So it somehow gave me strength because I learned during the process and I just knew that I had to be brave and do my best.
And I was very positive that I could make this actually.
And that's that's impressive, you know, like taking on something which can be such a scary experience, but actually seeing the positive in it.
Yeah, I don't know that I could have been the same at such a young age, especially because having watched your mother pass away from cancer and then to get that diagnosis yourself.
How did you make the mental switch to be positive?
I mean, what what was it that allowed you to do that? Because you had seen a not successful cancer ending with your mom.
It was honestly not something that I had to work on. It just came like it just came.
And that was great because that was really kind of something that helped me throughout the process that I just refused to look at a complicated ended.
I was kind of convinced since the very beginning that I would make it. And it really helped me throughout it.
But I didn't apply specific strategies, which now I know and I teach kind of my clients.
For me, it really came as, yes, I would say as a very natural, deep survival instinct and deep willing to live and to to overcome this.
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Now back to the chat. So then five years later, you were diagnosed again. How did that impact you at that time in your life?
So I was first diagnosed at the age of 32 and I went through the whole thing. So I had surgery, I had chemotherapy, I had radiotherapy, I had hormone therapy.
So it was a very long and very difficult process. And I really did everything by the book. So I did all my treatments. I bravely went through everything.
And then less than two years actually after my first diagnosis, I went to a normal screening and very confident.
And unfortunately, they realized that there was something coming back in the scar of my first surgery.
And that's where again going through different steps, they announced to me that my cancer was back.
And I have to say that emotionally that one was much harder because for me it was okay.
The first time around you kind of had all these strengths and you did everything and you went through it and you fought it.
And I honestly really thought that I was done with it. I really thought I'm done with it. I will never ever have to do anything with cancer again.
So I never in a million years expected it. I see a lot of my clients who are very scared about a recurrence.
I was not. I was really not. So it really was a shock.
And I would say that this time the fear was much more intense. The first time I kind of dealt with it very well.
This time I felt for the first time this fear of death, like, oh, maybe I'm not going to make it because, you know, how can I be here again?
But then again, you know, I think that I have this innate ability to quickly move from problem to solution solving.
So I really kind of, you know, put the problem on the side and focus on solutions. Okay, what can I do right now?
And I get very quickly into action mode. So, okay, what can I do? What is the next step?
Give me a plan. And again, that helped me quite a bit. But this time I had to work much more on my emotional well-being than the first time around.
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And now back to the show.
And I think that probably makes you a better coach because of it, right?
Because now you know both perspectives. You know the like, let's take care of this, let's take charge, move forward.
And then you also can relate to the I'm terrified. This is really happening to me.
Right. I think that probably, you know, for the silver lining of the double cancer diagnosis is at least you can see several perspectives in the clients that you work with.
Definitely. And I think that's the best thing you can do as a coach, you know, to be able to put yourself in their shoes, to be able to coach them in a very nonjudgmental way
and to kind of be able to relate to what they are experiencing.
And yeah, it did make me, you know, see the whole spectrum.
And I always say that, you know, one of the reasons I decided to become a coach is that I said, I just need to make something positive and constructive out of this.
I saw it from so many different angles as a caregiver, which comes with its challenges as a first time, a cancer diagnosis and then as a recurrence.
And I learned so much throughout this process that I wanted to share that with others.
So it's been 15 years now and you've been in remission, which is incredible. So congratulations.
Thank you.
What sort of lifestyle changes have you implemented over this period to sort of help support you along the way?
So I think that it's really like I think the important thing to understand is this is not a sprint, it's really a marathon.
So it's really about implementing like sustainable habits throughout your life and see it as a long term project.
And many things, I think it's I believe that we all have to start with the foundations.
You know, sometimes we get lost in the complexity of nutrition or specific lifestyle habits.
But I always coach my clients to start with the foundation, which is starting with good sleep, you know, making sure that you understand what is good sleep, how you get good sleep,
you know, eating a proper, clean, nutrient dense diet, moving your body, not only doing exercise on a regular basis, but making sure that you are not too much sedentary and, you know, all these different aspects.
But then also the emotional aspect, which I completely kind of neglected the first time around.
I really understood that is something that I had to take seriously and that you can't heal your body without healing your mind too.
And that you need to put it the time and the attention and the effort to also be in tune, you know, not only the body, but also your mind and your emotions.
So I've started to do yoga, I became a yoga teacher, I've been certified in meditation, in breathing techniques, and I use all these techniques for myself, but of course also in my coaching.
And I love that you mentioned exercise and nutrition as tools that you did use.
I think there is kind of and again, I've never been through a cancer journey.
So this is on the outside looking in.
But I think there's the assumption that once you get this diagnosis, it's like you build this shell around you, right? And it's like, I can't focus on exercise and nutrition because I can only focus on this cancer.
I can only focus on, you know, the clinical treatments that I need.
But then in doing so, you kind of shoot yourself in the foot, right?
Because then you take away the opportunity to use nutrition and exercise as a supplementary or adjunct therapy, which it really can be.
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We know where we're headed after the podcast. Now back to the chat.
It can. However, I do think also that there is a time for everything.
And at the beginning, you are just too overwhelmed. You know, it's just too much. It's just too much to handle.
You have to understand that not only are you in a state of shock, but you are also confronted with an overwhelming amount of information that you need to process to understand.
And very quickly, you need to take drastic decisions on, you know, your treatment plans, on where and with whom you're going to be treated.
So this is kind of the first thing you need to solve, which already takes a lot of energy.
And so I understand I can relate to that, that the first thing you think is not about lifestyle.
So it's first about, OK, what is the immediate urgency? And then everybody is different.
You know, some people have already some kind of knowledge about the importance of lifestyle and nutrition.
They would go quicker in that next phase. Let's say let's getting out of the shock phase and let's getting more into what can I proactively do.
And then definitely it does make a big difference.
And if there is something that I have learned throughout my journey, but also the hundreds of clients I have coached now,
is that, you know, the way you breathe, the way you eat, the way you move, the way you interact, the way you sleep,
they all have a significant impact on your health, on the way you feel, on your well-being and on your ability to recover.
And I think that's the key there, isn't it? It's the recovery and how it's not just for people who are at a point where, you know,
they've got a diagnosis of cancer. It's just in general as well. It can make such a big, big difference.
And obviously, when you are overly stressed, overly emotional, it's going to almost stop your body from progressing forward.
So, you know, these are big challenges that you kind of need to overcome. So what would you say are the biggest sort of physical
and emotional challenges that your clients or even yourself experienced during this time?
I think that, first of all, it's just brutal because everything happens so quickly.
So you don't kind of have time to get ready, to get prepared, to do a lot of research.
So you really have this feeling of being rushed. And then it has such a deep impact on every aspect of your life, you know.
That's the thing that often is underestimated. So you immediately think of, OK, can I go back to work?
Do I have to tell my boss that I need a break? Will I be able to drive my kids to school?
You know, how is it going to impact every aspect of my life? Because it does. Also, finances often are impacted.
But then, you know, it's this combination of the physical and emotional toll it takes on you that is really hard
because you suddenly become a person that you don't know. You have to deal with things that you are not familiar with,
that you don't really know how to deal with. And then you feel differently, you know, depending on treatments, of course,
you feel fatigue, you feel overwhelmed. There might be physical aspects that changes,
particularly, of course, if you go to chemotherapy or have aggressive surgeries.
And then the emotional aspects, you know, of not recognizing yourself literally in the mirror.
So you don't recognize yourself the way you feel. You don't do the same activities you used to do.
And then in addition to that, you don't recognize the way you look and, you know, the way you look in a mirror.
So it's a lot to deal with. And it's tough. It is tough.
You obviously have experienced the care group give a role as well.
How does... Do you help sort of members of the family with the emotional support?
Yes, definitely. And actually, quite often, it is a family member that would kind of reach out to me.
It can be the kids, you know, who want their parents to work with me or they want support on how to kind of prepare food for their parents,
how to get them to move better, how to get them to sleep better. And then often it's the wives.
So when I coach, I mainly coach breast cancer. That's really kind of my main focus of attention.
But of course, I coach any type of cancer and also men. So often it's the wife that comes and see me to, you know,
to learn some tools on how to kind of guide and help their husbands throughout the period.
Looking back at your own health journey, is there anything that sort of stands out as pivotal, you know, with your recovery?
I would say it was really the second diagnosis. You know, when I had that really clear message, OK,
you need to go deeper and take this really very seriously. This is for the long run.
And I also wanted to really understand what I could do to support my health. What was actually in my hands?
What could I do proactively instead of focusing on everything that is uncertain,
which is another challenge throughout this period is the uncertainty of the whole situation.
And I really wanted to understand, OK, what can I do on a daily basis to support my recovery
and to hopefully also reduce the risk of my cancer coming back a third time?
So it was that realization I need to put in more work, which was then very quickly, you know,
I realized that I was also very passionate about all these topics. So that helped, of course,
because I was really interested in reading and studying. And then the next step was when I felt this purpose of
now that I learned all of this, I want to really do it professionally.
And you mentioned yoga and breathing and meditation as three kind of specifics that you were drawn toward.
What in nutrition did you change? What about your eating habits did you do differently?
So in terms of eating habits, for me, it was kind of also understanding how to simplify, you know,
and to make it happen, because often you get lost in all this terminology and you kind of feel that you need
to name the diet that you are doing. But it's really about going back to basics.
And for me, it was looking at my plate and saying, OK, is this going to support my recovery or is this going to,
you know, potentially make my health worse? So these very simple questions.
And then I would say also really starting to be much more in tune with my own body.
And that's something that I always suggest everybody to do, to really kind of listen and feel your body with what you eat.
So how does that make me feel? Does that make me feel tired? Does that make me feel bloated?
Does that make me feel better at night or not? So you really need to become your own kind of detective
in understanding how food makes you feel. But it was really about making sure I had all this natural whole foods
and reducing as much as possible everything that is just super processed, super, you know, not natural.
That was the first step. And then from there, of course, I kind of graduated and became, you know,
more aware of what I was eating and really kind of could fine tune over the year what works best for me.
What was it about sort of lifestyle changes, nutritional sort of meditation, all of the stuff that you were implementing
that made you use that as a tool with your recovery as opposed to just saying, right, I'm going to get the chemo done.
I'm going to have radiotherapy and I'm going to focus just on the medical intervention.
What made you realize that actually there was more to it to help you get through?
Well, I would say that because the first time I only focused on medical treatments.
So I said this was clearly not enough. So I better kind of adapt my strategy and need to be much more open minded.
I was a very, very pragmatic person, still am in some extent. And for me it was there is, you know,
a malfunction in the system needs to be fixed. Let's cut it off. Let's burn it. Let's get rid of it and go back to my normal life.
And I wished it would be that easy. But I realized that, yes, I needed to really look at my body as a whole
and also be brave enough to look into what aspects in my life, in my lifestyle might have contributed to me,
to my immune system not being strong enough to fight this cancer off. And that's how the whole journey began.
What have been the biggest changes you've made since, you know, before the diagnosis to where you are now?
I would say probably my main focus at the beginning was to really get proper and good sleep,
which was something that I completely kind of underestimated how important it was.
When you are young, you always think, oh, I just drink one more coffee. I sleep when I'm dead.
Exactly. I'm going to sleep over the weekend. And you just feel so powerful.
And you realize that it's actually really something that mounts up and that negative effect it has on your health accumulates.
So I really understood that I needed to put sleep as my first priority.
And then for me, particularly, I also realized that I was taking things too seriously,
often in my life, everything was like so serious and I would put myself under so much pressure for everything.
You know, I wanted to be a super achiever in my work and in my private life.
And this pressure, this feeling constantly under pressure, self-imposed, was for sure not something that helped me.
And that I needed to find ways to just, you know, be more relaxed and also to enjoy life more,
to just pause and enjoy and find more things in my life that brought me joy, that makes me laugh.
And I'm still working on that because my natural kind of mechanism is go, go, go, go, go.
And I always kind of pause myself again and ask myself, is this serving me?
You know, it's better to kind of take it easy right now and to remember to take care of your emotional well-being too.
I think that's the biggest switch because the first time around, I kind of was not ready to go there.
Can I ask, I'm just trying to clarify the timeline.
So off air, we were talking about your two boys, 12 and 10.
I assume they came around after your second diagnosis and so into your second remission.
Can you tell us about how fertility played into some of the concerns that you had when you got those diagnosis?
Well, unfortunately, you know, your fertility is definitely impacted by treatments, particularly through chemotherapy.
And unfortunately, also many women are not aware of it.
I see all the time clients who tell me now I just realized that, you know, I'm not fertile anymore.
Nobody told me that at the beginning.
So for me, it was a bit of a similar situation.
I was never really told that it would impact my ability to maybe have children only at the end of it.
You know, when my period was not coming back, I asked question and they said, oh, you never know.
You know, sometimes it comes back. Sometimes it doesn't come back.
It can take for some women it takes, you know, one to two years for other women.
It can take many, many more years. And sometimes it just never comes back.
So kind of you just need to cross your fingers. Right.
And so I I was at some point told by a gynecologist that I was definitely never ever in a million times going to have children.
So that was a very tough decision, a tough thing to hear.
I was not ready for that at all.
But again, somehow, you know, I find this inner strength and inner optimism that I said to myself, that's just one opinion.
I'm going to still believe and treat my body as if I will be pregnant someday.
And sure enough, my my my period came back and I was able to to be pregnant not only once, but twice.
But I am very, very much aware that, you know, I was very, very lucky, let's say, that it happened to me.
I do coach, unfortunately, a lot of women who have not been that lucky and were not able to to to have kids after.
So I really count my blessing and I'm grateful every single day that I despite my two cancer diagnosis,
that I was able to be pregnant twice of two very healthy boys.
And did you send both of their baby pictures to that gynecologist?
I thought about it, especially once that I met him in the supermarket.
But I said, OK, let's keep your dignity and you're so much better.
Just get over it.
What sort of message would you like to share to our listeners about sort of awareness and early detection?
You know, I think that nobody thinks that it will touch them.
I certainly never thought so.
So don't be fooled by the fact that there is no history in your family.
In my family, there was never breast cancer history, let's say.
You still need to do your regular checkups and the screenings as recommended by the country that you are living in and just take it seriously.
And I think it should be taken as women as a form of empowerment, you know, instead of being scared about it to say, OK, you know, I'm taking charge.
I'm doing this proactively.
And we do know that there is no better way than early detection.
That's really your best cards to play.
So take it seriously.
And that's great.
And I think, you know, I think more people need to sort of know that it's very normal to check and feel and be aware of your body, you know, because a little lump, it could be nothing, but it could also be something.
And you mentioned, you know, about where you are in the world in that country's regulations.
I was reading yesterday that one in seven women in the UK are going to see a breast cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime.
Can you talk us through where you were when you got your diagnosis?
Yes. So I was in Luxembourg.
So I was born and raised in Luxembourg and I was living there and nobody ever told me to touch or feel my breasts.
So I felt it because by surprise and because I was just putting a cream on my body.
But it's something that I really try to share and shed awareness around that we should all be looking at our breasts, touching our breasts, feeling them.
Because the more you are familiar with the way your breasts look, the way they feel, the more you will notice any change.
And also, you know, it doesn't mean that it's something bad.
A lot of women have changes throughout their menstrual and throughout their life.
And even if you feel a lump, most likely it is not cancerous, but you should still take it seriously and check it out.
And so I always really recommend to have at least once a month, you know, a date in your calendar where you just do your self-breast examination.
It can be under the shower, it can be in front of your mirror, but just get it done.
Just feel the breast, you know, from the collarbone to out the breast and then under the armpit just to make sure.
And if there is anything unusual, this can be a feeling of a lump, it can be redness, it can be any secretion coming from your nipple.
Any difference in shape, you should just go and see your doctor.
I had, this was a little bit after the twins were born, I felt something. It was kind of underneath my armpit, just sort of closer to my breast.
And it was weird, like I didn't, I felt something, but I didn't emotionally or mentally feel anything, you know.
It was just like, OK, there's something there, let's go and get it checked out.
It turned out it was just, you know, like a hard milk clump or whatever it was.
But, you know, the fact of the matter was it wasn't something I ignored.
And I think the reason behind this is actually I've got a friend who got diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and also my cousin's wife.
So, you know, it's like you might be young and like yourself, you know, you might not think that it's going to be something, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
And I think that this is a very important point when you are breastfeeding or even when you are pregnant, you still need to, you know, to take this thing seriously.
Unfortunately, it does happen, you know, right now I'm coaching two very young mothers.
One is pregnant, the other one just gave birth and they both thought it has just to do with the milk production in their breast, this feeling of lump.
But it turned out to be quite an aggressive actually breast cancer for both of them.
So it's always better to get it checked and to insist even if people around you say, oh, no, it's nothing.
You make sure it gets checked.
I'm hearing that girl.
I have been pregnant or breastfeeding for the past five years and obviously turned 40 as we were talking about off air during those five years.
And I turned to my husband, I said, do I need to get my mammogram now?
And he was like, yes, you still do.
Like, you know, for some reason, you're right.
There's this idea that like maybe I have an exemption from all the pregnant breastfeeding stuff.
He's like, nope, you're 40. Go do your thing.
So you're absolutely right.
We are not exempt.
And also just put it into your agenda because you will forget.
And it would happen to me too.
You are correct.
You know, I mean, even though I'm in this journey like forever, if I don't have it in my calendar, you know, annual checkup, this thing to do, this blood test, I will forget because life happens.
So the best thing you can do is really to put it down in your calendar.
I always post on the first of the month in my in my Instagram.
Feel your breasts.
Just a reminder for everybody.
And then I have myself in my agenda when I need to go for my checkups.
Right, ladies, make sure you've all touched your breasts and felt around.
Do it right now.
Yes, right now, literally today.
Ismael, before we go, is there any sort of advice you'd like to offer somebody who is maybe going through a cancer diagnosis or even a partner or a loved one about, you know, how you can support them through this journey?
Yeah, I think that, first of all, it's important to understand that it's a very individual journey for everybody.
So, you know, you don't need to compare yourself to others, but what feels right to you is important to kind of follow.
And then also, don't be afraid to ask for help.
You know, yes, it's important to be brave, but I think it's very brave to ask for help and to recognize, you know, what are some aspects in my life that I just can't handle right now and that I need some support.
This can be, you know, getting the kids to school, doing the groceries, helping with the insurance papers, whatever it is.
Don't be shy to ask for help. It's not a sign of being fragile, of helpless.
And then the second advice would be really to immediately start protecting your energy.
So a lot of energy will be required throughout the process.
You know, it is a tough process. It demands a lot of strength, a lot of energy, a lot of kind of, you know, self-doubts and certainty.
So you need from day one of diagnosis, really protect your energy.
Make sure you set healthy boundaries with your family, with your friends at work so that you really can focus on healing.
And I guess, you know, the asking for help is also another way of protecting your energy, because if you don't ask for help, you're going to overstretch yourself mentally, physically.
So and this, you know, protecting your energy, I think that's just.
It's finite, right? Like you said, in little tasks that don't seem so such a big deal, taking the kids to school, going through the insurance papers.
But if those chip away at this finite energy that you have over time, it's going to cause you a lot more distress.
It's great, really great advice. Exactly. And also, again, it is a marathon.
You know, it is really a long journey. And something that I also always say is that, you know, cancer diagnosis doesn't stop when treatment ends.
It's still many years of recovery, of going to the checkups.
So it's really, you know, a period where you need to learn to focus on your health.
You need to learn to prioritize yourself without feeling guilty. And it's the best thing you can do for your loved ones.
And I guess, you know, if you fall back into bad habits, then there's always that risk that, you know, you're not looking after yourself and you're not helping sort of with the long term marathon.
Yes, but there is also always a certain aspect of denial, you know, because kind of going back to what you did previously
or not asking for help, it's a way of telling yourself everything is fine. This is not happening to me.
It is actually not really happening and I deal with it and everything is fine.
So it's also sometimes kind of a mechanism that is used. But it's important also that people around you, you know, tell you, you know, it's OK to slow down.
It's OK for us for help. It's OK not to feel this need of doing everything you did before.
And with the support of people around you that give you that positive and constructive energy, it will make it much easier.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and for your time here today at the Forties Formula.
Thank you very much for allowing me to share awareness and share awareness about breast cancer and hopefully many women are going to check their breasts now.
Thank you.
This is Paul, our editor. He's a 25 year old unmarried Singaporean guy listening to the ramblings of 12 older women on everything from menopause to weightlifting to sex.
So, Paul, what's your thoughts on today's conversation?
Hey guys, what's up? Paul here. So for this episode, I kind of don't have much because I'm a guy, you know, but from the perspective of like knowing new stuff,
it's good general information that is kind of useful, you know, especially so for us guys in the context with, you know, our partners, assuming if they're female, of course.
It's always good to know the early signs of breast cancer and of course, just take note of abnormal lumps to get them checked ASAP.
So, you know, keep checking and I'll see you guys around. Bye bye.
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Just visit buymeacoffee.com slash the forties formula. Cheers.
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Been in Singapore 18 years. Wow, really? Yes.
Wow. You're the lifer. Yeah, I think we are here to stay.
Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of reasons not to go.
Tell you what, right. And especially when it comes to health care as well. Yes.
There's a lot of reasons to stay and just convenience of living and working here.
So convenient. Yeah. Do you get back to Luxembourg though?
I do, but not every year. I try to make people come to me. Yeah.
But yeah, exactly. My strategy with three. I have three small kids. So yeah, it's like you come here. Yeah, exactly.