Brave Breast Cancer Patient Does Self-Injections — Here's How
Elizabeth Morey
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/cancerwithasmileOne 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/cancerwithasmileIn 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/cancerwithasmilePlease 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.
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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!
