The Hormone Journey with Nicole

The Hormone Journey with Nicole I’m Nicole - Sharing my journey through PMDD, Surgical Menopause & Breast Cancer

🙌 Arms in the air!This might look like such a simple thing, but being able to put my arms fully above my head again feel...
21/08/2026

🙌 Arms in the air!

This might look like such a simple thing, but being able to put my arms fully above my head again feels AMAZING.

After my breast cancer surgery, one of the things I developed was cording, also known as Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS).

Cording can happen after breast surgery or lymph node surgery. Tight, rope-like bands of tissue can develop underneath the skin, often starting in the armpit and sometimes extending down the inside of the arm. They can feel tight or painful and can significantly restrict how far you can move or raise your arm.

At one point, I couldn’t lift my arm much above shoulder height. Even normal movements that I’d never thought twice about suddenly became difficult.

With time, exercises, stretching and gradually working on my movement, my range of motion has improved so much.

And now… both arms in the air! 🙌

It’s funny how something you once wouldn’t have given a second thought to can suddenly feel like such a massive achievement.

This message 🥰Know what’s normal for you. Check your breasts regularly and don’t ignore anything that feels or looks dif...
28/07/2026

This message 🥰

Know what’s normal for you. Check your breasts regularly and don’t ignore anything that feels or looks different. Most changes won’t be cancer, but getting them checked promptly can provide reassurance or help ensure treatment starts as early as possible.

Receiving messages like this genuinely makes everything worthwhile. I’m so pleased that by sharing my own experience, it’s encouraged someone else to get a change checked. Raising awareness is exactly why I started this page, and if it helps even one person seek advice sooner, then it’s doing what I hoped it would. 🤍

💕 Please share and come along to support this very worthy cause 💕👇🏻💗 Join us for our Breast Cancer Now Afternoon Tea Fun...
22/07/2026

💕 Please share and come along to support this very worthy cause 💕👇🏻

💗 Join us for our Breast Cancer Now Afternoon Tea Fundraiser! 💗

We’re so excited to invite you to a very special day at Leaf & Stone on Saturday 29th August as we come together to raise vital funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Now.

This event is incredibly close to our hearts, and we’d love for our community to join us in supporting such an important cause. We’re delighted that some amazing local businesses are helping make the afternoon extra special, with delicious treats kindly supplied by:
�🩷 Devon Marshmallows�🩷 Kings Bakery�🩷 Country Cheese�🩷 Happy Belly Bakery

Alongside plenty of tasty food, there’ll be:�🎟️ Charity games with fantastic prizes!�☕ A chance to chat, connect and enjoy a relaxed day together�🎗️ Inspiring conversations from fellow warriors helping to raise awareness of breast cancer�🛍️ Exclusive in-store discounts available on the day
👚 Wear something Pink!

Every penny raised will go to Breast Cancer Now, helping to fund life-changing research and support for those affected by breast cancer.

We can’t wait to welcome you and make a difference together. Keep an eye on our page over the coming weeks as we’ll be sharing more details and announcing some exciting raffle prizes!

Can’t come along but want to donate? Click the link or find the link in our bio!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/leafandstoneafternoontea?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=LFCFRUK_Day11_SelfDonateFT

For anyone interested in women’s health, particularly hormones, perimenopause and menopause, I’d highly recommend watchi...
16/07/2026

For anyone interested in women’s health, particularly hormones, perimenopause and menopause, I’d highly recommend watching Balance – A Perimenopause Journey.

Perimenopause can begin in our mid-30s, yet many people are still unaware of the wide range of symptoms and the impact hormonal changes can have. As someone who can no longer take HRT, I am now living with the effects of this. It also highlights the wider role hormones play in our overall health and wellbeing at different stages of life.

This documentary provides an informative overview and includes contributions from UK menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson.
I have linked the trailer below, but the full documentary is available on Amazon Prime, Vimeo and Apple TV. There is a cost to watch it, but it’s packed with useful information and is well worth a watch.

Women’s health is an important topic, and the more we talk about it, the greater awareness and understanding there will be.

https://youtu.be/0SPYwc7tJwM?is=kEBwB8Jcz29m0YJ5

🤍 Finding a lump doesn’t always hurt.Mine didn’t. It simply felt different, and that’s what made me get it checked.🤍 The...
13/07/2026

🤍 Finding a lump doesn’t always hurt.
Mine didn’t. It simply felt different, and that’s what made me get it checked.

🤍 There isn’t just one type of breast cancer.
There are many different types, grades and stages, which is why everyone’s treatment is different. My diagnosis was Grade 2, Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma with intermediate-grade DCIS, but someone else’s diagnosis and treatment plan may look completely different.

🤍 The waiting can be one of the hardest parts.
For me, waiting for biopsy results, scans and pathology reports was one of the most difficult parts of the whole process.

🤍 Breast cancer treatment doesn’t always end after surgery.
Surgery was only one part of my treatment. I’m now taking hormone blockers for several years to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. Like any medication, they can come with side effects, and everyone experiences them differently. I am experiencing bad joint pain and hot flushes. Making sure I move everyday, eating healthy and taking supplements helps with these.

🤍 Recovery isn’t just physical.
Healing takes time, both physically and mentally. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s normal for it to take longer than you expect.

🤍 Your body may never look or feel the same again.
Depending on the treatment and surgery you have, your body can change significantly. I chose a mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction, so I’m still adjusting to my new body and everything that comes with it. It sounds strange, but I do miss my old body at times.

🤍 You may need rehabilitation after surgery.
After my lymph nodes were removed, I developed cording (axillary web syndrome), which made it difficult to lift my left arm above shoulder height. Daily stretching and exercises have gradually improved my movement, and I can now lift my arm fully above my head.

🤍 Cancer affects more than the person diagnosed.
My cancer diagnosis didn’t just affect me. It also had an impact on my husband, my daughter, family and friends.

I have had lots of messages regarding getting a PMDD diagnosis. This is a really important post to me because it shows t...
12/07/2026

I have had lots of messages regarding getting a PMDD diagnosis. This is a really important post to me because it shows that getting a PMDD diagnosis and finding the right treatment can take years.
I had always suffered with throughout my certain points in my cycle but after I had my daughter Elowen in 2014, my PMDD symptoms had become unbearable.
I was finally diagnosed with PMDD in 2017 at 28, here is my journey. I remember one of my GPs showing me the PMDD treatment pathway and explaining that we would need to work through the different options.

Over the following years, I tried just about every contraceptive available—the pill, coil, injection and implant. Unfortunately, none of them worked for me and, if anything, some made my symptoms worse.

The next step was SSRIs (antidepressants), which I was advised to take during the two weeks each month when my symptoms were at their worst. Again, these weren’t the right treatment for me. After years of going backwards and forwards to my GP, my symptoms became increasingly more difficult to manage. In 2023, I was referred to see a gynaecologist at Derriford Hospital, but the waiting time was around 34 weeks, so I decided to pay privately to see a consultant at the Nuffield whilst I was waiting to be seen in Derriford.

I was started on Decapeptyl injections, which temporarily switch off the ovaries and induce a chemical menopause. From my own experience, this completely changed my life. For the first time in years, I felt like myself again. As I couldn’t afford to have surgery privately, I remained on Decapeptyl for about two years while waiting to be seen on the NHS side. Because I responded so well to the injections, I was considered a good candidate for a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In August 2025, I had the surgery and started HRT. My recovery was straightforward, and I was back at work five weeks later. Looking back, the operation was life-changing and made such a positive difference to my quality of life. It also reinforced something important: if you know something isn’t right, keep asking questions and keep advocating for yourself. Then, at the end of February 2026, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37, so had to stop HRT.

This post reflects my own experience and should not be taken as medical advice.

Thank you to everyone who has liked, shared, commented or sent a message over the past few days. It really does help thi...
10/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who has liked, shared, commented or sent a message over the past few days. It really does help this page reach more people who may be looking for support or information. I have been amazed how many women have been in touch already, people I know & people I don’t 🥰

If you’d prefer not to comment publicly, you’re welcome to get in touch directly:

📧 [email protected]
📱 07809 463910

Thank you for your continued support.

I found my lump by chance in the shower. That’s why I wanted to share this reminder. Checking your breasts doesn’t take ...
10/07/2026

I found my lump by chance in the shower. That’s why I wanted to share this reminder. Checking your breasts doesn’t take long, and knowing what’s normal for you could help you spot a change early. If you’re ever unsure, speak to your GP.
Source: Breast Cancer Now

This photo was taken shortly after my most recent surgery.It’s not a glamorous picture, I know. When I was told I had br...
09/07/2026

This photo was taken shortly after my most recent surgery.
It’s not a glamorous picture, I know.

When I was told I had breast cancer, it was just three weeks before I was due to get married. Instead of just thinking about wedding plans, I was learning about tumour grades, genetic testing, MRI scans, lymph node biopsies and the different treatment options available. One thing I’ve learnt is that no two breast cancer journeys are the same. Everyone’s diagnosis, treatment and recovery are different.
I feel incredibly fortunate that I found my cancer early. Because of the type of cancer I had, my treatment involved surgery followed by hormone-blocking medication, which is definitely challenging, but I know not everyone is as fortunate, and I never take that for granted.
I’ve now had three surgeries in under 12 months, with my most recent operation lasting nearly eight hours. I chose to have a mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction, using my own tissue to rebuild my breast.
Today I’m eight weeks post-op, three weeks into hormone-blocking treatment and slowly rebuilding my strength so I can return to the job I absolutely love.

🎗️If sharing my story encourages just one person to check their breasts or trust their instincts when something doesn’t feel right, then it will have been worth it🎗️

To my incredible husband Simon, who never once left my side ❤️
To my mum, who was there everyday in the hospital, and came to my house daily to check in and sit with me ❤️
To my dad, step mum, brothers, sister in laws, and auntie for looking after Elowen for me whilst I was in surgery ❤️
To friends and family who sent messages, cooked meals, sent/brought me gifts, checked in, or just made me laugh ❤️
To my best friends, who definitely know who they are ❤️
To everyone who donated some money so I can have a fabulous holiday now I am over the worst of this ❤️
And to the amazing teams at Derriford Hospital, every surgeon, consultant, breast care nurse, anaesthetist, ward nurse, healthcare assistant, radiographer and member of staff who cared for me with such compassion and professionalism…

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!

Every journey is different, and these are just some of the resources that have made a difference to mine.If you have a b...
09/07/2026

Every journey is different, and these are just some of the resources that have made a difference to mine.

If you have a book, podcast, charity, support group or page that has helped you, I would love for you to share it in the comments. If even one of them helps someone feel less alone, then sharing them is worth it. 🌿💛

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