Breast Cancer, Mastectomies, and Beyond with Kim Harms

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Kim Harms, an Author, Freelance Editor, and Speaker about her upcoming book ‘Life Reconstructed: Navigating the World of Mastectomies and Breast Reconstruction. In this book, Kim shares an honest roadmap every breast cancer fighter needs on her journey to recovery.

 

Episode Highlights

• 01:38 – Kim says her first book ‘Life Reconstructed’ is the book that came out of her breast cancer experience.
• 02:48 – There's a chapter that refers to the interviews with people, how cancer affected their lives, states Kim.
• 04:50 - In this book, Kim has shared how Corey (her husband) and she got through the cancer journey. She also talks about how she dealt with the physical pain and with the people who say hurtful things.
• 06:01 – Kim suggests how to communicate better with your husband during this tough time.
• 08:09 - You probably need to let that partner know how you're feeling that is too much and that you need a break.
• 10:06 – Kim shares that her oldest one is not very talkative. 
• 12:27 - It was definitely a process of healing and growing together as a family, says Kim.
• 14:37 - Your book will be a good guide a good best friend to have in their purse or their knapsack, says Dr. Carla Marie Manly.
• 18:16 – When we’re going through this think about, what we can do when we get to the other side that would be just kind of celebrating, getting through this together.
• 20:05 – Kim shares, they give away free mastectomy pillows at their website. So, if someone going through cancer and needs pillows after surgery, they give you support.

 

Three Key Points

1. This book would help to understand the person who is going through cancer and how they are dealing with it. What exactly is a mastectomy or what does that mean when you say flat reconstruction, that kind of information to help them understand the medical side, but then there's also a lot of emotional side to it like how can we help this person? How can we understand what she's going through? 
2. Kim shares, one can get tested for a gene and if they have a certain mutation, then their chances of breast cancer are extremely high.
3. If we are going through a hard thing like this, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and stressed out and not want to go through it and just feel those emotions. Don't try to be superwoman. Go through just one day at a time. 

 

Tweetable Quotes

• “My book is like reconstructive the subtitle is navigating the world of mastectomy and breast reconstruction.” – Kim Harms
• “When your stress is high like that, and you're going through something so painful, relationships are affected.” – Kim Harms
• “I also share the experience of many other women that I interviewed during the process.” – Kim Harms
• “We didn't realize what was causing the friction.” – Kim Harms
• “Being together with your family through this difficult time. Not only gave them the gift of compassion but also really craved a lot of healing.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly 
• “We went on a backpacking trip which we've done a few times but with our boys and it ended up being this crazy trip.” – Kim Harms

 

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• Dr. Carla Marie Manly Website LinkedIn Twitter   Instagram
• Kim Harms Website Facebook Instagram
• Podcast Editing