Episode 37: Advance Care Planning – Taking Control of Your Future

Upfront About Breast Cancer

We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting.

Let’s be upfront about advanced care planning and breast cancer.

Living with metastatic breast cancer means making decisions about your treatment and care that is right for you. One of the challenges of metastatic breast cancer is the chronic nature of the disease and the uncertainty of what the future holds. As well as working with your treating team to work out decisions surrounding your current care, it’s also good to think ahead and talk about the care you may want in the future, if you are unable to communicate your preferences for care yourself.

Advance care planning allows you to think about and document your preferences for future health care and can often provide a sense of relief, to allow you to focus on living life fully in the present.

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Sonia Fullerton. Sonia is a consultant in palliative medicine who assists in patient centered decision-making and advance care plans.

We’ll hear about who should consider developing an advanced care plan, what the process involves and who can assist you, where to get the advice you need and the questions you should ask.

This podcast was recorded in November 2021.

RESOURCES:

• Sign up to My Journey and access a range of resources on planning ahead when you have MBC via My Journey
• Visit our Online Network to connect with people going through a similar experience
• End of life preferences for care via Dying to Talk Discussion Starter
• Advance Care Planning Australia
• National Advance Care Planning Support Service on 1300 208 582 for more information and advice. 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday (AEST)

Palliative care:

• Finding the words: starting a conversation when your cancer has progressed
• Palliative Care Toolkit
• Palliative Care Australia

To help us continue to develop podcasts that are relevant to our members and their breast cancer diagnosis, we ask for your feedback via our online survey.

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Our theme music is by the late Tara Simmons, and this episode is proudly brought to you by Dry July.

Want to get in touch? Visit our website at bcna.org.au, email us at [e-mail], or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258