At Soivre Cosmetics we collaborate with Women Live!, the first post breast cancer community in Spain, by contributing to the financing and development of the projects of its work reintegration programme for women who have gone through this disease.
Soivre Cosmetics donates up to 5% of all sales of Soivre Cosmetics to Mujeres Live! our range of rosehip oil cosmetics, which allow women who have had breast cancer to follow appropriate body treatment to mitigate scarring and help regenerate damaged skin after exposure to radiotherapy.
Today we want to bring you the testimony of one of the many women who are part of the Live! community and who, despite the physical and emotional hardship of going through breast cancer treatment, sends us a positive message full of new projects for the future.
She is Anna Catón. Thank you very much Anna for sharing your experience with us :-)
What do you do professionally?
I have an organic food shop. It is a business I started two and a half years ago with a partner and now, since February this year, I have been running it on my own.
I started working in November 2014. I had finished my chemotherapy treatment at the end of August 2014 and finished my radiotherapy at the end of November. I started working in the afternoons but at the beginning of February I started working full time.
What has your post-treatment process been like?
When I finished the chemo I expected a rapid improvement, but the process was slower than I had imagined and so I spent a few weeks feeling low. However, little by little and thanks to the support of my partner, I overcame that stage and began to feel stronger and more confident.
When you finish the treatments, on the one hand you feel relieved because you have gone through a very hard phase and you feel that this is the beginning of a new life. But on the other hand, you feel very weak both physically and mentally and it seems that you will not be able to restart your life normally. But as you get better and better, you become aware of your strength and that makes no one stop you.
What do you value positively from this stage?
I value the people who have given me their unconditional support during this time. And I value myself for not having sunk emotionally and for having been able to see the positive things in the bad times.
From your experience, what advice would you give to other women who have to go through it?
Everything has a beginning and an end. I would tell them to take advantage of this stage to get to know themselves better, there is always something good to take from every experience. Although physically the treatments change us, we must learn to value ourselves for ourselves: we are not only our appearance and our physical strength. Just by being a person, we are already valuable. This is what I have learned.
What are your plans going forward?
Professionally, to continue with my business and, if possible, to expand it. Personally, to collaborate with Live! by opening a branch in my city. And to enjoy all the good things in life to the fullest.
What is Live! for you, and how did you get to know the project?
I met Live! by chance on the Internet. I immediately realised the importance of your project. Many women are left in a very complicated situation, either at work and/or emotionally after such strong treatments. Live! is a great support in these cases.
