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S3 – Episode 4 – Meet Rachel McKenna

Rachel McKenna is living with cancer. In this episode, she takes Aisling through her story, from those early signs during her pregnancy, though to the birth of her beautiful son, Elijah, born in October 2020, which has brought Rachel and her fiancé, Aidan such great joy, and on to the day she was told her cancer was inoperable. Rachel is the face of Breast Cancer Ireland’s recently launched, #MetastaticMatters campaign, which aims to highlight the symptoms of metastatic disease to be aware of, and also to increase understanding of how and why this occurs. This is a positive, uplifting and empowering episode delivered by a beautiful and powerful woman.

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S3 – Episode 3 – Meet Yvonne O’Meara, Clare McKenna and Teresa Costello

Talking about relationships and intimacy after a breast cancer diagnosis can be difficult, especially if you have a decreased libido, if sex is painful or if you’re feeling uncomfortable about changes in your body. In this episode of More Than A Lump, we invited along psychotherapist and psychosocial oncologist, Yvonne O’Meara who works therapeutically with people when illness has entered their lives, to discuss the importance of talking about our feelings. Keeping these feelings from each other can make it difficult for couples to give each other comfort and support. Yvonne, who has a special interest in psychosexual distress, infertility, and anticipatory grief is joined by Breast Cancer Ireland Patient Ambassador and local councellor, Teresa Costello to talk about the impact of a diagnosis on relationships, dating and intimacy. Broadcaster and good friend to the charity, Clare McKenna stepped in for Aisling to host this episode.

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S3 – Episode 2- Meet Niall Breslin

Niall Breslin is one of Ireland’s most formidable and inspiring mental health advocates and public speakers. He is a bestselling author, podcaster, musician, philanthropist, and a former professional athlete. Just before Christmas, Niall dropped into our studio to speak with Aisling. During the course of the conversation, Niall shared his own experience of facing a health challenge and he offered guidance and tips on mindfulness practices and breathing techniques that might help manage anxiety.

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S3 – Episode 1- Standout Moments

Over the past two seasons of More Than a Lump, Aisling has spoken to a selection of guests about how breast cancer has informed their perspectives on life, love, family, health, goals, and aspirations. As we begin a new season, and indeed a new year, Aisling reflects on some of the moments over these past 20 episodes that stopped her in her tracks. This episode is a compilation of some of those standout moments that reminded us that for so many impacted, breast cancer is more than a lump.

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S2 – Episode 10 – Meet Laura Austin, Emma Meir and Ian Meagan

Emma Meir was diagnosed with Stage 3 HER2 negative breast cancer in October 2021 after noticing a lump on her breast just a month earlier.
Now a year on, the Mum of two girls feels like things are beginning to return to normal. Emma is joined, in this final episode of Season 2,
by Laura Austin, also a Mum of two girls, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 2018. The women are joined by HR specialist,
Ian Meagan, HR Manager of Benetel Ltd to discuss the topic of returning to work after breast cancer. While this is a broad and complex area and
can be so personal to your treatment plan, your family and support network, your financial situation and can depend on the sector and employer,
like so many of our previous More Than A Lump episodes, Aisling aims to unpack some of the issues and share a perspective and the experiences of
others who have travelled this path.

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S2 – Episode 9 – Meet Professor Leonie Young

Consistent and intensive breast cancer research is vital in changing the landscape of the disease. The Breast Cancer Ireland Dublin Cancer Conference took place in RCSI from 19th – 21st October 2022, where the world’s leading breast cancer researchers gathered for a ground-breaking, three-day conference that Breast Cancer Ireland were proud to sponsor. In this penultimate episode of Season 2, Aisling speaks with the co-chair of the conference, Scientific Director Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Professor Leonie Young. Both women and their teams have worked together for many years and their shared passion for research into breast cancer makes for an inspiring and uplifting discourse on advancements to date, progress coming down the line and offers hope for the future. This episode is well worth listening to.

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