As we begin to approach the festive season you may find yourself being invited out to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season, but please don’t panic, no one is expecting you to feel fabulous or want to dress up if you are going through treatment.

Breast cancer and its treatments can cause changes to your body and the way you look and feel, so it’s okay to not feel okay, especially if you are adjusting to the changes and effects of your cancer treatment.

It is important to spend this time adjusting and recuperating. It is time to put yourself first and learn to say NO if you haven’t got the energy or confidence just yet.  If you are lucky enough to have family and friends around, they would rather see you resting rather than trying to put on a brave face to please others.

On this occasion, you have a valid reason to dip out.  So much so that we have put a ‘pass’ together below for you that can be screenshot and pasted into a text message, used in a Facebook invitation, sent via an email, or dropped into a WhatsApp message making a potentially difficult conversation much easier.  Christmas happens every year and if you cannot attend a function or party this time round, there is always next year.

If you would like to see your nearest and dearest, then focus on small and easy to arrange get-togethers. Here are a few ideas of things you could try to bring a bit of fun into your Christmas this year:

• An at home festive afternoon tea.

• A small bake-off or cake swap.

• A quiz night via zoom or skype.

• A quiet dinner party (that you don’t cook).

• A cheeky little mocktail and nibbles night-in.

• A silly sock Saturday, a Christmas hat Friday, or a bonkers tie Tuesday.

• A home cinema night with ice cream and popcorn

With love from

The Primrose Foundation