Blog

Welcome to the Grace Grit and Pink Ribbons Blog — a space for honest stories, reflections, and resources on life after breast cancer.

Here, I share experiences of breast cancer survivorship, navigating hormone therapy, rebuilding life after treatment, and finding hope in the everyday.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, walking through treatment, or stepping into survivorship, these stories and resources are here to remind you: you’re not alone.

Close-up of a woman’s chest scar after mastectomy, soft light symbolizing healing and resilience.

Reclaiming My Body: Learning to Love the Scars — Navigating Body Image After Mastectomy

The physical scars healed first. Skin knits together. The tenderness fades, but no one talks about the quiet grief that follows. The kind that lives in the spaces beneath your skin. You grieve the body that carried you through life so far, the one you didn’t get to say goodbye to. You grieve the feeling of being carefree in your own skin, of not having to think about every sensation, every change, every scar that meets your fingertips.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Heather Robinson Roles

Oct 23

The Healing Power of Gratitude: How Quiet Faith and Thankfulness Nurture Wellbeing

This Thanksgiving, find gratitude in quiet faith and small moments of peace. Discover how the healing power of gratitude nurtures the mind, body, and spirit—and how it can guide your healing journey forward.

Faith and Healing

Heather Robinson Roles

Oct 8

Life after breast cancer journey support

Beyond the Pink: Life After Breast Cancer and the Ongoing Journey

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but for me, it’s more than pink ribbons. Life after breast cancer is an ongoing journey — one filled with ups and downs, new normals that don’t always feel normal, and the quiet fear of recurrence that lingers long after treatment ends. Survivorship is complicated, messy, and real. Cancer doesn’t always stop you, but it does change you — and sometimes, it even pushes you forward.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Heather Robinson Roles

Oct 3

Women sharing breast cancer stories of strength and resilience together

Breast Cancer: A Journey of Strength and Resilience

Breast cancer stories of strength remind us that no one walks this journey alone. By sharing our experiences, we honor resilience, build community, and create a legacy of hope. Join me as I begin interviewing women to share their voices—together, we heal.

Lifestyle

Heather Robinson Roles

Sep 22

Cancer Grief and Growth: Processing the Losses and Gains

Life with cancer is a reminder of how fragile time is. Through loss, tragedy, and transition, we face both grief and growth. Here’s how I’m learning to live fully, honor my grandmother’s legacy, and choose joy in writing, helping others, creating, and healing.

Lifestyle

Heather Robinson Roles

Sep 13

Peaceful waterfront scene symbolizing breast cancer survivorship, healing, and new beginnings.

Finding Home Again: Breast Cancer Survivorship & Big Transitions

Breast cancer survivorship is full of transitions—new doctors, ongoing scans, and unexpected life changes. After moving back to Ontario, I’m navigating grief, family shifts, and rebuilding my care team. Here’s what starting again looks like when healing is still in progress.

Lifestyle

Heather Robinson Roles

Sep 5

Middle-aged woman in a lavender hoodie sitting on a couch, looking fatigued with her hand on her forehead. The words “HORMONE WELLNESS” appear in bold white letters on a purple gradient background beside her.

Living Well With Hormone Therapy Side Effects: Your Empowering Guide

So, you’re about to start hormone therapy after breast cancer. This moment can stir up a mix of emotions—hope, relief, and uncertainty....

Health

Heather Robinson Roles

Jul 6

Lupron Side Effects: What They Don’t Tell You (And What’s Helping Me Cope)

Lupron Side Effects: What They Don’t Tell You (And What’s Helping Me Cope) I had my first Lupron shot again this week. Even though I’ve...

Health

Heather Robinson Roles

Jun 18

A powerful reminder for anyone facing hormone therapy after breast cancer: yes, a 10% improvement is significant — but your quality of life matters too.

The Decision No One Prepares You For: Navigating Hormone Therapy After Breast Cancer

If you’re unfamiliar, endocrine therapy after breast cancer is a treatment designed to lower estrogen or block its effects because many breast cancers (like mine) are fueled by hormones. For hormone-positive breast cancer (ER+/PR+), doctors often recommend one or more of the following

Health

Heather Robinson Roles

Jun 11

When people hear the word reconstruction after a mastectomy—especially DIEP flap reconstruction—they often assume it’s simple. They think it means implants, maybe even a free “boob job,” like it’s some kind of consolation prize after cancer. Most people think it’s just plastic surgery. And I get it. I really do. Unless you’ve been through this or watched someone up close, you probably don’t know the difference. But the truth is, this surgery is anything but simple. This journey is so much more than skin deep. It’s physical, emotional, spiritual—and so often misunderstood. My Situation: Choosing to Rebuild While Still Fighting I’m having a couple more lymph nodes removed—some that still have stubborn cancer cells—but I’ve decided to go ahead with reconstruction at the same time. I’m already going in for surgery, and while it adds to the physical and emotional weight, it felt like the right moment to begin rebuilding. It’s not about looking a certain way. It’s about healing. It’s ab

The Truth About Reconstruction After Mastectomy: More Than Just a “Boob Job”

DIEP flap reconstruction after mastectomy isn’t just plastic surgery—it’s about healing, reclaiming your body, and surviving what no one sees.

Health

Heather Robinson Roles

Apr 30

A soft pink and blush-toned graphic with floral accents featuring the quote: ‘Everyone should have an Auntie Rose.’ Designed to reflect warmth, love, and remembrance in honor of a mother lost to breast cancer.

13 Years Without Her—A Breast Cancer Legacy I Now Understand

Thirteen years after losing my mom to Stage 4 breast cancer—and two years after my own diagnosis—I finally understand the strength she carried. This is a story of grief, grace, and the legacy of love she left behind.

Lifestyle

Heather Robinson Roles

Apr 13