Yina Co-Founder, Ervina Wu - Her Journey with Breast Cancer
/One of the reasons why I started YINA was because of my battle with breast cancer. During my chemotherapy, I was constantly exhausted and lost my appetite. I was given an aggressive protocol to match with my aggressive tumor. The chemo cocktail annihilated all fast-growing cells in my body, cancerous or not.
Around a few rounds of chemo, I started seeing Dr. Kong, my TCM doctor. Dr. Kong gave me gentle auricular acupuncture treatment and prescribed a topical patch to tape over my belly button. Within a week, my appetite was back to normal and I felt more energized.
A few years later when I started YINA, I wanted products that work beyond skincare and improve the user’s sense of wellbeing, similar to the impact of Dr. Kong’s magic belly patches.
When I started YINA a few years later, I wanted to create products that went beyond skincare and improved your sense of wellbeing, similar to Dr. Kong’s magic belly patches. Products that uplift, calm, energize, and center you. Something that we all need in this day and age.
The mind-body connection may seem like a modern wellness concept but it has been practiced for over 2500 years in east Asia. Some of the earliest Yang Sheng manuscripts were found in tombs from the 2nd century BCE. These silk scrolls depict lifestyle adaptations to seasonal and climatic changes, healing mind body rituals and exercises, dietary guide, and healthy sexual practice.
One product that's rooted in this mind-body connection and inspired by my experience is YINA's Decolletage Treatment. While this balm nourishes and improves skin elasticity, it’s also a reminder for women to pay attention to their breast health. As many as 40% of women with cancer detect the lumps on their own. That’s how I found my cancer lumps, twice. The second time I found my second cancer lump on my own, I actually had a mammogram a week prior and it did not detect anything. * I’ve put together a list of stories and integrative medicine resources in this blog post that I hope can be helpful to you or someone you know fighting breast cancer. The breasts are located near the heart where we hold our emotions. There are many important meridians that go through our breasts. By taking time to pay attention to this area, we will be able to tell what’s normal or not normal and improve circulation. The skin on this area is more delicate and vulnerable than the skin on our face, so make it a point to bring your facial skincare down to the breasts. As you massage this area, take deep breaths and feel around for any bumps, or tenderness and massage the area under your arms to stimulate lymphatic drainage. By taking a few minutes daily, you'll improve the texture and elasticity of your decolletage, you may also save your life. It saved mine.
(Note: If you notice any breast abnormalities but the mammogram reading is negative, make sure to talk to your doctor about other screening such as MRI, ultrasound and biopsy.)
This blog post was written by Yna Co-Founder, Ervina Wu.