
The burden of being strong: Anny Au
Sometimes I just want to complain about it all without someone saying you’re strong you’ll get through it, but sometimes smiling makes it easier for everyone else around you.
Our mission is to empower women of color affected by breast cancer to make the rest of their lives the best of their lives through education, advocacy and community.

Sometimes I just want to complain about it all without someone saying you’re strong you’ll get through it, but sometimes smiling makes it easier for everyone else around you.

How do you find your new normal like your oncologist so nonchalantly suggested? As if you were looking for your iPhone that had the “Find my iPhone” feature enabled.

I spent my first cancer-free year insulating myself from all things related to recurrence and MBC and you know what happened?

“Surviving” breast cancer two times. “N’ Shit” the anxiety, daily aches and pains from my medication, running the non-profit, working full time, being a wife, mom…and still trying to live my best life.

I know that tomorrow is not promised, so I make it my business to live each day like it’s my last.

All of my days weren’t the best and when they weren’t, I said it!

Too often there ends up being a racial disparity which creates a cycle – we don’t see other Hispanics, African Americans, or any other people of color involved, so we don’t participate. We end up losing out on programs because there aren’t enough of us willing to be the first and break that barrier.

Do you feel guilty because you survived but she did not? How do you pick up the pieces of yourself once someone or a part of you is gone?