The most important lesson I’ve learned in being a breast cancer survivor is that I can do things on my terms and define what survivorship looks like for me.
When you finish treatment, no one really speaks about survivorship. There is no road map or guide.
I am self-conscious of certain things, no matter how strong I may appear.
Starting with myself, if I realign my thoughts about the things that I cannot control, it will reduce the negative impact this disease can have on myself and those who love me.
Survivorship is less about accepting a “new norm” and more about destroying fear of the “abnormal” condition of disease.
If you are someone who is struggling or has struggled through the pain of breast cancer, then now more than ever, you need to practice self-love and self-care in order to fully heal for yourselves and for those who love you.
I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and then found out I had a gene that made me susceptible to breast cancer as well. I could wait and see or I could prevent a worst-case scenario.
Having a community of people who knew exactly what I was saying about my symptoms and did not try to comfort me with toxic positivity was what meant the most to me.
I was diagnosed at the age of 28. At the time of my diagnosis, my husband and I had only been dating a little over a year. There is nothing that could have prepared us for a cancer diagnosis. We went from figuring out what the future had in store to being forced to deal with the realities of our “right now.”
“You hear these inspirational stories and you know, people talk about my mate did this, that and the third. But you know, I know I wasn’t expecting some kind of magical happy ending. I just wanted you to live, that’s all, and I was going to do whatever I could to have that happen.” – Jason (Sincere529)
