As a breast cancer survivor myself, I wanted to share three things to know if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.
1. Say yes to those who offer to help.
This was the hardest thing for me to do and something that seemed foreign. I learned to say “yes” to something as simple as a neighbor telling us she would like to bring a crockpot of food over every Thursday on my chemo day. What an amazing gesture! I soon realized it helped her as much as it helped us. People want to help because otherwise, they are helpless. Let them in.
2. Don’t be surprised if in some way/shape/form you feel betrayed.
It happens to a lot of us, but for me, I felt like my body betrayed me. This body I fed, exercised, and kept healthy now had a tumor growing in it. How did this happen and why?
Or, maybe it is a friend who can’t be friends with someone with cancer and you feel betrayed. Know that you aren’t alone if this sense of betrayal happens.
3. Be kind to yourself.
This doesn’t mean lying on the couch, eating salty foods, and feeling sorry for yourself.
This means don’t spend your time listening to the voices in your head.
Walk, eat nourishing foods, and talk to someone whom you can be open and honest with about your feelings. Someone who can meet you where you are and not freak out when you talk about the fear of leaving your children motherless. This may be a counselor, a friend, or a fellow cancer survivor. Release those feelings and feel the heaviness lift.
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A core Wheelhouse solution, CancerAlly, is a program that matches cancer patients with cancer survivors. This offers a safe space to talk freely and openly about the emotional impact of cancer. You do not have to walk this journey alone if diagnosed with breast cancer – or any kind of cancer diagnosis.
