Survivorship is less about accepting a “new norm” and more about destroying fear of the “abnormal” condition of disease.
I was practicing self-care. Treating my body well and doing the things that were supposed to be good for me. I never expected to find out that I had breast cancer.
At the age of 43, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was an emotional mess but the one constant thing that helped me survive was running.
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.
Should I tell my date I had breast cancer? Would this scare them off? When should you talk about serious topics such as illness during the early stages of dating?
Emotions are a part of life. They’re a driving force and are what connect us to ourselves and others. But it can be easy to get stuck in the negative emotions, and they can consume you if you let them.
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)
The most challenging part of being a caretaker is being a neglectful caretaker of your own mental and physical being; if you are not emotionally capable yourself, you are incapable of fully taking care of someone else.
It was my time to lean on the very same people who depended on me. In my head, there was no way that everyone wasn’t going to be there and support me in any way they could. However, that is not what happened.
Your voice, your story, and your support can make a difference. Join For the Breast of Us in our mission to empower, support, and advocate for women of color across the globe. Together, we can create a future where every woman has the resources and support she needs to overcome breast cancer.
On the Web:
www.breastofus.com
www.breastofusfoundation.org
Email:
hello@breastofus.com
Welcome to our community—where hope thrives, strength is found, and sisters in the fight become family.
