It is
said that you cannot change your circumstances, so in order to make peace with
them, you must change the way you react to them. Receiving a cancer diagnosis
was a circumstance that I could not change. The harder I tried to push it away
from me, the more fear surrounded the reality that this was indeed happening to
me.
How you
adapt to a life-changing event is highly personal, but I will relay a few
lessons I learned as I tried to change my reaction to the circumstance of
breast cancer.
As I
made these changes in my life, I began to learn how to live intentionally and
truly embrace every moment, something I will always be grateful for.
I let my diagnosis become my wake-up call.
I began
to think of my breast cancer diagnosis as a wake-up call to live a healthier
lifestyle. Instead of letting the diagnosis defeat me, I decided to fight back.
This was my awakening to take better care of my life. I made a promise to
myself to modify whatever I could to help my body deal with surgery,
chemotherapy and radiation to come through this challenge as strong as I
possibly could.
I embraced the value of nutrition.
As I
began to focus on my health, lifestyle changes for me included dietary changes.
I limited sugar, ate more fruit and vegetables, and began to eat cage-free eggs
and free-range meats. In other words, I began to pay attention to my basic
nutrition in an effort to keep myself strong. There is great research to
support a healthy diet, not just for cancer but for any life-changing
diagnosis.
I learned to heal through exercise.
I got
laser-focused on exercise. I made a promise to myself to walk
every day, even the days I had surgery, chemo and radiation, and all other days
when I honestly just didn’t feel like it. The benefits of exercise helped me
deal with the stress or treatment, lowering not only my vital signs but also my
anxiety level. I walked by the lake most mornings. I can honestly say that the
healing environment of the lake was an integral part of my therapy.
I found support I didn’t know I needed.
Dealing
with the myths of cancer therapy helped me to feel better educated and
comfortable with my treatment. I researched vitamins and their effects on treatment.
I spoke with several medical experts and survivors to help navigate the fears
of what I had heard about cancer versus what actually happens. Lucky for me, I
had very little nausea and only one day of elevated temperature.
I cried
many tears and was terrified to lose my hair. But I had the benefit of a group
of women who taught me how to tie scarves in the most fashionable ways. That
made being bald fun, creative and not so bad after all.
I learned to connect with my own thoughts.
I had a
lot of time to think during my cancer treatment phase. It truly seemed as if
everyone in my life went back to their daily activities and I was alone to
figure out how to deal with my journey. I felt deep sadness many times. I think
that is very human. I learned that I was better off emotionally to stay
positive and focus on my own recovery.
My mind
became my friend as I tried to stay present with my thoughts and know that all
things change with time.
Overall,
the journey through my cancer experience was not easy, but I’m thankful for it
and the lessons it taught me. It has been three years since my diagnosis, and
I’ve learned to be grateful for the experience. It has made my life more
focused on the positives, even when the negatives inevitably appear.
A heart
full of gratitude does not dwell on the past, or grasp for the future.
Gratitude keeps me right here, right now, which is the only place where life
actually happens.
As a cancer survivor, I now spend my days
encouraging others who have faced or are currently facing cancer. If you or a
loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, learn how cancer support and the
Baylor Scott & White patient navigation program
can offer assistance, resources and moral support.
No comments:
Post a Comment