LIVIN' BEYOND DURING YOUR BREAST CANCER BATTLE

Whether you have just been diagnosed, are in the middle of treatment, or about to get off the roller coaster ride, there are many ways you can improve your quality of life and keep LIVIN' BEYOND this devastating disease.

After my breast cancer diagnosis, my treatment plan started out with a small surgery to insert the port that I would need for chemo. At that point, I was still a little naive and was just trying to "brace myself" for the harsh, but life-saving therapy I needed. I researched every article which gave advice on how to deal with chemo treatments and its displeasing side-effects. I just wanted to be prepared for the worst. And while being proactive in that sense was totally fine, I forgot to prepare for the best during my treatment. When a person has been recently diagnosed, it's a challenge to think of happy thoughts, positive affirmations, and self-care; but if this challenge can be overcome, Livin' Beyond your condition will happen naturally. Continue reading to discover things that can help you to start Livin' Beyond during your breast cancer treatment.

It's YOUR Party, You Can Cry if You Want To

First and FOREMOST, know that this is your situation that you are dealing with and how you feel is ALWAYS what matters most. Don't be pressured when people say "You are so strong" or "Fight Like a Girl"! Even though they're meant for encouragement, if you simply aren't feeling it at the moment, it's ok. If you want to cry, it's ok. If you're happy, GREAT! We deeply love and appreciate those that surround us during this difficult time, but sometimes it's hard for them to understand how we really feel. Just remember, all these people want what's best for you-and only you can decide what that is. Take care of yourself and your needs. If you feel that you are not able to do so, please see the RESOURCES page or contact me so that I can assist you with finding the help that you need.

Start journaling

Meet your new BFF: Your Journal. Write down your deepest thoughts about how you truly feel because you normally won't tell everything that is going on with you when asked how you're doing. So many people ask that question that you start to respond with an automated response. Journaling helps you get everything off of your chest and can give you the same sense of venting that you get when you talk with someone close. Even though you are in treatment, life is still going on in the outside world, and when that outside world becomes too much, it just may be your new BFF that keeps you from snapping. Journaling during treatment also helps you remember things to share with your doctor and helps you compare and identify patterns in your health.

Re-Define Yourself

Once you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, you're initiated into this pink sorority that you never had intentions of joining. It's important that you get to know yourself as a new member. From here on out, you'll be questioned and have conversations about your story and treatment plan. Chemo, surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy all change your body in different ways. Get accustomed to these changes and seek understanding and effective solutions to help you deal with them.

Don't Get Ahead of Yourself. Just Go with the Flow

I think I tried EVERYTHING on the "Chemo Side-Effect Remedies" list, which most of, didn't apply to me or work for me. For example, to help prevent the nausea associated with chemo, I read that I could drink ginger water during treatment. So, here we go. It's day one, and my husband is struggling to carry my bag, snacks, and cooler full of ginger water for my 5 hour chemo session. We finally get into it and I start sipping the water. I soon find myself trying to finish it, and I really start to get turned off by the taste. I close the bottle and have never drank another sip of ginger water again. What I didn't realize prior to my treatment, was that my first 2 hours of therapy included an infusion of anti-nausea mediation.....having all that ginger water was inconvenient and useless for me. I wasted money on things that I never used or needed for MY treatment. Moral of the story...go with the flow. Your doctor will prepare you for the side-effects that YOU are most likely to encounter and not what all cancer patients encounter.

Pamper Yourself and Allow Yourself to Be Pampered

No. I don't mean go get the expensive 24K-gold facial. I mean, listen to your body and give it what it needs with affection. Besides, chemo gives you such radiant skin, you can save that facial $$$ until chemo ends. However, when gravity is pulling on you, please lay down. When you get to your chemo treatment, ask for extra pillows. When you're in the hospital post-mastectomy, request to stay another day if you don't feel well enough to go home (I did!). Radiation? "Ummm....can you lay that bolus on top of my leg so that it can get to a warmer temp before you put it on my chest?"Ask for a foot or hand massage if the Taxol pains are bothering you. Or you could soak your feet/hands in some warm water with essential oils for relief. Whatever on your body needs your attention, attend to it with love and affection. Now, when someone else offers to pamper you, DON'T refuse it. This should be a general rule in life, but I have a bad habit of saying "Oh, no thank you...." when I could have really used the offering. When someone offers to cook dinner, clean, pick up the kids, pay for a massage session, walk the dog, or anything to your benefit, graciously accept with a kind thank you.

Ease into Adopting a Healthier Lifestyle

After I found out I had breast cancer, I changed my diet cold-turkey. I was eating 75% vegan and 25% chicken and seafood...so pollo-pescatarian to be exact. I'd lost a couple of pounds and felt great going into my 1st oncologist appointment. My new healthy diet not only helped me feel good, all these healthy recipes tasted good. Why hadn't I been eating like this? I knew at that moment that I would continue my healthy eating habits throughout my treatment and increase my chances of surviving breast cancer. Once finished, I would write a blog/cookbook and encourage women to eat the same healthy recipes as I did during treatment. So, on my first day of chemo after returning home, I asked my husband for the cabbage that I'd previously prepared (a favorite of mine). I couldn't even chew it. My saliva was so thick and I had a terrible taste in my mouth. Change of plans! It was then, that I realized I couldn't encourage anyone to eat healthy during their chemo treatment. I really had to listen to myself and eat whatever my body was craving. This helped me from feeling so sick and also gave me a bit of satisfaction.

I say all this to say...ease into a healthier lifestyle. While in active treatment, give your body what it wants.... rest all you want. If you are able to conquer switching up your lifestyle or if you already engage in healthy habits, keep up the great work. If not, focus on making these changes once you hit the finish line....I'll be right here waiting you!

Get Involved Anyway You Can

If you are not feeling well during your treatment, by all means, please get the rest and care that you need. But if you are feeling well enough and you want to be active, consider getting involved with the breast cancer community. There are different EVENTS held throughout the year that you can participate in that provides an environment who will understand and support what you are going through. This will provide you with the opportunity to share your experiences or ask questions to other patients and survivors. My life kinda plateaued during treatment and I felt as if I wasn't serving a purpose. I was no longer working, went to very few outings (because I didn't want to constantly pull my wig down), and I just didn't know where I was going for a while. Looking back, I would have definitely felt comfortable and surely enjoyed being active with the breast cancer community. Now that I'm an 'active' advocate, I've come across several women at breast cancer events who are currently in treatment, but are thriving....a testament that getting involved with those who understand you most is a great way to keep livin' beyond everything that you're going through.

I wish you perfect health and a fulfilling life on your journey. I ask that you continue LIVIN' BEYOND for all of your days and encourage the next person who has to join our pink sorority to do the same!