I'm Taking Charge

It’s not that I couldn’t use it to create more symmetry between left and right, or to create the breast I had before, but I’m not up for that. No one’s immune, but if you struggled with body image issues before that breast cancer diagnosis, you may be hit unusually hard when staring down the collateral damage reflected in the mirror. You feel guilty about eating junk (breast cancer nutrition isn’t built on candy, chips and ice cream), and you’re afraid your diet will make the cancer return. If you enjoyed reading Cathy Leman’s insights in this article, check out our two podcast interviews with her: Breast Cancer Nutrition from a Dietitian Survivor and Breast Cancer Body Image Issues.

Heather blogs at My BRCA Story and has also written two children’s books to help parents and kids talk about breast cancer and BRCA mutations. Two years to go until the number 40… 40 being when my grandmother had a mastectomy and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. They saw the pink ribbons, they knew my grandmother and mother had breast cancer, but didn’t really understand what it all meant for themselves and their futures. I don’t think I ever had a set date or location for where and when I’d tell the kids about my upcoming surgery, but I guess I didn’t think I’d tell them with still 10 weeks to go.

With support from her family and a new business venture in her life, she retained her independence and creativity even when cancer tried to knock her down. Heidi’s designs are as bold as her personality and she loves to create designs for the charities she works with, including METAvivor. The benefits of unofficial art therapy for cancer and how finding something productive can help survivors feel normal * Finding her “tribe” among the greater breast cancer community * Heidi’s work with METAvivor, an organization supporting women with metastatic breast cancer, and her charity t-shirt designs

Our guest writer, Kim Fredrickson, however, takes the idea of breast cancer self-care (and all self-care) to a higher level–beginning with the language in which we talk to ourselves. I know being diagnosed with breast cancer is devastating and going through the treatment is even worse. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, I first cried and then said to myself, “I’m going to be a good friend to myself through this process. It’s normal to be discouraged, exhausted, and feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.