Initially upon being diagnosed with breast cancer, your world is turned completely upside down. Everything is focused on further testing, precise diagnosis, developing a treatment plan and learning to live with the idea that you have a potentially life threatening disease. I will never forget those first few weeks of overwhelming emotions but the reality is that it gets easier with time.
The treatment for breast cancer is a marathon that often lasts about a year for many women. The actual time frame varies, based on the type of surgery needed, the number of chemo treatments and spacing between them and if there is a need for radiation and/or reconstruction. I originally anticipated that my journey would last six months until my pathology report set me on a different course. My start to finish journey, including reconstruction, should last about a year.
One year…twelve months…365 days. It seems like a long time but in the overall snapshot of my lifetime, it is a small bump in the road. I decided fairly early into my journey that I wanted to ride the long storm out in a positive way by maintaining as much normalcy as possible. I had my bilateral mastectomy two weeks before Thanksgiving. I was still recovering, but we maintained our tradition of driving to my home town of Hermann, MO and spending the day with my family and close friends. We decorated our house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving and held our annual cookie making day a few weeks later. I remember the first time that I felt life returning to “normal” or a “new normal” about a month after my diagnosis. It felt really good to get back to living life, even though I knew there were dark days to come.
This past weekend, my family went to Table Rock Lake for a long weekend. We hadn’t left on an overnight trip since my surgery and I was shocked to feel some anxiety as I contemplated leaving the security of my home. I love going to the lake and enjoy getting away from home, so the anxiety was unexpected. I quickly surmised that it was okay to feel anxious, as life had changed since we’d last left home. I was also dealing with the side effects of my chemo treatment from last Monday. My feelings quickly changed to excitement as we checked into our hotel and enjoyed 70 degree weather. We spent two days on the lake, soaking up the sun and bonding as a family. It truly was a wonderful trip that recharged my spirit and body.
I share this story with all of you in the hope that it will offer encouragement to my fellow warriors who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer or those facing any new challenge in life. The initial whirlwind will calm down and you will find a new normal. I encourage you to live life as normal as possible and to embrace the things that bring you joy as you move through the storm of breast cancer treatment. Look for the rainbows and if you can’t find them, create them. Remember…even the biggest storm will eventually run out of rain.
Thanks for reading!
Beverly
The Breast Cancer Warrior 
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