Body awareness and taking action
I learned I was pregnant for the first time two weeks ago and was diagnosed with breast cancer last week.
Since then I've taken a few tours through the stages of grief - disbelief, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I'll likely make the rounds again over the next approximately 8 months of pregnancy and 6 months of surgery and chemotherapy. It struck me that capturing my reflections could be useful not only to me but to others in my situation in the future - especially since it seems breast cancer is only reported in 1 in every 3,000 pregnancies. In other words, it's pretty rare. A rounding error for the non-mathematical among us.
The other challenge with it being so rare is that a lump can often be dismissed as being benign and simply due to breasts changing during childbearing years. I must say I do feel like a bit of a badass that I 1) found the lump myself doing a home exam 2) went to my primary care physician about it and 3) got a referral to go the hospital. Yesterday my surgeon even went so far as to say he was impressed with my body awareness and swiftness in taking action. Damn straight.
Everything with the hospital is moving swiftly. My surgery date is in just 6 days and I'll have to, uncharacteristically, put work on the back burner. Maybe this is the dose of reality that I need to slow down and ensure I have my priorities straight.
If there's one thing I intend to take away from all of this is to slow the freaking hell down to appreciate good health and the love and amazingness of the wonderful people in my life - not least my incredible new husband. No one at my 80th birthday, (in 46 years;)) is going to care that I got that promotion or delivered on my aggressive annual plan. Give it a rest, girl.
Since then I've taken a few tours through the stages of grief - disbelief, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I'll likely make the rounds again over the next approximately 8 months of pregnancy and 6 months of surgery and chemotherapy. It struck me that capturing my reflections could be useful not only to me but to others in my situation in the future - especially since it seems breast cancer is only reported in 1 in every 3,000 pregnancies. In other words, it's pretty rare. A rounding error for the non-mathematical among us.
The other challenge with it being so rare is that a lump can often be dismissed as being benign and simply due to breasts changing during childbearing years. I must say I do feel like a bit of a badass that I 1) found the lump myself doing a home exam 2) went to my primary care physician about it and 3) got a referral to go the hospital. Yesterday my surgeon even went so far as to say he was impressed with my body awareness and swiftness in taking action. Damn straight.
Everything with the hospital is moving swiftly. My surgery date is in just 6 days and I'll have to, uncharacteristically, put work on the back burner. Maybe this is the dose of reality that I need to slow down and ensure I have my priorities straight.
If there's one thing I intend to take away from all of this is to slow the freaking hell down to appreciate good health and the love and amazingness of the wonderful people in my life - not least my incredible new husband. No one at my 80th birthday, (in 46 years;)) is going to care that I got that promotion or delivered on my aggressive annual plan. Give it a rest, girl.
As always you are a true source of inspiration, thanks for sharing this❤️
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