It's my first October as a breast cancer survivor and I feel caught off guard with every surprise pink balloon and ribbon in my face. 🫠 Anyone else?
I'm working with medical professionals to treat it, but in the meantime, how do I deal with the self loathing I feel every day? I'm 36, a mom, in recovery for breast cancer and dealing with all the side effects from that as well - including how it's changed my hair and skin and given me scars. I just dislike how I look every day and it's really impacting my happiness no matter how much I try, even after working with a psychologist.
Advice and good vibes appreciated.
Edit: This community is full of angels. 👑
I finished chemo last fall and all my treatment for tnbc in Jan. My hair has been growing steadily since then. It's summer and my hair is on my neck. Tested out a small ponytail to try and get the hair off of my neck, but it didn't really work. I put the hairband back on my wrist and started doing chores then suddenly it hit me and I burst into tears when I realized how long it's been since a hairband has been on my wrist...
Recovery is a long road.
Bare roots I planted while weak and recovering from from cancer treatment were taken out (some were thankfully replanted), and seedlings growing in my other garden bed were completely removed. Guess they thought they were messy and looked like weeds. :/
Meanwhile the only garden bed they were supposed to clean up is untouched... 😭
I'm through active treatment and officially cancer free for now. I also have started to return to work part time. My husband recently had his own surgery as well and I'm just struggling with exhaustion and feeling so sick and tired of being so uncomfortable from so many side effects all the time. It makes me angry and irritable. I feel like I need to have more gratitude for my body and what it got me through but I'm also so sick of feeling like so many things are wrong. Yay, I'm still alive, but this still sucks.
Can anyone relate?