A New Normal
It’s been 4 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was a single mother at the time, struggling with bills and supporting my son as he started college. I was working three jobs and dealing with some other family issues. It wasn’t the right time for me to get cancer. But then again, there’s never a good time to get cancer.
After my surgery, chemo, radiation, I was placed on Tamoxifen every day and Zoladex injections every 3 months. I lost my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and my self-esteem was at its lowest. I had a negative self-image; I battled insomnia, bone pain and depression for years following my diagnosis and treatments. Looking back I can remember those challenges, the memory of that time is with me every day. Once you get cancer, you never stop thinking about it. It has become a driving force in my recovery and my transition into a new normal.
When I finished chemo and radiation, I was excited to get back to my old life. Well, what I considered normal, at the time. But the truth is, you can’t. What was “normal” before, no longer exists. It’s locked away in the past, along with the cancer. All the things you use to do before cancer shut you down, is gone. You have to make better choices now and find a way to experience the life you have, at this very moment; and not reach back to try and start where you left off. This is a new time for you. One where you will learn more about yourself than you ever knew existed. Because now you know how it felt to lose yourself and become a prisoner to the cancer. You will soon learn to value your second chance at life. Though you may feel like the same person on the inside. You are not. You have to accept that in order to find the “you” you are, now, after the cancer. This is called, the new normal.
The new normal is what you decide it to be. Starting to eat healthier, take vitamins, exercise and practice gratitude are some ways to begin your transition. Your body has been poisoned, your muscles have begun to atrophy; it’s up to you to take back control of your own body. Remember it takes 28 days for something to become a habit. Why not make it one that will improve your mind, body and soul? Work on yourself from the inside out. If you truly want to take your life back and start enjoying your second chance, you have to start with your body and mind. Remember, you are not the same person. You are a new person. Believe that, and you are ready to join me on my journey to find the new normal.
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