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Key points
- There's a 1 in 8 chance that a woman will develop breast cancer at some point in her life.
- Though devastating, a cancer diagnosis can also spark a journey toward a more meaningful life.
- A post-diagnosis to-do list can help focus energies on vital matters, such as treatment options and self-care.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as someone who has faced breast cancer twice, I feel it is important to remind readers to have their annual mammograms because it could save your life. For those who have had their mammogram and have unfortunately received bad news, this post will share the many ways the diagnosis can transform you and alter how you view life.
Receiving the Diagnosis
Women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer at some point in their life. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer is hereditary, and the chance of getting breast cancer increases with age, occurring most often over the age of 55 (2021). If you’ve had breast cancer in one breast, there’s an increased chance that you’ll also get it in the other breast. This was my fate. My first cancer diagnosis—ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)—was at the age of 47. The second, diagnosed at the age of 70, is lobular carcinoma (LCIS), which is much more aggressive.
Learning about a breast cancer diagnosis, whether for the first or second time, can be daunting. For many people, it can be triggering of earlier traumas. Emotions run havoc. It’s expected that you'll pass through the normal stages of grieving as identified by Kübler-Ross: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Be patient with yourself during this process. You will start to question many of your values, beliefs, and priorities, as it will force you to confront your own mortality and sense of femininity, in that you might feel like less of a woman.
To-Do List for the Recently Diagnosed
Here are some tips for the early part of your journey:
- Research the best team for your type of cancer.
- Get second opinions as needed.
- Discuss all the options.
- Be an educated healthcare consumer and learn about your type of cancer.
- Engage in self-care activities.
- Understand the stages of grieving.
- Find appropriate support groups.
Breast Cancer as a Transformative Experience
After giving me the diagnosis, my oncologist said, “If this news does not rivet you, nothing will.” It certainly forces you to re-examine your life. Mizock and Danielly (2023) conducted a study about meaning-making following a breast cancer diagnosis. There's no doubt that any health crisis can be transformative, but these researchers found a positive outcome when women got involved in creative expression and forms of self-discovery. Transformation occurred as a result of the diagnosis. As one woman in the study claimed, “I heal from it. I learn from it. And then I move on. And I go forward” (Mizock and Danielly, 2023).
I’ve supported this attitude in my own healing journey—that we are not our illness, but rather the illness is a part of a multitude of factors that define who we are. To prevail and thrive following a cancer diagnosis is to engage in healing activities that separate us from the illness and help us transform and move on to the next chapter of our lives.
A Meaningful Life
As part of the transformative process, women should be mindful of the importance of meaning-making in their lives. Viktor Frankl, the author of Man’s Search for Meaning (2006), pioneered logotherapy, a therapeutic approach that helps individuals find meaning in their lives. Frankl claimed that following any traumatic event, such as war or illness, it is healing and transformative to try to find one’s life purpose because this helps to inspire us to move on into our next life stage. In simple terms, it can be called “healing through meaning” (Frankl, 2006).
Self-Compassion
Another part of the transformative process is fostering self-compassion, sometimes known as self-love or a positive attitude towards ourselves. Self-compassion is about relating to yourself in a forgiving, accepting, and loving manner. It’s about self-awareness without being over-judgmental or blowing issues out of proportion. Kristin Neff, PhD, a pioneer in self-compassion, believes that it has three components: self-kindness vs. self-judgment; a sense of common humanity vs. isolation; and mindfulness vs. over-identification (2009).
Self-compassion takes a great deal of practice. It’s also about treating yourself as well as you might treat others. Not surprisingly, mindfulness can be beneficial here. According to Brown and Ryan (2003), mindfulness practice can help with attitude, promote a sense of well-being, and enhance self-awareness.
Living in the Present and Beyond
Life after cancer will never be the same. Everyone transforms in one way or another. It’s important to implement mind, body, and spirit modalities to help navigate the next stage. This includes eating well, exercising regularly, and managing stress through self-care techniques and/or spiritual connections. Each person has to find out what works best for them. Remember that it’s more therapeutic to live in the present using mindfulness practices than it is to think too far into the future.
References
American Cancer Society. (2021, December 16). Breast cancer risk factors you can’t change. Www.cancer.org.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.
Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946)
Mizock, L., & Danielly, Y. (2022). “I heal from it, I learn from it, and I go forward:” Women’s meaning-making of serious mental illness. The Humanistic Psychologist, 51(4).
Neff, K. D. (2009). The role of self-compassion in development: A healthier way to relate to oneself. Human Development, 52(4), 211–214.
