What have you changed in your life since your diagnosis?

akinto

Are you a triathlete?

Did you dump a partner who didn't really love you?

Did you take up painting watercolors?

Are you a new vegetarian?

Did you become more or less religious?

 I am thinking about ways to make my life more whole. I feel like the world's luckiest woman that we caught this as DCIS before it became invasive, and I want to have the best life I can for as long as I can imagine.

 I would love to hear what you are doing.

LAstar

I had been planning to challenge food allergies before I was diagnosed, so I decided to go ahead after diagnosis in case it helped my immune system. My husband and I eliminated gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar, and alcohol on 3/8. I've lost 8 lbs and my hubs has lost about 15 lbs. Thus is great for me since I haven't been able to get much exercise since I was recovering from a complicated biopsy then a lumpectomy. We thought this would be really hard, but it's been great eating lots of vegetables and feeling lighter. Losing weight and getting a better diet are great for reducing long-term recurrence risk. It's nice to feel like i have some control over what goes on with my body at such a tough time. It doesn't hurt to hear that I'm looking nice either. ;-)

linnyhopp

I have truly learned not to let the "little" things bother me as much.  Makes me feel better mentally and physically and also seems to make my relationships with others deeper and richer since I have a better sense of who and what is most important in my life.    Linda

Shayne

Have to agree with Linnyhopp.  People have come out of the woodwork in my community  - its amazing to see.  Definitely feel a lot more clarity on what is important in life.

CLC

I have reprioritized.

I have chilled out about little stuff.  Leave work at work.  Leave dirt in the bathroom and go running with dog instead.  Leave annoyed dh in the house and go to park with kids.

I have intensified focus on the big stuff.  Rebuild marriage from ground up.  Creating new career goals.  Spend more time playing. 

I already had made lifestyle (food and exercise) changes before bc in response to other medical worries (chronic lung issues).  But would've done that post bc if hadn't already.

I hear you on the lucky part.  I feel like the luckiest woman alive...  All those folks that look at me with pity because I have had a mx...I feel like chuckling...they have no idea how utterly happy I am to have found myself exactly where I am.

Claire

Beesie

By total coincidence, my diagnosis came at a time when I was in the process of making some major decisions about where I was taking the next chapter of my life. I ended up going in a direction that I might not otherwise have chosen; the decisions I made were strongly influenced by the fact that I'd been diagnosed.  I decided to give myself permission to do what I want to do rather than what others (and society) might think I should be doing.  

Unlike many others here who've changed their lifestyles to try to do everything "right", in the years prior to my diagnosis I'd been very pretty careful about doing everything right and that seemed to have not gotten me very far.  So now I focus more on doing what I want and what I enjoy.  I don't go overboard, but I also don't deprive myself.   

Other thoughts....I went through my diagnosis and treatment without telling a lot of people.  As a result, it's made me more aware that we really don't know what's going on with someone just based on what we see on the surface.  So I am now much more careful and considerate in dealing with people because you never know what crap is going on in someone else's life.

On the other hand, when it comes to people in my life, I put up with less bull$#!t now. That's another very conscious decision. I have little tolerance for people who make a big deal out of nothing. I am much more selective about who I choose to surround myself with.  

Shayne, as you go through this process I think you will find that your BC will bring out some very positive traits in some people and some negative traits in others. Through both my BC experience and another life changing experience that I went through, I was quite surprised to see who in my life came through for me, and who disappeared.  Some people that I thought I could rely on weren't there, but other people surprisingly showed up. The list of people I consider to be close friends changed quite a bit through these experiences.  It's great that right now your community is rallying around you but be prepared to be disappointed with some people.   Lot's of people simply don't know how to deal with a diagnosis of cancer (in someone else) and so they either do/say the wrong thing or they simply disappear. 

Shayne

Yep, Im already seeing that now Bessie......but my journey has just begun and I know there will be more of that.  

mdg

I had IDC but I have made a lot of changes. 

I quit my high stress job/career and am continuing to pursue an art business as I stay at home and take care of my 5 year old son

My husband took a new job so I could stay home - this moved us out of state from our family and friends.

I always exercised - I am an aerobics instructor but I started running and am going to train for a half marathon (never did anything like this before!). I now run 8 miles at a time!  Crazy!

I started doing yoga regularly - never did it before my DX.  It clears my head and gives me peace.

I live in the moment more - take time to stop and smell the roses.

I always at healthy but now it's even better.  I follow The Anti Cancer book as much as possible and have increased the healthy eating of my family even more.

I take my vitamins and supplements regularly.

I am going to become a peer to peer counselor for breast cancer patients and hopefully volunteer to teach fitness classes for cancer patients.

I feel good about my new life and new self.  I am at peace and happier than I have been in years.  Lif is good!

akinto

mdg, your story is quite amazing.

All of you are inspiring.

 I got diagnosed just as I was getting my qualifications in a new field and career after years of preparation. I want to move forward into my new life, but also want to make sure I get to stick around and use my new training for a long time.

Shayne

Yes mdg!!  Way to go!!  I hope to make those same changes in my life in the coming weeks/months....... checking out your blog now!

LAstar

Thank you.  You ladies are so inspiring.

speech529

I started doing things I wanted to do and saying "no" with freedom.