A breast cancer and melanoma survivor encourages looking forward to the New Year.
BY Barbara Tako
PUBLISHED December 31, 2019
Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com, or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.
Maybe part of it is the short, cloudy days and long, cold winter nights. Fellow cancer survivors, I must confess that I worry a lot. I think about my worries a lot. I focus on my fears. Too many of those fears are about the possibility of cancer returning and about death — my own and that of my loved ones. It really is not helpful, soothing or energizing to do this. In fact, it is time spent spinning my wheels when I could be doing other things. The things I could be doing instead just might be more productive or even just plain fun. I give myself permission to consider and reconsider the following thoughts to get out of my tailspin.
Not an instant death sentence. When first diagnosed with cancer over nine years ago, I thought and felt like it was an instant death sentence. Should I be a bit sheepish? The first diagnosis was breast cancer. The second diagnosis was an unrelated melanoma four years later. Last year was the discovery of my gene mutation called PALB2 that resulted in a prophylactic double mastectomy for me. And now? Now the doctors are monitoring intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms in my pancreas that could turn cancerous. Still, life has gone on, for almost 10 years since my first diagnosis. I am still here. Hang onto your hope!
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