The oft-quoted statistic is that the breast cancer survival rate has increased to 99 percent. However, that number assumes a very, very early diagnosis. Furthermore, this proportion is very small comfort to women and families who receive different news from their doctors. So, many people need additional motivation to fight this disease, because the fight is long and hard.
So, many others draw inspiration from breast cancer survivor stories. It’s sometimes easy to focus on the happy ending in these stories and overlook the fact that these women had to struggle hard to reach the end. You can do the same thing yourself.
For Yourself
We all must overcome physical challenges, and breast cancer may be one of the most challenging obstacles of all. If you can make it through this, you can probably make it through almost anything else that life hands you.
Many women emerge on the other side in a much better place. Fighting breast cancer usually means physical changes to your diet and activity level. These new habits will serve you very well in future years, as they help you stay cancer-free and have more energy to share with friends and loved ones.
In the darkest times when it’s easier to give up, words like these probably seem like hollow platitudes. But the struggle is worthwhile, because you are worth the struggle.
For Your Friends and Loved Ones
Everyone has people in their lives who feel like family, whether or not they are related by blood or marriage. These people count on you for all sorts of support that only you can provide. Typically, finding another wife, mother, daughter, or BFF is simply not an option.
This support goes both ways. These people want to help. So, never hesitate to reach out. In fact, it’s usually a good idea to find ways for your friends and loved ones to support you. That could be something simple, like helping with the laundry, or something difficult, like accompanying you on a long trip to see a specialist.
The old saying “It’s more blessed to give than receive” really is true. Don’t deny other people this opportunity to give to you.
For Your Fellow Cancer Patients
Fighting breast cancer is a struggle for everyone. Just like you draw strength from your friends and loved one, and vice versa, your fellow patients draw strength from you. When they see your face in the waiting room, the day’s chemotherapy session becomes a little more tolerable. When you aren’t there, everything is a little more painful.
The fight does not end when the doctor declares that the disease is in remission. The friends that you made during treatment continue to count on you during recovery. Written stories of survivors are very inspiring, and living stories are even more inspiring. So, it’s often up to you to take the lead in areas like diet and exercise. Just like you did during medical therapy, you can support each other during the dark times.
Many times, fellow breast cancer survivors almost become like family members. You don’t back away when family needs you, and now is not the time to start.
For Your Future
One day, you’ll be able to add your own story to the website mentioned above. So, in addition to helping yourself and the people around you, you’ll inspire people you will never know. Just like you don’t want to let these people down now, you don’t want to let them down in the future either. And that’s why we all keep fighting.
Lamentably, breast cancer is often hereditary. So, it’s not just your future at stake, but potentially that of your daughters and granddaughters as well. Before, during, and after treatment, you can be their rock.
All these things begin with your commitment to stand up and fight against one of the most deadly and feared diseases since the Black Death of the Middle Ages. There are times that it feels like the U.S. hockey team against the Soviet Union in 1980. Nine times out of ten, the Americans probably lose that game, and lose badly. But that one magic day belonged to that one magic team, and this day belongs to you.
