I just read a comment from my post two days ago, which prompted someone to ask me if breast cancer is a journey or a process. It’s a question no, and I do mean NO ONE has ever asked me. But I think it's an important one to ask and understand the answer to. In the moment, I responded, “A journey is the path you travel. A process is what happens to you, and what you do, while you're on that path. So, it’s both,” for the BC warrior and survivor.
At the time of my reply, I knew I had more to say on this topic, to help him as well as some of our friends, family, co-workers, and others to understand. So, I thanked him for the question and told him I’d have more to say in today’s post. Here goes…REGARDING BREAST CANCER…
THE JOURNEY
The breast cancer journey is the whole story. It includes:
• Hearing the diagnosis.
• Going through treatment.
• Ringing the bell.
• Learning how to live after treatment.
• Continuing to grow as a survivor.
IT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND THE ROAD YOU TRAVEL.
THE PROCESS
The process is the work of healing that happens during the journey. It includes:
Learning to manage fear.
Trusting your body again.
Grieving what changed.
Building confidence.
Accepting your new normal.
Rediscovering joy and purpose.
IT'S HOW HEALING UNFOLDS (ONE STEP AT A TIME).
THE PROCESS AND THE JOURNEY ARE ALSO ALIKE.
Both:
Take time.
Have good days and hard days.
Require patience.
Help you grow.
Look different for every person.
Can't be rushed.
In the end, your breast cancer journey is the story of where you've been. Your healing process is the work of becoming who you're meant to be because of what you've lived through. Survival is a milestone, not the end of the journey. It's the beginning of a new healing process that leads to a life beyond survival. Reintegration, as I speak about it, is the process of learning to live fully again. 🩷
My prayer is that we all learn to take one breath, one step, one day at a time, while on our journeys and throughout the process. 🙏🏾
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