Posts Tagged ‘cancer survivor’

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Three Factors That Enable a Woman To Thrive

GUEST POST BY RHONDA SMITH OF BREAST CANCER PARTNER

It seems as though over the past few months a common theme I’ve heard from women is centered on the feeling that they’re Breast Cancer Partner Headerin ”transition.”  Honestly, I think the whole world is in transition right now.

The women I have encountered talk about discovering that they’ve reached a point in their lives where they recognize that the choices and decisions they made many years ago that led them to where they are today don’t seem to be working for them anymore and are feeling unfulfilled. They have a strong desire to create a different life for themselves.

I find that some are clear on how to go about making this change, some seem “stuck,” some don’t know how to move forward and some are fearful even about the thought of abandoning the life and career they have known up to this point to pursue their passion and true purpose, even though they may be undoubtedly unhappy with their current existence.

Whatever the case may be, I think that there is some sort of transitioning happening among women.  In my personal network I see women taking charge and making changes in their lives, careers, their consumerism, their investments, and their activism.

Breast Cancer Partner Header 2I am happy to say that through my own personal journey I have discovered what I believe is my passion and purpose in life – to educate, enlighten and empower not only breast cancer survivors, but women in general to become their own health and wellness advocate. This discovery was born out of my breast cancer experience and desire to make the necessary changes in my life to put my health and wellness first after realizing what a difference doing this has made in my vitality and overall quality of life.

I have since created a business, Breast Cancer Partner that focuses on breast cancer recovery through health and wellness and taking a more integrative approach to recovery. However, in the process of getting Breast Cancer Partner off the ground, I have realized that women in general can also greatly benefit from putting their health and wellness first, becoming their own health and wellness advocate, and adopting the Recover Restore Reenergize© Philosophy.

Through my work, I have also realized how much we as women give of ourselves every single day to love, take care of and nurture everything and everyone we’re responsible for in our lives, saving ourselves for last.  I recognize how exhausting that can be whether we acknowledge it or not.

Based on my observation, I believe that the three equal factors that enable a woman to “thrive” and live a life full of vitality with grace, elegance and energy is her ability to Recover, Restore and Reenergize herself and her life on an ongoing basis.

And really, it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman recovering from breast cancer, a woman who is enduring the challenges of everyday life, or a woman living out your passion and purpose in the world – all of us need to be more mindful about how we live, work and play everyday. Most important, we must be sure to schedule the time to nurture and love ourselves each and everyday, putting our health and wellness first. That’s the way we can Recover, Restore and Reenergize ourselves each and everyday and be a better, bolder, brighter transmitter of light, love and energy to the world!

Rhonda SmithRhonda M. Smith is the Founder of Breast Cancer Partner, an organization that focuses on breast cancer recovery through health and wellness and taking a more integrative and holistic approach to recovery. Breast Cancer Partner provides tools, resources and information to help breast cancer survivors (and their families) who are nearing the end of or have completed treatment, on their journey to recovery, and those who are now living cancer free.

Ultimately, Rhonda wants to create a world in which each and every breast cancer survivor lives a life that is full of vitality, cancer-free and without fear, so that recovery is a life-enhancing rather than a life-limiting event.

To see Rhonda’s Recover Restore Reenergize© T-shirt, visit the Breast Cancer Partner website here.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hailey’s Story (Teen Cancer Survivor)

Some people have such bright spirits that we become inspired to be better ourselves. Hailey who has survived a form of lymphoma is one of those people. Here is a part of her story…

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Kimberly Fowler Beat Brain Cancer

Kimberly Fowler has forged her own path, completely recovering from severe accidents and beating inoperable brain cancer at age 24. She believes in herself and in her own power to a degree that is astounding. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she had few treatment options. While in the hospital, she got really clear on what was the right way for her to proceed and it led to a major life transition and many years of helping others. She continues to inspire so many.

Click here for the short video of Kimberly.

Kimberly Fowler

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Breast Cancer Created a Survivor’s Heart in Me

GUEST POST BY KATHY-ELLEN KUPS

Breast Cancer changed me. The physical changes are pretty obvious, but the deeper more meaningful changes are far more Kathy-Ellen Krupssubtle. They are revealed in the way I no longer take a million tomorrows for granted, or when any ache or pain can convince me the cancer is back. These are thoughts that remind me that my carefree innocence about life is forever gone. There are other changes too. Changes that revealed to me that I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought I could be. Somehow it’s comforting to think that although breast cancer took my breasts, it gave me something I may not have gotten any other way: the heart of a survivor and the will to really live my life.

I focused on how I really wanted to live my life while I sat in that chemo clinic all those hours watching the drugs meant to save my life drip into my arm. I saw those drugs as a type of tonic to provide me with the stuff I needed to make sure I didn’t take any more of my days on earth for granted. I didn’t get the survivor’s heart from any medicine or treatment, but somehow it developed during the battle.

My survivor heart leads me to tell my friends and loved ones how dear they are to me more than I ever did in the past. My new found courage has lead me to try new things and embark on new endeavors I might only have thought of but never acted on. I have learned that being courageous doesn’t mean you are fearless. You only need courage when you are in the midst of fear.

This new found courage leads me to approach complete strangers to ask how they are doing or to offer help to a lonely soul. It pushed me to take up downhill skiing when I was almost fifty and to do a four hour kayak trek with my dearest friends down a river. Things I would always put off if they challenged me or made me feel uncomfortable. With winning the battle against breast cancer came a new freedom to be more daring and not so concerned about what others think.

Perhaps it is just me, but breast cancer changed me. Friends still see me as the same girl they have always loved and adored, but I know me as the new super woman who faced down breast cancer, lost all my hair and ran around town with one breast. If I could live through that I can live through anything. The most important thing is to turn that battle into a challenge to really “live.”

Kathy-Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and has been cancer free since completing treatment in 2004. She moved from Canada to Michigan in 2002 to marry her husband Bob. The couple has two college age sons from her previous marriage. Kathy-Ellen built a career in marketing and merchandising and has worked as a corporate speaker. She recently started a company that provides corporate communication skills training to executives. For the past four years Kathy-Ellen has been blogging about breast cancer for Everydayhealth.com a health and wellness website. She was also on a panel that debated health-care reform for the Washingtonpost.com in 2009-2010. Kathy-Ellen has also appeared in the magazines Beyond and MAMM. She has been a guest blogger for other breast cancer sites on several occasions.