REAFFIRM THE GOOD THOUGHTS
In November 2020 I stopped breastfeeding. In February 2021 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. For more than a year I was reminded of how incredible my body was for nurturing another little life. Then all of a sudden, I was faced with the reality that my body betrayed me. It had grown something foreign. I felt let down.
I wrote about my journey of resilience and vulnerability here, after passing my ONE-YEAR-CLEAR anniversary (hurrah!). It’s sometimes hard to remember how strong and capable your body is. It is like cancer has this black texta scribbling out all of this good stuff in your mind. It takes constant effort to remind yourself that you are doing a phenomenal job in caring for your body and trying to be the best version of yourself.
Each cancer anniversary I have promised myself to put pen-to-paper and reflect on the year that was. March 2023 will mark my second year anniversary and in the lead up to scribing my reflective piece, my focus this year is about reaffirming the good thoughts.
While I am still gaining strength back in my shoulder post-mastectomy and lymph removal, I wanted to challenge myself and complete my first ever Aquathon (swim + run event). It wasn’t a race for me, it was an event. I wasn’t there to compare results with other participants, rather rewire my thoughts that my body is capable. And even so, pushing through limitations.
The joy I saw on my girls face at the finish line has marked my heart. They were so proud, my husband was so proud and most importantly I proved to myself that my body is capable and strong. It didn’t let me down, it pushed through limitations and it excelled.