Dealing with the Aftermath of Breast Cancer and Surgery

There is no instruction book for this. You are diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease. Yes, I know, our survivor rates and treatment have both improved over the years. But what those years mean to a person going through treatment or healing from surgery has an entirely different meaning. It is a difficult Journey dealing with the aftermath of breast cancer and surgery.

Dealing with Breast Cancer Emotions

Take a bag of rocks, all different sizes, colors, and shapes. Put them in a box and shake them. Shake them loud and hard. It is sometimes the internal noise, like shaking this bag of rocks, that gets to you after a breast cancer diagnosis and surgery. Anger, fear, unknowns, disbelief, shame, guilt. There is your bag of rocks. You feel all of these emotions, sometimes more. Were you equipped to deal with this? Did you expect this to happen in your life?

The answer is no! How the hell are you expected to gracefully deal with the fallout out after you hear the news you have breast cancer, or you are recovering from treatment and surgery? Are you a mother who has to hold it together for your children no matter what age they are? Perhaps you are a young woman with hopes and dreams for your future, children, a flourishing career. You just got slammed with this news. Maybe you are a professional running your own business or managing large groups of individuals. Suddenly, you get the rug pulled out from under you. You try to reflect a strong presence but inside, it feels like a façade.

You spend wakeless nights thinking about your future and how the diagnosis will affect you. Nighttime seems to drape you like a cold, wet, blanket with all of the feelings weighing heavy on your heart at the end of the day. You take a warm shower and the tears begin to flow. Let it go! Cry ‘til you’re dry! This is your time for personal therapy. But how do you know when it is time to seek support?

Clinical Support after Breast Cancer Surgery

I cannot define the need for support any better than these two professionals, Anne Dancey, and her colleague and team member, Femke Leathes. The depth of what women go through, the support they need before, during, and after breast surgery of any kind is discussed with honesty and professional prowess in this video. I invite you to listen.

Finding Support with Like-minded Breast Cancer Patients

Social media can provide resources for support. It is fairly easy to shop around for groups and join on the Internet and just as easily to leave them. However, buyer beware. If you are in a support group that makes you feel more sad, angry, and confused, it is time to leave and shop around. When you find a group that supports you by acknowledging your feelings in an honest and supportive way, it can feel like a soft, warm blanket.

They can be members who are at the same stage in their Journey as you are. There are others who have successfully processed grief and can offer sound, positive suggestions to help you with your emotions. It is tantamount of holding a hand, feeling supported, and lifted up. Being understood from someone who has walked the walk feels like an immediate connection without the time it takes to get to know one another. You are already in the unintended tribe of those dealing with the aftermath of breast cancer and surgery.

I honor those who are reading this blog and know exactly what I am talking about. I may be the admin of a closed Facebook support group, the Founder of a nonprofit, the social media butterfly who loves to interact with folks, but I have been where you have been. My story is no different than yours. My days of anguish live on a shelf, close by, and collect dust. But I am still working on clearing the dust, every day. I am going to count on you to understand my anguish, anger, confusion, and dealing with the aftermath of breast cancer and surgery and I am grateful for that.

Disclaimer

References made to my surgical group, surgeon and healthcare team are made because they are aligned with my values and met my criterion after I did research of their practices and success rates. Any other healthcare provider that displays the same skill, compassion education and outreach to patients will be given consideration and recognition on this website.  The information contained on this website is not a substitute for or should be construed as medical advice. Please consult a licensed physician for medical advice.