HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · SEPTEMBER 2018
The truth is that I wish
I could’ve found a blog that
explained in great detail every
single step of the treatment process.
I couldn’t really find anything like that,
which is a big reason why I decided to
be as open as possible. Above all though,
I wish someone would’ve told me that
it’s okay to not be okay. Some days are
going to suck; you’re going to want
to cry; you’re going to be in pain;
you’re not going to be okay.
And that is okay!
What do you hope will come
from this? Is there a dream you
have for the end of this journey?
It’s my hope that when young women
hear my story, they become aware
of their health and how important it
is to know your body and be aware
of things that feel “off." I am living
proof that disease can happen to you
no matter how old you are. Through
sharing my story, I hope it inspires
young women to be aware of their
health and bodies, and to also be
advocates for themselves
How would you say this
experience has changed you?
Would you say it’s made you
stronger?
This experience has changed so much
about me. It has, oddly, made me feel
so much more at peace with myself.
I love my body even though it has
changed so much. I love myself more.
I am stronger than I ever could’ve
been without this experience. And I
feel like I am so much more relaxed
than before because I know what is
important in life and not to stress
the small stuff. At the end of the day,
going through this has not only shown
me that I am mentally strong but also
that my body can do incredible things.
I appreciate and love myself so much
more now than I ever did before
being diagnosed with breast cancer.
What would you recommend
people do to demonstrate
support for the survivors in their
life?
I think the best thing people can do to
support survivors is to just be there
for them. It sounds simple, but the
simple things are the things that I’ve
appreciated the most. It can be hard
to ask for the help you need, like just
having someone bring you dinner,
help you grocery shop, or sit with you
during an infusion, but those are the
things that mean the most to me!
What do you recommend people
in the community do to raise
awareness?
Do your research and support
organizations that are legitimate.
There are a lot of times when
companies will sell items that are
pink, but the proceeds go to sham
organizations. Or even worse, they
don’t even donate proceeds to a
breast cancer research or support
organization!
What do you think is one of the
biggest misconceptions about
breast cancer?
I think one of the biggest
misconceptions is that you had
to do something to cause cancer.
Sometimes it just happens! It doesn’t
matter how healthy you are or if you
have a genetic link or not. Bad things
can just happen, so it’s important to
be familiar with your body.
Any parting words of advice?
Bad things happen in life. That’s just
life. You can’t change the things that
happen to you, but you can change
how you react to them. So no matter
what those “bad things” might be,
stay strong. Nothing lasts forever and
you will overcome.
By Andres Portillo
Photograph by Macbeth Studio
21 HEALTHY MAGAZINE