Lessons Learned from a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

“What's crazy is I've never been happier. I've never felt more alive,” says Leslie’s sister, Laura.  This is a surprising and admirable reaction to the events of the last three years which have included several major health problems, the most recent of which is a breast cancer diagnosis. Laura joins the podcast just before entering her next round of cancer treatment, to share the lessons she has learned and continues to learn from these challenges and how they have shaped her incredibly positive mindset. Starting four years ago, with the help of a life coach, she learned how to reparent her inner child and change the negative image she had carried about herself throughout her life. After all, we can’t control what happens to us but we can control how we respond to it and the meaning we choose to assign to it.

 

Now in the midst of her cancer journey, Laura chooses gratitude. Gratitude for her supportive husband, for her incredibly understanding boss and co-workers, and for the money to afford medical treatment. The many changes, including to her body, are opportunities for growth and surrender. She discusses the many ways people have reached out in support, including quite literally taking the shirts off of their backs in a show of camaraderie. 

 

So many people are touched by this disease, and Laura recognizes that there is no one way to deal with it. Still, she offers advice for those going through it and those who want to show support. 

 

Quotes

• “Without question the last three years of my life have been the best years of my life.” (7:20 | Laura) 

• “Things are always going to happen. We have an opportunity, whether we realize it or not, to assign meaning and value to those data points. And I think most of the time, we don't have a conscious moment of recognition that, okay, I'm making this thing that happened mean something. There's what happened, there's how I feel about it, and then there’s what I assign in terms of value.” (10:29 | Laura)

• “I can control how I want to approach this. I have made a conscious choice to not spend my energy trying to keep things the same. Because that's a waste. Nothing is going to be the same. I can resist the change or I can embrace the change. And, embrace, not just accept, find ways to find joy in the change.” (16:28 | Laura)

• “We are typically so hard on ourselves. And, every time we think something negative or do something that doesn't serve us. It's usually being fueled by or informed by the little girl inside of us who is scared of not getting what she needs.” (19:27 | Laura)

• “That's the lesson learned, that I am so powerful, that I am so resilient that I’m unstoppable. If I can do that, I can do anything.” (24:29 | Laura) 

• “I realized I could control more than just my mindset. I could be very tactical in terms of how I can create comfort and really prepare myself in every way for each step of this process.” (28:47 | Laura)

• “Chances are, they've been touched by this, too. Which means there are so many people who will come out of the woodwork offering guidance and support and recommendations, who are willing to literally take their shirts off.” (36:22 | Laura)

• “Every day was another reminder that I was loved. And that I had support and that people had me in their thoughts and in their prayers. Yeah, it was almost, it was almost overwhelming, to be honest. But it buoys you.” (38:11 | Laura)

 

Resources: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

 

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