What do you wish you had prioritized before diagnosis?
I was telling a friend recently how glad I was to have prioritized physical fitness most of my life, as I feel like having strong muscles helped me immeasurably through chemo, and especially post-mastectomy. Regaining independence after a mastectomy is no joke, and I think being physically strong beforehand mattered more to my recovery than I ever could’ve understood at the time.
Anyway, it got me thinking about all the things we let slide or put off before diagnosis thinking we'll get to them "someday" -- and then we get walloped with breast cancer and there's just not enough time or energy.
Not just health stuff, but life stuff. Leaving relationships. Setting boundaries. Taking the trip. Making art. Taking the kids to Disneyland. Going to therapy. Quitting drinking. Learning how to rest / ask for help / make friends.
If you could go back in time and tell pre-cancer you that she needed to do something differently before everything changes, what would it be?
Or -- what's the thing you're super grateful you already had in place before diagnosis?