For cancer survivors, thrivers, caregivers, and families, taking care of ourselves is a vital part of the journey. Here are a few compassionate tips from @experienceonsite to help support yourself on the tough days.
Be kind to yourself. This journey is not a race—it’s a marathon. Cancer care extends far beyond surgeries and treatments, often involving ongoing medicine, therapy, and sometimes a lifetime of care. It’s important to embrace self-care and self-love as we heal, grow stronger, and continue to thrive.
Image from @experienceonsite
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Mahalo (thank you) to the @staybeautifulfoundation for the thoughtful gift they sent.
As a cancer thriver/survivor, receiving these gifts truly makes me feel seen and appreciated.
Can’t wait to relax with my tea and gel eye patches and get restful sleep with this pretty and soft eye sleeping mask.
To all my fellow cancer thrivers and survivors, be sure to check out their Instagram and website to see the incredible work they’re doing for people just like us!
#SharingSurvivorStories: Hi! I’m Patricia the Exec. Director of this non-profit & I’m a 3 year breast cancer survivor.
Wednesday was my MRI day. MRI’s usually takes 20 mins (I count songs) but this time, they took extra scans which means I was on the table a LOT longer than normal (my face was swollen after).
When I left, my mind was RACING the whole day - WHY the extra scans?What’s wrong? Did it come back?
DOOM.
Foreboding joy.
I told my husband & closest friends to pray for me because I could feel my thoughts spiraling.
Last year they found a growth & I had to do more MRI, mammogram, & biopsies. It ended up being benign (yay) but it was so triggering. I was bracing myself for that type of news again.
I had to remind my self to
Breathe😮💨
Breathe🧘🏽♀️
Breathe🧎🏽♀️➡️
& gave myself permission to be gentle with me.
Gentle with my thoughts, words, & actions.
My body was holding stress while waiting for the result & I needed to be kind & tender to myself.
So I cancelled my to-do list & meetings & went window shopping. I bought a pink drink & I heard a BTS song play which gave me an extra serotonin boost. Brené Brown says the way to overcoming foreboding joy is gratitude.
So I listed things I’m grateful for: To be alive. Jesus, john+kids, family, friends, @pawtriciaspack. This non-profit. My body that has gone through so much & yet keeps me alive. The smell of rain. The feel of sand & the ocean on my toes. The first sip of coffee. A really good book.
I let those things loop in my head instead of doom.
I waited for my husband to get home from work & we read the result.
NO
MALIGNANCY
FOUND.
We cried together & we celebrated this good news with our church smallgroup. Phew 😮💨. We could breathe again. We live to see another day & we’re grateful that we can.
This is for my fellow thrivers: Take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Surround yourself with people that don’t try to “fix” but can sit with you & cheer you on in the hard. Be gentle with yourself on hard days. Survivorship can get exhausting. But it is also a reminder that life is fleeting & every day is precious so let’s live in the grace available for us today.
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