Cancer at 33 | My Life Changing Realization | 3 Years Post Diagnosis

July 31st is the anniversary of my cancer diagnosis and this day came with a lot of emotion. Looking back, there were moments when I thought about blaming my body... thought about hating it, or cursing it for what it did to me.

If you are in the middle of your battle and looking for light, I hope my thoughts speak to you in a way that inspires the belief of healing and improves your relationship with your body.

Cancer treatment is cut throat, and I know that it has to be. My treatment was aggressive and took my body to the absolute breaking point starting the attack from the inside with chemotherapy. I have never felt so scared for my life because of how I was feeling physically as I did with that medication. I remember nights where I was afraid to fall asleep for fear I would not wake in the morning. Hitting my body with strong medications designed to knock me so far down, to strip my body of all strength and power in the pursuit of also eradicating all the bad.

A mere 4 weeks later my body was cut open and a part of it that was meant to be mine forever was cut out and removed. A part of my inner body severed was removed... with it, the remaining cancer cells that were still trying to harm me and our future life.

8 weeks later it was time to attack my body from the outside in. Radiation. My skin was put to the test. A big square from my collar bone, to my midline, to below where by breast was, and wrapping around to the midline of my side and into my underarm. My skin was treated and baked to a crisp causing it to turn dark burgundy/brown with areas of blistering.

When I look back, re-live all the treatments designed to save my life, but treatments that also put so much pressure on my body... I sit in absolute awe. My body could have given up when my mind wanted to, it could have stayed down, out and injured...

But it didn’t. Somehow it knew that it was meant to heal, to rebuild.

Day after day, month after month, my body would pick itself up off the ground and will me to live, to keep putting one step in front of the other, signaling me to eat, to sleep, to rest, to move, to cry... endlessly, relentlessly, working to rejuvenate itself, to rebuild, to re-create the healthiest version of itself possible.

Hair returned, strength returned, muscle returned... The area that was newly without breast tissue began to hurt less, incisions started to heal, scabs disappeared, use of my chest returned... The blisters healed, the color of my skin faded back to it’s starting shade. I am in complete awe.

I think all too often we look at our bodies for all that it isn’t doing for us, all that we would change about it. But after this experience, it’s so clear that my body is in my corner, it’s on my side and fighting for me. It takes what it’s given and does it’s best to continually rejuvenate, re-build and re-create the healthiest version it can for us.

Today I say thank you, thank you to my body who has literally fought for my life, a life that is so unbelievable precious to me. I am forever in it’s debt and will be incredibly thankful every day I have the honor to live within it’s resilience.

Thank you for being here with me to honor and acknowledge the day that changed my life in many ways 3 years ago. I hope this message touches your heart, and brings some light within you as it does for me.

To follow along for more breast cancer inspired content hit subscribe, and to give a little love for this video hit the thumbs up:)

If you haven’t said thank you to your body yet today, join me in taking a deep breathe, wrapping your arms to give yourself a hug... and say thank you.

Take care friends. We’ll see you next time.
Sincerely,
Chelsey

#breastcancer #breastcancerjourney #cancerdiagnosis

IG: chelseytarnowgrey

[livefreewellness]

Very beautiful. I am so grateful for your strength to come on and be a reflection for so many. Including myself.

I am at the beginning of my Hormone Blocking Therapy and 6 months post active treatment. I experience so many side effects I can feel my resiliency draining.

I'm 35 pounds up since my diagnosis, I am struggling with sleep, pain, loss of libido, zest for life.

In short. I am drowning. In some ways, I am so happy and better and more fulfilled than I've ever been and in others, I am gasping for air.

I am grateful to you. The one who had come before me, looking revitalized and thanking her body.

It gives me hope.

Thank you,

Christine

[kisslena]

Thank you for your powerful transparency! You are helping others and I’m appreciative of your courage.💐

[lauracanada]

You are so sweet strong lovely person, , everything pasa know you body come back to the normal I pass for that no quimio only lumpectomy +33 radiation and the pills I know how you fell this is very hard even after all treatment ❤

[rh]

Beautiful 😍
Justin asking how many positive lymphonodes did you have ? Did you do genetic test? Have taken any oral chemo after finishing your treatment? Thanks

[TheBubbleBia]

Hi Chelsey, your video is beautfiul. Did you ended up having a mastectomy or lumpectomy?