Woman walking forward and illuminating the path in front of her

Baby Steps

The best piece of unsolicited advice I have ever received was when a friend told me, “Don’t try to climb mountains, just take baby steps every day.”

Newly diagnosed with MBC

I had recently been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and I was overwhelmed & scared. I was overwhelmed by having to go to more doctor appointments than I'd ever had before, the new side effects from the medications I started and playing what felt like catch-up in understanding MBC better. I was scared about my future, for my then 14 yr old son and how he would handle the news, and how much of a strain on my marriage this would cause. It all seemed too much. And it was.

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Baby Steps

Finding happy

I decided to take her advice and apply it to my new situation (I really dislike the term “new normal”). I wasn't going to sit around and wait for cancer to kill me. I wanted life for my family to be happy, not sad or filled with doom & gloom. If I wanted that, it had to start with me.

Baby Steps

Long-term goals

My personal long-term goal was to see my son & stepsons graduate high school. In the meantime, each birthday & each holiday was a new goal to reach. Each one that passed felt like my greatest accomplishment.

Baby Steps

Overwhelming

Before I knew it, the years passed. I was there for all three high school graduations. It was an overwhelming feeling. Four more years passed. Events I wouldn't have dreamed I would be here to see, happened. College graduation, and then a wedding.

Baby Steps

A new meaning

I know my health can change quickly - overnight even. But I don't think of what I may miss. I still live my life taking baby steps. The most recent event I dared not think of, positive I wouldn't be here for happened. This time it came with the best reward of all: I'm a grandmother now.

Baby steps have a whole new meaning now!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The AdvancedBreastCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.