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Hearing the words breast cancer can be very difficult. It leads you into the unknown and a sense of worry may come over you. There’s no right or wrong way to feel after a diagnosis of breast cancer. You will probably go through many emotions, from fear and anger to disbelief, and sadness. As you are preparing for treatment, here are three things to support your journey:

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Advocate for yourself 
• Feed your body with good, nutritious foods.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help:

After a breast cancer diagnosis, you will have to learn how to cope with the emotional strain of your diagnosis and the stresses of daily life. The way it affects your life may or may not be like someone else’s experience. We are all unique and will likely experience different challenges along the way. Learning how to manage side effects, your ability to perform daily tasks and coping with barriers such as fatigue or anxiety can help you navigate through your treatment. This is something that you do not have to handle by yourself. 

You might be used to running errands on your own, managing family calendars or cooking dinners throughout the week. There will be many people that want to help you during this tough time. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open to those who want to help you, will take the burden off your shoulders. It will give you a chance to breathe and focus on getting stronger through your treatments.

As you are working with your Oncologist (a doctor that specializes in cancer diagnosis) to set up treatments, ask those around you for assistance. Helping with kids or pets, cleaning the house and cooking meals are all things that you do not have to do alone. Working together with those around you, be honest and open with your diagnosis. Set up a meal train to help with food throughout your treatment. Ask a neighbor to help walk your dog or pick your children up from school. Join online support groups where others understand the pain, worry, and fear you may be experiencing. A study from 2021 found that, “those with breast cancer who reported higher levels of emotional support were more likely to report significantly less fatigue, pain interference, and depressive symptoms.” Utilizing social support can help to improve quality of life for people who have breast cancer.

Advocate for yourself during breast cancer:  

As you are going through your treatments and sifting through many doctors’ appointments, remember to advocate for yourself.  A study among breast cancer survivors revealed that 91% reported having to advocate for themselves during their cancer experience and treatments. Ask a lot of questions once you learn you have breast cancer. Learn about the type of cancer you have and what it means. Review all the information provided by your Oncologist and medical team. Research your cancer in a library or through medical publications. Read through your insurance policy carefully. With a variety of insurance plans and coverages, ensure that your care and treatment options are covered. Call your insurance plan to speak about your plan of care and coverage. Consider getting a second opinion if you feel like you need to.

Importance of self-advocacy during treatment: 

Once you learn you have breast cancer, to fully understand it, make notes and ask difficult questions. Do not be afraid to ask too many questions, what to expect or how treatment will affect you. Bring a spouse, partner, sibling, or friend with you to your appointments. It can be best to have someone with you to take additional notes in case the information is overwhelming. Do not worry about taking up too much time with your Oncologist and other medical providers. It is best to have all of your questions answered before leaving your appointments.

Throughout your treatment, keep a personal notebook with you. Make notes about your appointments. How you are feeling before, during and after treatment. Any additional questions you may have in between appointments and what you might need help with.

Learn to take an active role in your treatment plan and participate in the decision making. Many people who are diagnosed with breast cancer obtain a second opinion. You want to make sure you are working with a medical team where you feel comfortable with and confident in their care. You will be working with your care team for an extended length of time and you want to feel comfortable asking difficult questions or questions about your treatment plan. Furthermore, gaining a second opinion can help reassure you that your first plan of care was correct or provide you with an option that feels more comfortable for you and gives you a better peace of mind.

Research shows that people who are diagnosed with breast cancer and are more active in their treatment plan, have a better quality of life when working closely with their care team. Learning to be honest with yourself and asking for what you want during treatment, will help you feel empowered as you are navigating through breast cancer.

Feed your body with good, nutrition foods:

As stated by Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food.” Colorful foods contain powerful nutrients that can benefit your body. When you are going through treatment, your main focus might be to get rid of the cancer and focus on getting better. Eating a healthy diet will help to give you the strength you need.

As you are navigating through treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, you might be unsure how you will feel during the course of treatments. There might be days where you enjoy eating and have a normal appetite and other days where you do not feel like eating anything at all. Research shows that consuming a healthy diet during chemotherapy treatments will help to improve adherence to treatments and treatment-related side effects.

It is best to have a flexible and healthy eating plan as you are going through treatments. Be sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, protein and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants that are powerful cancer fighters and build immunity. Vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage have cancer fighting properties. Fruits such as strawberries, kiwi, oranges, and cantaloupe are high in vitamin C to support a healthy immune system.

Protein is an important nutrient for healing. When your appetite is low, consuming protein foods first is one way to ensure your body can still recover from treatments. Look for plant proteins such as chickpeas, beans and lentils. Or choose lean proteins such as salmon, tuna or chicken when you’re up for it. Here are a few tips to increasing protein:

• Add extra meat or cheese to sandwiches
• Add seeds to salads, sandwiches, etc. (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
• Use lentils in recipes to boost protein (add cooked lentils to taco meat, cooked lentils to burger patties, soups, etc.)
• Use Quinoa in recipes to boost protein (add cooked quinoa to banana bread mix before baking, to muffin mix before baking, in burger patties as a binder, mix with oats when making oatmeal, soups/stews)
• Fish – tuna salad, roasted salmon, etc.

After a chemotherapy or radiation treatment, your appetite may remain low for a few days. Here are a few tips to support your intake during these times:

Tip for Maximizing Nutrition

• Limit fluids during meals to give priority to the higher protein foods.
• Schedule mealtimes – if your appetite is suppressed, relying on a timer or schedule can be more helpful than appetite alone.
• Eat small amounts more frequently when you’re feeling up to it.
• Have a bedtime snack.
• Movement can help stimulate appetite – so if you are feeling up to exercise that may help increase hunger.

What you eat matters, and it is important to keep the immune system functioning optimally as you go through treatment.