Finding My New Support Network

In November of 2013 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 37 at the time of my diagnosis with two daughters ages 4 & 6. I was active, ate healthy, and had no history of breast cancer in my family. It was a shock to say the least.

I was treated in Nevada by some wonderful doctors and had a great support network. We left Nevada for Florida the day after my last radiation treatment. I had to start over. New area, new doctors, and new support network.

My doctor recommended the Livestrong program at our nearby YMCA, to connect with other local survivors and regain some of the strength and flexibility I had lost during treatment. I was so busy getting the family settled in to their new home, it was a year later before I actually enrolled. I am so glad I did and wish I had done it earlier. My self-esteem was pretty low and I was struggling to find my place. I was able to commiserate with other survivors, find ways I could remain active without hurting myself, and find out more about my local community YMCA.

Thank you to the Livestrong instructors, YMCA staff and fellow survivors who helped me through.

Janna — breast cancer survivor

The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program has now served more than 45,640 participants and is available at 585 YMCAs nationwide. To learn more and find a program near you, visit: www.livestrongymca.org

Finding My New Support Network was originally published in Livestrong Voices on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.