How a HER2 Diagnosis Changed My Approach to Wellness

Before I was diagnosed with HER2-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in my 30s, I believed if I took good care of myself, I could stay healthy. I ate healthy, lifted weights, went hiking, and got enough sleep. I was the fittest person anyone knew and yet I still ended up with lung cancer.

Shifting from perfection to intention

Before my diagnosis, I was go-go-go all the time with my wellness, and now I am much more intentional. I can no longer strive for perfection, and that has been hard to wrap my head around, but I am working on it.

Learning to rest and celebrate small wins

My first- and second-line treatments were a lot for my body, and fatigue was real every week for 3 weeks. I found that movement did help, but it was hard to get motivated when you feel like garbage. I would make goals for myself: I am just going to walk for 10 minutes on my treadmill instead of an hour hike. It wasn't perfection, but it made me feel better. I have also learned when to rest, a word that wasn't in my vocabulary prior to this diagnosis. I listen to my body when it wants to nap instead of forcing a walk or hike.

Redefining independence and strength

I feel like I've lost a little bit of my independence having this diagnosis. The mindset shift of being a strong, independent woman has changed too, to being kind and safe with myself when I do activities.

Finding balance with food and strength

I used to be obsessed with eating healthy. Now I have more of a balance, and I listen to my body and eat what it craves. I focus on protein and calorie goals rather than what I eat nowadays, as I want to keep my strength up, and having muscle mass can be critical for someone with a cancer diagnosis.

Managing stress through acupuncture and journaling

I have found that acupuncture has also greatly helped me and reduced a lot of my stress. Anyone who has cancer is going to go through stress – that's just natural – but acupuncture has helped take the edge off. I also started a journal of my thoughts, and anything that is being overplayed in my mind, I write down.

Something I recommend that I haven't done myself yet is a symptom journal. Sometimes I will get symptoms on and off at certain times of the month or day and I worry it's the cancer coming back or doing something, and I am often reminded by my husband that I have had this on X day and time before, and it's nothing new. This would lower my stress a lot knowing it's nothing new.

Protecting my energy and accepting help

Another unexpected change has been learning to protect my energy. Before cancer, I felt obligated to say yes to everything. Today, I am very comfortable saying no to people or leaving early from an event given my condition. Protecting your peace and energy is critical.

It has been very hard for me to accept help and watch others do things for me. Honestly, some people don't understand or offer help when they see you still looking well, but it's something I have educated people on, and I've made it clear where I need help and how. Communicating your feelings and where you might need assistance is critical as people around you might have no idea that you are struggling.

Building your own wellness routine

Every day won't be easy. Some days will be harder than others, but I highly encourage you to create your own wellness routine, identify where you need help, and define what your parameters are. A lot of people have no idea what we are going through and so advocating for yourself is imperative.

Living with HER2 has taught me that wellness isn't about always feeling positive and doing everything to the max. It's about treating myself with compassion, celebrating the good days, being gentle with myself on the hard ones, and finding joy in ordinary moments.