CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Turn your home into your sanctuary a place that’s not just relaxing and supportive, but also filled with comfort. Surround yourself with people and things that lift you up and bring you joy. It’s crucial to protect your space and energy, so don’t hesitate to delete, cancel, remove, or expel anyone or anything that drags you down. This is your show, and it’s all about your healing journey. Don’t let anyone’s insecurities or negativity interfere with your process. Right now, it’s all about YOU focus on what YOU need to thrive.
CQ Advice
Blythe’s Advice: If you are currently in a toxic relationship or surrounded by people who you feel don’t really support you already, gracefully let them go now. Or ghost them. Whatever your thing is. Your life depends on it.
Kesley’s Advice: Lean on your people. Ask for help and try your best to not be prideful. It takes a village and the village will rally. Don’t be surprised who you hear from, who you don’t, and who will make it about them.
GET PLENTY OF REST
Rest as much as you can and listen to your body. Give yourself time to fully recover by taking naps and getting a full night’s sleep. Rebuilding your energy is essential for your upcoming treatments. Right now, your main focus should be on you and your healing everything else can wait.
CQ Advice
Kesley’s Advice: As someone who was always on the go, constantly traveling and bouncing from one thing to the next, I was literally forced to slow down and finally get some sleep! It was tough feeling so confined, especially with COVID going on at the same time. A double lockdown. But I soon realized that rest was exactly what I needed to show up for myself and get through it. Each treatment became a step closer to reclaiming my life. Now, my life looks so different from what it used to be. Those moments of rest helped me really tune in and connect with my body. That connection is something that still continues to this day.
Blythe’s Advice: There’s no shame in resting. There was a time when I couldn’t sleep and I was prescribed sleep aids and never took them. A peace of mind knowing I had the option? The mind is powerful.
FOCUS ON SELF-LOVE
Now more than ever, it’s essential to be kind to yourself. Acknowledge the changes your body is going through and find ways to appreciate and celebrate your incredible strength. Our bodies are truly magical, and you’re stronger than you may realize. Take time to reward yourself for everything you’re enduring whether that’s treating yourself to a massage, indulging in a gentle facial, soaking in the calming vibrations of a sound bath, practicing meditation, or diving into manifestation work like TBM. Whatever brings you comfort and joy, make it a priority. You deserve it.
CQ Advice
Blythe’s Advice: Remember who the f*ck you are. At some point along the way you will look in the mirror and start to see physical changes. Just remember this is the body carrying you through it, embrace this version of you. I think it’s important to hold a vision of who you want to be on the other side of this because you will never be the same after this. You will soon find out that the glow-up post chemo is very very real.
Kesley’s Advice: This is temporary. The pain, the sadness, the guilt, the confusion, the symptoms, the side effects, everything about this process is temporary. Will it be easy Hell no! But taking it day by day, minute by minute know that there’s hope on the other side of this. MANY have come before you and have found beauty after. You are not alone in this.
PREPARE MENTALLY
A cancer diagnosis can feel like an out-of-body experience, leaving you feeling disconnected from yourself. Which is why it’s SO important to practice mindfulness and meditation as part of your mental preparation for treatment. Taking time to reconnect with yourself through meditation can be incredibly grounding and supportive of your healing journey. We found that combining meditation and affirmations with moments of pure joy like having mini dance parties in the car, scream-singing with the windows down really helped us get in the right headspace before treatments. And when you need a pick-me-up, our Spotify Playlist is here to help manage stress and lift your spirits, both before and after chemo!
CQ Advice
Kesley’s Advice: Blythe and I are big believers in the power of mindset and thought think The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Joe Dispenza, Gabby Bernstein, you name it, we’re probably into it. We’ve found that finding peace within yourself, in any way that resonates with you, can really help calm your mind and give you a sense of hope. During my treatments, I leaned into meditation and even did hypnosis meditations with my spiritual coach, Celeste Palmer. Every morning, I’d listen to affirmations, sometimes I’d even record my own. There’s something about hearing your own voice telling you affirmations that feels deeply healing and helped me stay centered through it all.
DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY
Writing about your experiences throughout your journey can be a powerful tool for processing your emotions and making sense of this chapter in your life. Whether it’s journaling daily thoughts or expressing fears and frustrations, putting pen to paper can help you reflect and heal. Documenting your journey also creates a record of your strength and resilience. Plus, your experiences could one day inspire and support others who might be facing similar challenges. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to do this—just let your thoughts flow. Grab a copy of our journal. It’ll be a great tool to use during your treatments.
CQ Advice
Blythe’s Advice: To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to share my journey publicly. As someone who works on-screen, my first impulse was to hide away until it was all over but I knew this journey wasnt ultimately going to be about me but through me. We’ve already helped multiple people save their hair during chemotherapy and that was just by word of mouth from people who had never even heard of cold capping! So by sharing your story, who shed light for others. But also, hiding is perfectly okay too.
Kesley’s Advice: I still do this to this day, but I did daily Pages, something I adopted from The Artist’s Way. First thing when you wake up, before you talk to anyone, or troll your socials, or check your texts, emails, whatever, pick up your journal and write. It’s 3 pages of whatever you want and that’s it. No more, no less, just 3 pages of a brain dump. Don’t reread your words or try to change the narrative, just write and go about your day. It’s helped so much in clearing my mind before I start my mornings and was a huge help to get the jitters out before treatment.
ASK FOR HELP
Don’t hesitate to ask for help with daily tasks, running errands, picking up groceries, taking you to treatment, doing laundry, or tidying up the house. Lean on your people for support! If you need more resources to navigate chemo, let them do the searching for you. The last thing you need to do is hit up Google Doc for advice! Do not look up life expectancy or any of that. It does. Not. Serve you. What someone else goes through during their treatment is NOT your story. Period. Your body will react completely differently.
CQ Advice
Kesley’s Advice: I had been diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. If you were to google it, the results are scary and ridiculously overwhelming. Instead of falling down the rabbit hole, had one of my besties, Aliisa do the research for me. I needed someone to weed through the pharma mess online and find the gems who can give me guidance on what to do next. It was a huge help!
CONSIDER ADDING HEALING MODALITIES
Alongside your medical treatments, consider integrating complementary healing modalities to help manage pain, nausea, and other side effects. Acupuncture can be particularly effective. Kesley visited a practitioner weekly, and it was a game-changer in her healing process. Reiki, which works to balance your body’s energy and promote deep relaxation, can also provide comfort during this time also. Another option is craniosacral therapy, which gently encourages the body’s natural healing processes and can be incredibly soothing. These therapies can be powerful allies in your journey, helping to support both your physical and emotional well-being.
CQ Advice
Kesley’s Advice: Acupuncture was a life saver especially towards the end of my cycles. I also took flower essences suggested by my Acupuncturist which helped with anxiety and overall calmness. One I used was Safe and Sound by Alexis Smart. Her products are so beautiful. She has an array of tinctures but Safe and Sound was so soothing. I also dabbled in THC and CBD drops which overall ended up making me feel super stoned, sleepy, and not fully present on top of the chemo, which I hated so I ended up ditching them. But I know several people who swear by them and their healing properties. It’s worth a try! Also a good sound bath can do wonders!!
ABOVE ALL ELSE FIND JOY
Not to sound too “Live, Laugh, Love,” but finding joy in the little things can really help take the edge off. We all know laughter is the best medicine! So whether it’s funny memes, that friend who always makes you giggle, or a movie you’ve seen a hundred times but never gets old, these small moments matter. It doesn’t have to be big or planned; it just needs to make you feel GOOD, even if just for a millisecond to forget it all. It’s these moments that can remind you, you’re still you—not defined by a diagnosis.
CQ Advice
Kesley’s Advice: I suggest trying to make this experience your own and add a little spice. If you want to wear a new wig every treatment, DO IT! As someone who used to wig out with my friends for fun, wearing a hot wig didn’t really do it for me. BUT I wore a new boob shirt every week and even created my own for my last treatment! A boob shirt with tassels and it was glorious!!! I also shared my journey weekly on Instagram. I had previously shared my trip around the world before the pandemic, so it seemed fitting to also share this journey. I found it therapeutic in a way, my own little outlet to look forward to, to share my thoughts and attempt to keep it real with my friends and family in one place.
START THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
Who do you want to be after this chapter of your life? What do you want to eliminate or introduce into your life? Maybe there’s something you’ve always wanted to try but never had the guts to do. Is it a new career, packing up and moving to a different city, confessing your love to someone you’ve admired, writing that book, or finally taking that trip to Europe? The world is your oyster, and ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! This is your moment to redefine your future and go after what truly makes you happy.
CQ Advice
Blythe’s Advice: There is so much beauty on the other side of pain. This was my rebirth. What a gift. It’s all apart of the journey. Who do you want to be on the other side of this?
Kesley’s Advice: For me, I had so many things on the horizon that kept me excited for what came after. I wanted to travel more in Europe since ringing the bell, I’ve explored Italy, Spain, and even lived in Portugal for a month. I’m already planning to spend all of next summer in Europe! I also wanted to finally dive into my childhood dream of becoming an actress. Growing up in theater, acting and performing had always been a part of me, even though I took the corporate route. Acting became that bright light at the end of my tunnel. Once my pixie hair came through, I got my headshots, signed with a commercial and theatrical agent, and started booking jobs almost immediately. It quickly became clear that when you go after what you truly want, doors and windows start to burst open. So dream big. ANYTHING is possible!
Contact us