Felice Apolinsky, LCSW Program Director, Gilda’s Club Nashville Ali Schaffer, LCSW Program Coordinator, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

“Walking out of the oncology clinic, after the last check up, I felt a mix of emotions…happy to be done, scared that it might come back, unsure about what to do next and confused about what it all means.” -35 year old breast cancer survivor “At my last visit, my oncologist said, “It’s time to make some big health changes.” And I wondered where should I start?” -28 year old breast cancer survivor

Secondary health risks Education Financial Employment Coping with Late effects Insurance Healthcare Access to resources Practical issues of living with cancer Cancer

Dating/ relationships Mental Health Self- esteem Healthy behaviors Coping with late effects Body image Sexual Identity Health of children Spiritual Social Emotional issues of living with cancer Fertility Family relationships Cancer

 Post-traumatic growth  Evaluating life  What do I need/want now?  What am I willing to do?  What does my future look like? Important: You do not have to figure out all the answers now!

Well, that’s all great… but, where do I start?

 What is my personal motivation?  Set my intention.  Identify my goal.  What does success look like for me?

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting

 Varying degrees of motivation  Setting unreasonable goals  Having unrealistic expectations of self  Unexpected life changes

 Get support from others.  Be accountable to yourself and others.  Expect setbacks.  Take time to pause and reflect on where you’ve been and how far you have come.  Manage expectations.  Reward yourself along the way.

Life is not a straight road.

 Do it YOUR way.  Get organized.  Get information.  Create and maintain your support team.  Address your physical, emotional, sexual, social, financial and spiritual needs.  Periodically: o Re-organize o Re-prioritize o Re-define o Re-commit/Re-invest

 Seek Support  Utilize community resources  Get a good nights’ sleep  Gather the facts  Pamper yourself  Write it down  Talk it out  Meditate  Eat well-balanced meals  Obtain regular physical activity  Learn a new hobby  Maintain comprehensive health care check-ups and screenings  Laugh!

Felice Apolinsky, LCSW (615) Ali Schaffer, LCSW (615) For more information: