Hi! I am Anni.

Since my own cancer diagnosis, I have acquired a lot of knowledge about nutrition, exercise, and mindset. This knowledge has helped me during my cancer treatment and has been with me ever since.

I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in February 2020 being only 27 years old

It is February 12, 2020. I was only 27 years old and had learned a week ago that I might have breast cancer. The suspicion was confirmed on this day, and my whole life was about to change.

Until that day, I had a fairly normal life. Three months earlier, I started my dream job, explored the world, moved in with my husband (then boyfriend), ate a healthy diet, and exercised regularly. Nothing had indicated that something was wrong in my body.

In retrospect, there were possible signs that could have indicated that something was brewing. Emotional baggage, digestive issues, gum problems, and other minor ailments. Nothing serious! But it was only when I was confronted with my diagnosis that I realized it's important to pay attention even to seemingly small things.

My own three pillars of health

I quickly realized for myself that nutrition, exercise, and mindset are my three pillars of health. I established these three aspects as the foundation for my recovery and maintenance of good health. Alongside chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and another oral chemotherapy, this plan gave me a sense of stability. It was important to me to be able to contribute to my own recovery and to feel like an active participant in my healing process.

Eat Healthy

Since day one, it was clear to me that I wanted to support my body through a healthy diet. At the beginning of my diagnosis and during chemotherapy, I tried various forms of nutrition. I eliminated sugar, flour, and alcohol from my diet to provide my body with the energy for treatment. After my body reacted negatively to the ketogenic diet, I decided to pursue distance learning to become a nutrition counsellor.

I follow a plant-based diet, avoiding artificial sugar and wheat. I am enjoying the benefits of this change on my body and have also been experimenting in the kitchen during therapy. Although I make occasional exceptions, I do not consider healthy eating as deprivation.

I adapt my recipes and pay attention to the ingredients and organic quality of the food. I make many things myself to ensure that I know exactly what's in them. The transition was initially time-consuming, but now I find it easier to locate the necessary products.

Exercise more

I was advised back then to exercise for at least 20 minutes every day during chemotherapy. Since I have never had major difficulties with sports, it was not a problem for me and often exceeded 20 minutes. Soon, cycling was added as well. During radiation therapy, I slowly started jogging again. When I truly began practicing yoga near the end of my treatment, it became a game-changer for me. The confirmation came during my first rehabilitation session, where I focused on stretching specific areas, gaining more body strength, and finding peace and relaxation again. Yoga provides me with all of these benefits.

With our dog Luke, I have the perfect partner for endurance training. Whether it's jogging, Nordic walking, cycling, inline skating, or simply running, I can do it all with him. The fresh air and going outside in all kinds of weather also strengthen the immune system.

Mindset

I began to delve into my psyche late and had both positive and negative experiences in therapy. After therapy, I felt afraid and started receiving psycho-oncology support while also reading more about mental health and personal development. I tried systemic coaching, but ultimately decided to approach the subject in my own way.

My goal is to remain calm in trigger moments. Often, due to past experiences, we project our thoughts into the future, which have nothing to do with reality.

I realized that I was already very close to this goal when I talked to a woman about her mother who had cancer and no longer felt fear. I hope that other women can also reach this strength.

Annemarie Rutka