01/01/2020 By Alexandra von Korff
I am a positive person, I do things and am a busy, multi-tasking mum of two kids, a jack of all trades, and since August 2017, the new feature added to my repertoire is breast cancer – fast-growing, aggressive, and happy to spread.
This is my wake-up call…. yep, I probably did not listen to the subtle ones – a sudden stop, a time to realize that I need to look after myself, undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and currently chemo pills, and need to give my body time to heal…
The good news – I detected it before it spread and therefore am quite hopeful that I am on top of things, but I look after myself now, try to slow down – not always voluntarily, but I try…. and in those quiet moments, I need to face my thoughts and myself…I start to write a blog – every day… the way it is, the ups and downs! I get to know myself better now! See the me I was too busy to see! And I start liking what I see!
My daily life does not change too much, I do a lot of things I did before, just without hair and the cancer is now part of our everyday life, the bald head, the regrowth, the scars…. 2019 the treatment is hopefully over and I can fully dive into my new old life. The emotional side of cancer is not always „oh no, I will die“, but so much else….tired, awake, sad, happy, up and down…writing about it helps me, but I also aim to help others and to raise awareness – I found a me that loves writing…. and my next step is writing a book!
GRYT is being diagnosed with breast cancer days after nursing my one-year-old for the last time.
GRYT is doing a yoga retreat right before and right after chemo and not stopping during treatment!
GRYT is starting a blog to help myself and others, raising awareness, and making cancer a normal part of our life and the incredible feedback & support I receive.
GRYT is connecting with other cancer patients, whether in real life or via Instagram, laughing and crying together!
GRYT is knowing who your friends are and re-sorting your life!
GRYT is discovering that the back of my head is not flat #nohairdontcare!
Editor’s Note: As of March 7, 2022, Alexandra sent us an update which is as follows.
My book project is still in the making… We are in 2022 and the last treatment I am on is bisphonates until at least 2023/2024. 2019 I tried to get back into my old job, which failed for two reasons. One is that I suffer from fatigue and have difficulties with concentration – my daily tasks weren’t as easy to manage anymore. Secondly – and this is the main game changer – I asked myself what purpose I was serving. My job was all about my client, numbers, and money and I wanted to invest my precious time in a meaningful occupation around cancer. I decided to go on unpaid maternity leave in March 2020 to try to be there for my kids and try my options in making a living in any other way. Coronavirus hit at the same time and it was quite a challenge.
Since I left my job, I have continued writing my blog, www.Kick-cancer-chick.com, and sharing on social media as @kickcancerchick and am a patient representative in several AdBoard and other projects. Since 2019, I have had a podcast called “2 Frauen, 2 Brüste“ (2 women, 2 bossoms) and I am the one of the CEOs of yeswecan!cer (a non-governmental organization that aims to break the taboo around cancer, has hosted the YES!APP connecting cancer patients and their next of kin and launched Europe’s largest cancer convention YES!CON.
Alexandra is based in Germany and has been co-parenting her children with her soon-to-be ex-husband, whom she has been separated from since fall 2021.
