Make Room for Healing

Accessible, heartfelt, and witty, this short collection of simple, practical tips offers self-care, healing, and recovery, from a stage-3 breast cancer survivor. “Before I started my treatment, I spoke to an oncologist at Johns Hopkins. He said, ‘Travis, you have to make room for treatment.’ He knew by speaking with me for just a few minutes I was trying to systematically plan each step like a project at work. That was not going to do. I heeded his advice, allowing myself the time and space to check in every day to see how I felt—to see what I needed and how to support myself.” When Travis Brady was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, she sought advice from friends, and their friends, and their friends of friends—women who had been treated before her. She needed tips to make this process smoother, gentler, and more manageable. With this book, Travis offers you all the information she wished she had when she was first diagnosed—tips and practices that made her feel more in control in an uncontrollable situation. The organization of this book is designed to sequentially walk with you through treatment. The first section, Support, helps you get started by assembling your care team, seeking a second opinion, and advocating for your health. In the next section, Prepare, Travis shares specific practices that helped her physically cope and find comfort. In Nourish, she gives you a short-cut to the nutritional choices that supported her body. Heal takes you through holistic health practices you may not have considered but might be open to now. And finally, Enjoy reminds you to cultivate experiences where you derive great pleasure and satisfaction. In it, you will learn how to: Assemble your care team Numb your port Get a second opinion Combat "chemo brain" Detoxify your life Explore sound bathing . . . and more! “The key to all of this was asking for help and getting answers. I’ve put all that I learned and experienced in this guide. My hope is that it walks with you and helps you on your journey.”