And how she says her diagnosis changed her for the better.
“Cancer saved my life,” says Kristine Olson. “I recognize that’s quite a statement, but it’s true.”
Hailing from Fargo, North Dakota, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 49, while juggling her responsibilities as mom, wife, and caretaker. Five years later — after six rounds of chemo, two lumpectomies, the removal of 19 lymph nodes, and 30 rounds of radiation — she describes herself today as a “grateful survivor,” whose lifestyle has completely changed for the better.
She’s also deeply involved in a community of fellow cancer warriors. The pink shoes you see above feature 20 hash marks that she added by hand, each of which represent one person she knows who has been diagnosed and conquered the disease, just like her. What you can’t see here are the two hearts on the other side, which honor women who died during her treatment timeline.
Olson has made so many connections with other patients because she dove headfirst into fighting this disease, and when we asked our Wake-Up Call community for their breast cancer stories, she wrote in to share advice we know you’ll want to hear, too.
“I’m a big personality. I’m going to hit everything head-on, so I was going to hit this one head-on, too,” she says. “At every single appointment, I asked every single person, ‘What can I do to help me? What could I do to improve my chances, my fight, my outcome, my future?”
Below, she shares four of the best answers she received.
From my hematology/oncology doctor: “She said that professional women have a harder time with the diagnosis. Remember to start writing things down — chemo often makes you forget things. Give yourself grace, but keep moving. You have to metabolize the chemo: Get up, walk, keep moving. Drink water. Stop drinking alcohol. Figure out who your friends are and ask them for help.” There were days I thought the dog would drag me around the block because I couldn’t take one more step… but we powered on, slowly but steady.
From my breast surgeon: “Meditate. Stretch. Do yoga. Save sweets for special occasions. Figure out how you conquer the mind game. Look in the mirror every single day and say, ‘You can do this’ — and then you figure out how you do this. Ask yourself your reason for living and then be grateful. Find religion if you need it. Find peace if you need it. Try other things if you need them, but don’t be too extreme. Remember that only your surgeon, your oncologist, and the pathologist know what you have.”
From my radiation oncologist: “‘Pay attention to what you’re putting in and on your body. You probably should be plant-based, and you shouldn’t use cosmetics, cleaners, and products that are endocrine disruptors or have harmful ingredients. And by the way, pay attention to your other health panel numbers — I’m not going to save you just to have you die from heart disease.’ (She later told me she’s never had a patient do everything she recommended. That still makes me smile.)”
From my first cancer friend, a hero who has since passed: “You have to stay in your square. That means don’t worry about what you could have or should have done. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t worry about the calendar-ization of your life. Live in your square of today, and live the (fill in your own swear word here) out of that day. No regrets. That doesn’t mean YOLO, but it means staying present with those who need you and doing what you need to in that day.”
