Back to Life
- Anne with an E star Miranda McKeon is celebrating the return to some normalcy as she recovers from cancer treatment. McKeon was diagnosed with breast cancer in June at 19 years old.
- McKeon is grateful for simple activities such as finishing a book that has been sitting on a shelf for months and is overjoyed that her eyelashes have grown back.
- Unfortunately, cancer treatment often alters the way someone looks, even though a lot of those changes are temporary, it can be difficult to live with during and after treatment.
“Spent the week recovering in my most favorite place on earth with my most favorite people,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her family outside in the snow. “I've been taking it easy, mostly curled up in a chair, reading the days away.”
Read MoreMcKeon had a sensation-preserving mastectomy in November, a procedure in which the nerves and nerve grafts stay intact so there is still sensation in the reconstructed breasts. “This will get rid of any cancer and significantly decrease my risk of reoccurrence in the future,” she explained to fans via Instagram. “This also means that I will be cancer free!”
The cancer warrior had to have another surgery in December, explaining via Instagram video that she had two positive lymph nodes, which they already knew were there. They took four lymph nodes out.
And she had a positive margin in the breast area, “which is kind of common when the tumor is right up against the skin,” she said. "I'll probably be able to sleep really well knowing that everything's gone for the rest of my life," she added.
McKeon reassured fans she was “fine.” Overall, she seemed very happy and excited to be getting closer to the other end of her journey, and was ecstatic to have a break with friends.
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Last time she came to “the lake” (McKeon doesn’t specify which lake), she was plagued with anxiety and dealing with her hair falling out. Now she has “bathed in tranquility.”
It’s still a process however, as McKeon admitted she was throwing up from post-surgery antibiotics a few days into her family escape. “It's not all normal but like I said, bits and pieces!”
McKeon also expressed gratitude for the friends and family with whom she was able to spend the holiday. “These are the ones that have sent me flowers every treatment day and surgery, handed me tissues as I throw up on the side of the road, and tell me that I can pull off a buzz cut, although I'm not sure I'll ever believe them.”
Celebrating Small Miracles
Many cancer survivors can relate to the emotional and physical struggles that McKeon has gone through. The New Jersey-native shared another joyful update showcasing some newly grown in hair on her face ” … LOOK at my facial hair🎅ðŸ¼â€¦ it's a Christmas miracle. Eyebrows&eyelashes whooooo?”
McKeon looks simply radiant in the pic, with a healthy glow and her lips playfully pursed as she shows off her beautiful new lashes.
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Grateful for Support
The most helpful thing for McKeon while going through her journey so far is commiserating with other young women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
"Seeing these women get through to the other side and making jokes along the way and showing that they're okay makes me feel okay. I've made a lot of friends in the cancer community who have helped me through this who are on the other side. Friends who are currently undergoing treatment, and really, reaching out to the community really has helped me immensely and was something I was super hesitant on in the beginning, but has really been one of my greatest helpful things to tell people."
Related: Actress Shannen Doherty's Sisterhood of Support During Breast Cancer Fight Is Everything
We spoke with survivor Mindy Miller, a stage 2 breast cancer survivor, who says that anyone who has experienced this disease knows that it changes "everything we know and we lose control of so much," Miller, whose outlook is very similar to McKeon's, tells SurvivorNet.
"The one thing we can control, is how we exist in this community," she continues. "Choosing kindness and encouragement and building foundations of love and support."
Miller has since found healing within her community and healing within mentorship.
"Guiding other women who are newly diagnosed, that's where we build solidarity," she says. " And through solidarity, we feel support, and through support, we don't feel alone anymore."
Finding Support When it Matters Most
Body Image and the Affects from Treatment
Unfortunately, cancer treatment often alters the way someone looks … even though a lot of those changes are temporary, it can be really hard to live with during treatment. "My confidence was gone," says Jaclyn Kaczynski from the SurvivorNet Family, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 years old and found it really threw her body image off track. "My confidence was destroyed. I was always vain about my appearance and my weight, let alone losing a breast, or both."
Kaczynski says that she gained a lot of weight during treatment, and that, combined with losing her breasts, really did a number on how she felt about her own body. A lot of women struggle to feel like themselves again after breast cancer treatment. Members of the SurvivorNet community also tell us that deciding between reconstruction or embracing a life without breasts is a really tough decision. While many women decide to "go flat," others simply don't feel like themselves after surgery.
In Kaczynski’s case, she went the reconstruction route. "I just had my reconstructive surgery … my favorite doctor was able to make it happen for me. It's amazing how much more confidence I have … my hair is growing back, for real." Jaclyn says she's feeling so good about herself she's even starting to date again"I'm keeping my options open."
Everyone’s journey is different. There may be emotional and physical setbacks at times, but just know that it can and will keep getting better as you recover from cancer treatment.
Dealing With Body Image During Cancer Treatment
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