Milestones Matter, Why You Should Celebrate the Wins
- Fashion influencer Bridget Bahl, 42, who was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer two years ago, recently shared a video of herself ringing the bell before completing treatment.
- She chose to mark the milestone early as a symbolic step toward healing and “moving forward” into 2026.
- After enduring surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, Bahl has expressed feeling humbled, scarred, and deeply grateful.
- Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle is a big deal. Milestones may include things like ringing the bell or reaching another birthday, except they may mean even more than they did previously. Hence, it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all you’ve overcome.
As for why she chose to follow through with this milestone moment before finishing up targeted therapy, she exclusively told People the reason was because she wanted 2026 to be able “moving forward and moving along.”
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Bahl, founder of the New York–based clothing brand The Bar, has undergone radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy throughout her breast cancer journey, and her openness and honesty about the experience is truly inspiring.
On January 20, Bahl posted the iconic moment she rang the bell with her husband Dr. Michael Chiodo, a Dallas-based plastic surgeon, and her healthcare team cheering her on.
Bahl admitted she rang the bell feeling “marked, humbled, scared, scarred, and grateful, before explaining how her health journey has made her understand “how precious each day is” and “how sacred it is to still be here.”
Resources to Help Patients Cope With Their Emotions
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She captioned the post, “How little most of the things I once focused on actually matter. And the hard truth that not everyone gets this moment.
Not everyone gets to ring the bell. And the weight of how unfair that feels.
RELATED: Giving Advice To The Woman You Were Before Cancer: Our “Portraits of Resilience”
“I can’t put my gratitude into words just yet. But for now, thank you to every single doctor, nurse, and staff member who carried me to this point.
You are true angels of God. I know He already sees everything you do, but I’m always reminding Him you deserve the best seats in heaven.”
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She rang the bell with two treatments left to go.
Before sharing footage of herself ringing the bell, Bahl shared a video of herself getting ready while explaining her decision to ring the bell early.
“Ok guys I think I need a little encouragement here because… even tho I’m not totally done with treatment, I think I have decided I’m going to fake it till I make it and ring the bell,” she captioned the post.
“I don’t know why I make the world’s biggest deal about everything, always…but I do – and it’s just that the symbolism of ringing the bell is packed with very, very scary memories and emotions, most of which I’ve kept swept under the rug because I was way way way too sick to even process. Now that I’m starting to feel better, it’s all flooding in.”
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She continued, “I don’t want to look back, but I also know the only way out is through. So even though I don’t feel 100% ‘ready,’ I’m hoping the bell can signal the beginning of a new chapter of healing. Or I don’t know, I just hope it does something to me emotionally and helps me heal. I’m trying to take a step forward.
“I talked about this, but there’s this feeling I get during treatment when I hear someone else ring the bell. I burst into tears every. single. time. It gives me hope, but it also overwhelms me, because I know the hell on earth they just walked through and I wonder how they are feeling. Like really. It’s not easy to process all the emotions.”
On January 25, Bahl announced she finally finished up treatment with footage of her singing Celine Dion’s iconic hit “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” while sitting in a car driving through Times Square.
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Milestones During & After Cancer
For cancer warriors and their families, reaching life’s milestones is a big deal. Milestones can be the birth of a child or grandchild, getting married, traveling on a dream vacation, reaching another birthday, or ringing the bell.
Most importantly, these milestones during or after a cancer battle tend to have a more significant meaning because, often, cancer patients gain a greater sense of gratitude toward their lives.
According to Cancer.net, patients and their support groups filled with loved ones may engage in some activities to help recognize and celebrate memorable milestones. These activities include planning a nice dinner or party-like gathering and spending time donating money or volunteering to a cancer charity.
Perhaps the way you memorialize your cancer milestone could be independent of others. Examples include a solitary walk-in nature and allowing your senses to take hold while you reflect.
When to Screen for Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
WATCH: Mammograms are still the best tool for detecting breast cancer.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Regular Self-Exams Are Helpful In Between Mammograms
A self-breast exam is an easy way to monitor your breasts for abnormalities. It involves feeling the breast for swelling, bulging, or changes in the shape of the breast or nipple.
WATCH: How to perform a self-exam.
Checking for signs of redness, rashes, or discharge is also part of this exam. If anything is found that is concerning, you should contact your doctor. It’s important to note that self-exams should be done with regular mammograms.
Help Coping With a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
If you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, your emotions are likely to run high, which is completely normal. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis.
“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, and family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik said.
WATCH: How to cope with complex and changing emotions.
If a stressful event affects how you think and feel, it may be time to seek mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking a support group, or many other approaches.
SurvivorNet experts suggest that women who need a little extra help coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.
- Let your family and close friends know, and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support, but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
- Keep a journal. It can be extremely cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a nice journal and chronicle your thoughts throughout the day.
- Join a cancer support group. Groups in nearly every community offer opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn constructive insight from others who can tell you what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
- Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.
Staying Grateful Amid Battling Disease
After a diagnosis, it’s understandably extremely difficult to feel grateful for, well, maybe anything. However, studies prove that patients who are able to stay uplifted and positive often have better treatment outcomes. That’s why mindset and attitude can be extremely valuable tools.
Related: Patients Do Better When They are Less Stressed
“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with gratitude in terms of everything,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“They’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite. They live life with [saying] ‘I love you’ to their husband, to their wife, to their kids. They can appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this. Those are the patients that tend to do well with processing and also living a long, long life despite a diagnosis.”
Dr. Zuri Murrell explains why patients who have gratitude can do well during treatment
Although studies show how important it is to find some positivity during a cancer battle, that’s much easier said than done. In addition to tackling treatment, people often juggle an overwhelming number of emotions including anxiety, anger, fear, and sadness.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
If you have a breast cancer screening coming up or have recently had one, you may have questions you want answered. SurvivorNet suggests the following questions to kickstart your conversation with your doctor.
- Do I have dense breasts?
- Do I need to undergo additional or more sensitive screening?
- How is my risk level being assessed?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
