Living Well
The Livestrong Program at the YMCA for Post-Treatment Strength and Community
BezzyBC members rave about the Livestrong at the Y program, where they've regained strength and made new friends after cancer.
October 01, 2024
Care for your body, mind, and soul as you navigate everyday life with breast cancer.
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Latest Stories
Living Well
What Is Emotional Competence, and How Can It Help You Manage Chronic Illness?
Emotional competence, or feeling, expressing, and coping with emotions effectively, can make managing chronic illness easier. Here's how to get there.
October 01, 2024
Living Well
Prebiotics and Probiotics: Quick Guide to Feeding Your Gut
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and prebiotics are food for these bacteria. Eating foods with both can help balance your gut and lead to other health benefits.
September 25, 2024
Living Well
How I Found an Unexpected Link Between Joy and Cancer
I never expected cancer to show me how to value what brings me joy, but it did. Here's how.
September 16, 2024
Living Well
The Decision Fatigue of Living with Chronic Illness — and How to Manage It
Adults make thousands of decisions each day. Multiple sclerosis and other chronic illnesses add even more to the burden. Here's how simplify the process.
August 28, 2024
Living Well
10 Steps to Mindfully Manage Grief and Loss
Mindfulness can help you accept and navigate what you feel with kindness toward yourself.
August 27, 2024
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Living Well
The Best Postmastectomy Swimsuits for Feeling Cute and Secure in the Water
Not sure what to wear in the water after a mastectomy? Here are suggestions from real people on postsurgery swimwear.
August 22, 2024
Living Well
What to Know About Plant-Based Protein
Here's what to know about plant-based protein and how to incorporate it into a healthy diet.
August 20, 2024
Living Well
Navigating Accessibility: A Review of the Friendly Like Me App
This app can help you find the accommodations you need at local restaurants, events, and more.
August 16, 2024
Living Well
How Finding Your Flow with Immersive Activities Can Help You Live with Chronic Illness
Activities that improve health, well-being, and a sense of meaning can help you find meaning during chronic illness.
August 13, 2024
Living Well
How Much Water Do I Really Need to Drink?
Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why drinking water is important and how to figure out your daily hydration needs.
July 17, 2024
Living Well
How Do You Get Back to Doing ‘Normal’ Things After Breast Cancer?
Returning to everyday life after cancer involves deciding what's right for you along with safety recommendations from your medical team.
July 11, 2024
Living Well
How Ecstatic Dance Helps Me Manage Chronic Illness
Ecstatic dance has broadened my community and given me a unique hobby I can access anywhere in the world.
July 03, 2024
Living Well
How Emotional Repression Impacts Chronic Illness, Plus How to Make Peace with Powerful Feelings
Being mindful of negative emotions can grant you the freedom to choose how you respond to chronic illness and life.
July 02, 2024
Living Well
How to Protect Yourself from the Sun After Breast Cancer
Our community guide shares tips she uses to protect her skin from the sun post-cancer.
June 28, 2024
Living Well
5 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated
Watermelon, cucumbers, and yogurt are water-rich foods that can help you stay hydrated. Here's why hydration matters when you live with a chronic condition.
June 21, 2024
Living Well
8 Steps to Accept the Things You Can’t Fix About Chronic Illness
Accepting the things you can’t fix can help you go from surviving to thriving when living with a chronic illness.
June 17, 2024
Living Well
Why You Should Eat More Nuts
Nuts contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health and help reduce inflammation. Here's how to add them to your diet.
May 31, 2024
Living Well
This High Tech Bra May Help Detect Cancer Earlier Than Standard Screenings
MIT researchers have created a new device for detecting cancer while you wear it.
May 30, 2024
Living Well
How to Safely Travel After a Cancer Diagnosis
Travel during cancer treatment is possible, but there are important things to share with your doctor.
May 15, 2024
Living Well
Love, Connection, and Chronic Illness: A Dating App Designed for Us
Dating with chronic illness can involve uncomfortable conversations. This app can make it easier.
May 15, 2024
Living Well
14 Foods to Support Your Fight Against Breast Cancer
Keep these 14 foods high in antioxidants, omega-3s, and nutrients on hand for cancer-fighting goodness.
May 13, 2024
Living Well
10 Cancer-Specific Ways to Declutter and Start Fresh
It always feels good to start fresh, especially after a difficult time. Try these tips to clean out old signs of cancer and welcome in the new.
April 30, 2024
Living Well
Am I Getting Enough Protein?
Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why eating protein is important and how to add more to your diet.
April 29, 2024
Living Well
10 Ways to Embrace Uncertainty When You Experience Chronic Illness
Chronic illness isn't predictable, but you can learn to surf the waves for greater well-being.
April 25, 2024
Living Well
Resisting the Lure of Toxic Positivity While Chronically Ill
It’s easy to fall prey to toxic positivity, refusing to acknowledge your true feelings. While toxic positivity may be well-meaning, finding coping mechanisms that work for you may look a little different.
April 20, 2024
Living Well
Feel-Good Fuel: 10 Yummy Foods to Boost Your Mood
Foods rich in omega-3s and antioxidants can boost your mood by supporting your brain and reducing inflammation.
April 17, 2024
Living Well
The Emotional Stages of People with Cancer: Shock, Blame, Hope, and More
Cancer may bring up a variety of emotions. There's no wrong or right way to feel.
April 01, 2024
Living Well
The Benefits of Self-Compassion When You Live with Chronic Illness, Plus 13 Tips to Practice It
Being kind to yourself can reduce stress and potentially inflammation too. Here's how to start.
March 29, 2024
Living Well
Songs and Sayings from the Bezzy Community for Getting Through Hard Days
A wise saying or a bit of music can change your mood, even when things are tough.
March 27, 2024
Living Well
This Silly Thing My Primary School Science Teacher Taught Me Helps Me Get Through Hard Days
A simple change in perspective can go a long way.
March 26, 2024
Living Well
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
Here's what to know about ultra-processed foods, how they can affect your health, and how to spot them.
March 18, 2024
Living Well
On Fear and Breast Cancer: Finding Courage in Darkness
Fear may be universal, but courage can be too.
March 14, 2024
Living Well
5 Foods to Lower Triglycerides
Filling your diet with fatty fish, soy protein, and other whole foods can help lower triglyceride levels. Here’s how to get more of them in your diet.
February 29, 2024
Living Well
How to Practice Yoga Safely During Chemotherapy
Yoga can be a safe and beneficial practice during chemo, even helping relieve fatigue and anxiety.
February 21, 2024
Living Well
How Music Can Level Up Your Next Walk
Listening to music can boost your mood and make walking feel easier. Check our feel-good song recommendations for your next walk around the block.
February 12, 2024
Living Well
Everyone Copes Differently. This Woman Named Her Tumor and Created a Comic
Humor can help you cope with chronic illness. It even has health benefits.
February 07, 2024
Living Well
Bezzy Members Share Their Creative and Versatile Head Covering Ideas
Cute hats, silky scarves, and natural wigs can make hair loss a little less hard.
February 06, 2024
Living Well
The Link Between Situational Depression and Chronic Illness
Learn about the difference between clinical and situational depression among people with chronic illnesses like COPD.
February 02, 2024
Living Well
What to Wear After a Mastectomy to Stay Comfortable, Cozy, and Cute (If You Want To)
Think oversized, comfy, and just your style.
January 26, 2024
Living Well
How Rejecting the Hollywood Ending Has Helped Me Cope With MS
I used to be annoyed by movies with sappy, happily-ever-after endings. Then, I discovered the wisdom and realism in indie films and older flicks and found they had a lot to teach me about coping with a chronic illness.
January 23, 2024
Living Well
6 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfasts to Start Your Day
Eating antioxidant-rich foods can help reduce inflammation and kickstart your morning. Here are 6 anti-inflammatory breakfast recipes to get started.
January 19, 2024
Living Well
Can You Get a Massage During Chemo? What to Know and How to Find a Provider
Massage can provide relief for chemo symptoms, but it's important to do it safely.
January 19, 2024
Living Well
6 Post-Diagnosis Hair Care Tips from a Hairstylist Who Survived Breast Cancer
It's OK to want to look your best even during treatment.
January 19, 2024
Living Well
What Self-Care Means When You Live with a Chronic Condition
It can be hard to prioritize your own needs when it feels like your body has let you down. But self-care is important for those living chronic conditions.
January 12, 2024
Living Well
10 Ways I Plan to Improve My Well-Being Without Making New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions are overrated. Besides, many of us with chronic illnesses have already done the hard work of making healthy lifestyle adjustments. Here are some nonresolutions that just might make us feel happier in the new year.
January 05, 2024
Living Well
Living My Faith: How Spirituality Helps Me Cope with Chronic Illness
MS has helped me find a new connection to God, and with it, new purpose, community, gratitude, and more.
December 11, 2023
Living Well
6 Products for Cancer Survivors that Skip the 'Pinkwash' and Truly Give Back
Useful gifts that give back for every stage of the cancer journey.
December 06, 2023
Living Well
Feel Safer in a Volatile World: Tips for Self-Defense While Living with Disabilities
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other chronic conditions need not live in fear. There’s much we can do to prevent and defend ourselves from attacks.
November 30, 2023
Living Well
Not Sure What to Get Someone with Breast Cancer? Try These 13 Gifts
Selected by a breast cancer survivor, these gifts can help make the holidays a little easier.
November 22, 2023
Living Well
Workplace Stress Worsened My Chronic Illness
My Crohn's disease came out of remission after 10 years, and I believe workplace stress played a major role. Here's how I handled it.
November 20, 2023
Living Well
How to Find Meaning After Grieving the Former You
After my diagnosis, it took time to accept my new life. But I still struggled to understand its meaning. The sixth stage of grief helped me find meaning.
November 02, 2023
Living Well
Ask the Therapist: What Is Scanxiety?
Therapist Bartja Wachtel defines scanxiety and shares tips for reducing anxiety about cancer-related scans.
October 24, 2023
Living Well
Ask the Dietitian: What’s the Real Connection Between Sugar and Cancer?
Registered dietitian Jillian Kubala unpacks the link between diet and cancer, and explains why cutting back on sugar may be a good idea.
October 24, 2023
Living Well
8 Tips to Find Lower Cost Therapy
Mental health treatment is expensive. Read on to learn about more affordable options that might help you get the support you need.
October 18, 2023
Living Well
How Movement Became My Medicine
I was only 4 years old when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Slowly but surely I started to understand the consequences of missing playtime and not moving my body.
September 12, 2023
Living Well
Gardening Is My Mindfulness Practice of Choice — Here’s Why
Watching my plants grow and bloom, as well as the benefits of grounding, are just some of the ways gardening teaches me to be more mindful for my chronic illness.
August 23, 2023
Living Well
A Public Health Crisis: Preventing Loneliness in Chronic Illness
Loneliness is more prevalent than ever in the U.S. — and people with chronic illness are likely familiar with it. Here's how to stay socially connected even when symptoms or flare-ups get in your way.
June 30, 2023
Living Well
How ASMR Can Benefit People with Chronic Illness
If you live with a chronic illness, ASMR may help you feel relaxed, comforted, or even relieved from chronic pain. But triggers aren't the same for everyone.
June 28, 2023
Living Well
How to Navigate Hair Loss from Breast Cancer Treatment
Hair loss can be a common side effect of chemo treatment for breast cancer, but you have several options, such as wigs and scarves, to help you navigate this temporary change.
June 26, 2023
Living Well
Why I Chose to Run a 15K After Breast Cancer
It took a while to get my body back into shape to run a 15K after breast cancer, but it helped me in so many ways both physically and emotionally.
June 01, 2023
Living Well
How Meditation Helped Relieve My Cancer-Related Health Anxiety
The relief I felt after learning I had no evidence of disease soon turned into anxiety about a breast cancer recurrence or metastasis. But beginning a meditation practice helped me ease my worries.
May 18, 2023
Living Well
How Therapy Has Helped Me Throughout Breast Cancer Treatment
Therapy can be an invaluable tool that can help you before, during, and after breast cancer treatment. Here's how it helped me process my thoughts and emotions.
May 11, 2023
Living Well
If You Experience Health Anxiety, You’re Not Alone
Health anxiety is common in people living with chronic conditions — and your fears are real and understandable. Learn tips for reducing anxiety and how to get help if needed.
May 03, 2023
Living Well
Consistency Is Overrated
Consistency helps us feel safe and reduces anxiety. But it also can create unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to redefine consistency (and success) so you’re OK with the ebbs and flows of life.
April 20, 2023
Living Well
The Mindflight Journal: A Journal for Chronic Illness
Meet Nicole and Aisley, the mom and daughter partnership behind the Mindflight Journal. Building from their own experiences, they've designed a journal for those living with chronic illnesses. Trust me, it's a game-changer.
April 04, 2023
Living Well
How Pets Can Keep You Happy During Breast Cancer Treatment
Pet ownership may affect both your emotional and physical health in positive ways during breast cancer treatment. For me, my cats' loyalty and love helped me through.
March 02, 2023
Living Well
Ask the Dietitian: What Are Some Health-Supportive Recipes for Breast Cancer?
Following a nutritious diet while living with breast cancer is an important part of supporting your overall health. Dietitian Jillian Kubala shares a roundup of recipes to help you stay energized throughout your day.
February 27, 2023
Living Well
Reframing Your Mindset with Breast Cancer: Why My Friends and I Have Embraced Stoicism
For these women with breast cancer, embracing the philosophy of stoicism has helped them reclaim their lives, find peace, and savor each moment.
February 10, 2023
Living Well
How the Spoon Theory Helps Me Explain My Health
It can be hard to explain the way that a chronic condition impacts your daily energy. The spoon theory is a clever way to help get the point across.
January 29, 2023
Living Well
How Breast Cancer Changed My Approach to Beauty
Treatment for breast cancer can lead to hair loss, dry skin, and damaged nails. Making a few changes that cater to your body’s changing needs can help you look and feel better.
January 11, 2023
Living Well
Realistic Approaches to Setting Resolutions When You Live with a Chronic Condition
Living with a chronic condition often means working within your body’s parameters, which can mean editing your expectations. Always give yourself grace and remember that your New Year’s resolutions — if you choose to set them — don’t have to “match” anyone else’s. They only have to feel helpful to you.
December 24, 2022
Living Well
Mindset Matters: Moving Through the Strange Feeling of Grieving Your Old Life
Grieving your old self is a little different than grieving a loved one who's passed. Here's how I moved forward.
December 13, 2022
Living Well
How to Deal With Not Wanting to Leave the House After Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer treatments can weaken your immune system, leading you to isolate and stay at home. Here are three tips to lessen any social anxiety post-treatment and get back out into the world.
December 13, 2022
Living Well
11 Gift Ideas for the Breast Cancer Community
If you’re looking for gift ideas for loved ones within the breast cancer community, check out this list to support the businesses of other survivors and find useful and interesting gifts.
December 13, 2022
Living Well
What Breast Cancer Looked Like for These Women Who Were Diagnosed While Pregnant
A breast cancer diagnosis while pregnant isn't common, but it's an experience filled with many questions and decisions. In this article, two women share their experiences.
November 30, 2022
Living Well
We Need to Talk About Chronic Pain and Suicide
People with chronic pain are at a higher risk of mental health conditions, which can lead to suicidal ideation and suicide. Several factors can heighten this risk, which is why it's important to speak up about it.
November 16, 2022
Living Well
How I Dealt With the Grief of Losing My Oncologist When He Retired
Feeling sad when your oncologist retires is typical, especially when that person is tasked with saving your life. Here are my tips for coping and moving on.
November 16, 2022
Living Well
10 Ways to Get Involved This Breast Cancer Awareness Month ... If You Want To
Whether you decide to get involved during Breast Cancer Awareness Month or not, remember that your well-being comes first.
October 07, 2022
Living Well
Finding Gratitude After My Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Gratitude lets me feel positive emotions, linger in good experiences, and gives me a sense of tending to my overall holistic wellness. Here are some tips to get started.
September 20, 2022
Living Well
How to Navigate Anger and Resentment During and After Breast Cancer
Anger and resentment can be normal feelings, especially after a breast cancer diagnosis, but it's important to remember that you're not alone and help is out there.
August 01, 2022
Living Well
What I’ve Learned by Staying Flat — and Embracing My Authentic Self
Instead of undergoing breast reconstruction, Veronica Laurel decided to remain flat. Here's what she learned throughout her journey about embracing her authentic self.
July 25, 2022
Living Well
What Exercising During Breast Cancer Treatment Taught Me About Inner Strength
Moving my body in any way I can has been essential for my physical and mental health throughout treatment.
July 08, 2022
Living Well
The Power of Music Throughout My Breast Cancer Journey
Music therapy can have beneficial effects on people with cancer. Here, Caroline Johnson shares how music has helped her throughout her breast cancer journey.
July 07, 2022
Living Well
Swimsuits and Scars: Learning to Embrace My Body
My breast cancer scars are so much more than imperfections to me. These scars gave me my life back. If I didn’t learn to embrace them, I never would.
June 21, 2022
Living Well
I Never Believed in Complementary Therapies for Breast Cancer Effects — Until I Tried Them
I was always skeptical of complementary therapies like acupuncture, but didn't realize their benefits until I gave them a try to relieve cancer-related anxiety.
May 31, 2022
Living Well
How Nature-Based Therapy Can Improve Your Mental Health
Medication isn’t the only way to treat your mental health when you live with a chronic condition. You might be surprised by all the benefits you can find right in the world around you.
May 27, 2022
Living Well
Cancer, Creativity, and Finding a Flow
Despite cancer, we can all tune into the joy of each moment as we pursue our passions and creativity.
May 16, 2022
Living Well
How Undergoing 8 Surgeries for Breast Cancer Has Shaped My Relationship with My Body
After eight surgeries, I am now living without breasts, ovaries, fallopian tubes, a uterus, and a cervix. Here's how my relationship to my body has changed over time.
April 28, 2022
Living Well
Uncover These 3 Superpowers to Reduce Pandemic Stress
We can't control the ongoing pandemic, but we can control how we react to the stress it's creating in our lives.
February 28, 2022
Living Well
How Chronic Illness Helped Me Cultivate Better Reading Habits
Through bibliotherapy I've learned that books can offer greater insight and healing than I ever imagined, as long as I pay attention.
January 11, 2022
Living Well
My 11 Favorite Books, Movies, and Podcasts for Every Stage of the Breast Cancer Experience
Sharing and bearing witness to each other's stories is super empowering.
September 21, 2021
Living Well
6 Tips for Taking Care of Your Mental Health When You Live with a Chronic Condition
Six community members share their advice for navigating the mental health impact of living with a chronic condition.
July 29, 2021
Living Well
4 Lessons from Breast Cancer Treatment to Help You Cope as Pandemic Lockdowns End
Just like the time after active treatment, reentering the world after pandemic lockdowns is an adjustment. Go at your own pace and give yourself some grace.
July 20, 2021
Living Well
Medical Burnout in People with Chronic Conditions Is Real — Here’s How to Cope
It’s important to address burnout as soon as possible to keep yourself healthy and happy.
July 12, 2021
Living Well
5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Own Needs When You Live with a Chronic Condition
Taking time to focus on your own needs isn’t selfish — it’s responsible and necessary.
June 30, 2021
Living Well
8 Tips for Coping with ‘Reopening Anxiety’ When You’re Living with a Chronic Condition
Ready or not, the world is reopening around us. Here's how to reengage on your own terms.
June 10, 2021
Living Well
How to Be Your Own Best Advocate When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness
Good self-advocacy in medical settings requires a complicated balance of confidence and humility.
May 13, 2021
Living Well
7 Tips for Practicing Self-Love After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Show yourself some extra kindness as you navigate this life altering experience.
March 19, 2021
Living Well
Working from Bed Isn’t Lazy — It’s Accessible
As a disabled person, working from bed makes it possible for me to have a job.
March 15, 2021
Living Well
How Living with Chronic Illness Has Helped Improve My Relationship with My Body
Whether you live with a chronic illness or not, living in a body is a complex experience.
March 05, 2021
Living Well
The Benefits of Gratitude When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness
Shifting to an attitude of gratitude can be the difference between surviving and truly thriving.
January 25, 2021
Living Well
7 Ways to Boost Your Confidence During Breast Cancer Treatment
Facing a cancer diagnosis is a life-altering experience. It is completely normal and valid to experience feelings of anxiety and to struggle with your self-confidence.
January 12, 2021
Living Well
How to Reimagine What Fulfillment Means to You When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned
Life’s uninvited challenges, like illness and loss, can help us find deeper fulfillment in the present moment.
October 28, 2020
Living Well
8 Tips for Navigating Difficult Times That I’ve Learned from Living With a Chronic Illness
There's tremendous wisdom to be gained from the experience of living with a chronic condition.
June 26, 2020
Living Well
Don’t Have the Energy for Zoom Happy Hours Right Now? Me Neither, and That’s OK
It can be hard to ignore internet pressure to have a “productive pandemic.”
June 12, 2020
Living Well
Your Productivity Doesn’t Determine Your Worth. Here’s How to Let That Sink In
Despite what our culture may lead you to believe, you are so much more than a to-do list.
April 08, 2020