Be Kind to Yourself — We All Need the Reminder

When you’re facing cancer, and dealing with the inevitable truth that there’s a chance you may not make it through, it’s natural to feel like you should have been more appreciative of the life you led before the diagnosis. Stefanie Wardrep says that after her breast cancer diagnosis, she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she has wasted part of her life before her diagnosis dealing with depression.

“When I was diagnosed I had an almost overwhelming sense of regret for time lost dealing with depression,” Stefanie says. “When you’re faced with your mortality, you think ‘I wasted time.’ Even though I can now see that, it couldn’t be helped. You have to deal with your mental health at whatever pace that you can.”