Breath, part 2 by Beth Bartlett

https://feminismandreligion.com/2023/03/30/breath-part-2-by-beth-bartlett/

And… breathe…

I experienced panic attacks during my experience with cancer.

In hindsight I can see that I had maybe two or three episodes that could maybe have qualified as panic attacks previous to my cancer diagnosis at age 51.

However, they were a regular occurrence through the cancer experience.

Thursday 03rd June 2021 – the worst meltdown

I gradually came to reframe them.

Tuesday 18th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 6)

That helped.

I also used both medication, meditation, breath control, and CBT techniques – all of which helped.

My friends helped – especially those with lived experience. They shared their thoughts and strategies.

I still experience a lot of anxiety and the occasional heightened state, but they have become less and less over time, for which I am grateful.

Related blog posts: Cancer

• Meditation and Emotional Processing
• Blackberries & Perscribed Burning (an allegory for cancer & chemo)
• We are the Ancestors
• Act III
• Tips and tricks ~ Cancer Edition: Pre-Surgery
• Sunday 24th October 2021: Cancer Journal 17 ~ Chemo Edition
• Counting the Days
• Emergence
• Sunday 03rd October 2021: Cancer Journal 16 ~ Chemo Edition
• Milestones along the way
• Thursday 09th September 2021: Cancer Journal 15 ~ Chemo Edition
• Menopause
• Fuck Cancer
• Friday 13th August 2021: Cancer Journal 14 ~ Chemo Edition
• Haunted Temple, Sacred Vessel
• Friday 06th August 2021 (Cancer Journal 13)
• Friday 23rd July 2021 (Cancer Journal 12)
• The hospital week: first week post-surgery
• Wednesday 14th July 2021 (Cancer Journal 11)
• Sunday 11th July 2021 (Cancer Journal 10)
• Monday 05th July 2022 (Cancer Journal 9)
• Monday 21st June 2021 – Surgery Date (Cancer Journal 8)
• Plaster Cast
• Thursday 03rd June 2021 – the worst meltdown
• Sunday 30th May 2021: Cancer – telling your colleagues
• Friday 28th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 7)
• Friday 28th May 2021 Plastic Surgeon
• Wednesday 26th May 2021 Cancer Clinic
• Tuesday 25th May 2021 Left Breast Diagnosis
• Friday 21st May 2021: Biopsy, Left Breast
• Tuesday 18th May (Cancer Journal 6)
• Monday 17th May 2021 Arranging the biopsy
• Saturday 15th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 5)
• Wednesday 12th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 4)
• Friday 07th May 2021 (Cancer Journal 3)
• Samhain
• Cancer surgeon
• Sunday, 02nd May 2021 (Cancer Journal 2)
• Saturday May 01st 2021 ( Cancer Journal 1)
• Facebook post
• How to tell people you have cancer.
• Diagnosis
• Deciding strategies
• The Camus Question of Choice
• The Follow-up Tests
• The phone call.
• Milestones
• Check your breasts