Forum Discussion
Bouncing forward - can we do this?
There is this expectation that after treatment, we will bounce back and be our old selves again. Of course, anyone who has been affected by cancer or knows someone who has been affected, realises it's not that easy. There is a lot of emphasis on learning to accept the "new me".
Tiffiny Hall, personal trainer, ex-Biggest Loser trainer, has come up with this concept of bouncing forward. She has related it to pregnancy and accepting that her body after childbirth will never be the same. So instead of pressuring herself to "bounce back" and have the same body she did before pregnancy, she advocates bouncing forward and accepting her new body and becoming the best "new me" that she can. Obviously, she was super fit before pregnancy and will always look 100 times better than the average person.
However, I was wondering if it was an idea we could adopt or adapt to cancer survivors? Can we bounce forward and move into the space of acceptance of our new way of living? Can we find a similar phrase to "bounce forward" that has more meaning to survivors?
Let's get creative :)
Tiffiny Hall, personal trainer, ex-Biggest Loser trainer, has come up with this concept of bouncing forward. She has related it to pregnancy and accepting that her body after childbirth will never be the same. So instead of pressuring herself to "bounce back" and have the same body she did before pregnancy, she advocates bouncing forward and accepting her new body and becoming the best "new me" that she can. Obviously, she was super fit before pregnancy and will always look 100 times better than the average person.
However, I was wondering if it was an idea we could adopt or adapt to cancer survivors? Can we bounce forward and move into the space of acceptance of our new way of living? Can we find a similar phrase to "bounce forward" that has more meaning to survivors?
Let's get creative :)
22 Replies
- @KarynJ I liked what you were saying at the start of this post. People just need to grasp what works for them. The idea is, we move forward. Thank you. Oh, and I am a bouncer. Maybe not physically, but I am a bubbly person who tries to see the positive in any situation. Grasp it, lovely lady!
- @iserbrown the ebb and flow of recovery. I love that!!
I was also thinking of adding a couple more e's and be eeeeeeeeking along. - Yes some days are “ bouncing” forward and some are “limping” forward ( when the side effects of the AIs are bad).
A breast cancer diagnosis often leads to a “ re calibration” of priorities and that in itself can be liberating.
I have learnt to say “no” more often and try not to sweat the unimportant stuff as well as trying to take pleasure in what is good in my life , including my loved ones.
Take care 🌺 - @iserbrown I love that!!! Ebb and flow 😃. Both true and it sounds good!‘The ebb and flow forward post (breast) cancer’.I like it 😁🥰.
- Good on you Karen for a thought provoking post!
Each life event has a different effect on us! The Tiffany Hall reference was a good example.
For us, as we drag ourselves or stroll or in some cases wander through diagnosis and treatment the effects are internalised.
As to an appropriate phrase - good question!
We are ebbing and flowing.....have to put more thought into that!
Life itself is evolving and different events help shape us. A heightened awareness of self and acceptance stand out.
Take care and best wishes - Limping forward?? Because I do find myself somewhat limping at times, with both feet though 😳.Limp-eking forward?Dawdling forward?“Post breast cancer, we need to find a way to dawdle forward”.😂😂😂😂
I’ve had a hard day, I’m making myself laugh now because I’m losing the plot.I do agree that Tiffany Hall has never mentioned cancer. She only tries to help women not feel pressured into snapping back into shape post pregnancy, as society demands. It’s almost impossible to go back to pre-pregnancy body, and if women don’t, they’re made to feel ugly and lazy. Never mind the baby they’ve just had that’s taking up all their time, 24/7 🙄🙄. The important thing seems to be looking all fit again. Tiffany points out that it shouldn’t be like that, and that women should take their time getting into shape, and also accepting and not allowing society guilt them into thinking they have to be as slim as before. I think that’s the comparison @KarynJ was trying to make, and it was a good one. We shouldn’t be pressured into being all ‘fantastic’ again, just because we’ve finished with treatment.♥️ - I like the phrase eking along also.
- Absolutely no offence taken! I actually rather like eking along!
- OK, let me be very clear here. Tiffiny Hall did NOT ever compare cancer to pregnancy. She NEVER said anything of the sort so do not make assumptions and put words in her mouth. Her idea of bouncing forward was only ever in relation to HER pregnancy, HER circumstances and HER life. She NOT ONCE mentioned cancer. Alright??
The reason I mentioned her in the first post was because it was on her Instagram that I saw her speaking about this concept of not being able to go backwards and instead embracing moving forwards into a new way of life post PREGNANCY!!
I wanted to be fair and give credit for where I saw this phrase "bouncing forward". I did not want to claim it as my idea. All I was trying to do was create some conversation about how people could think about life post diagnosis and post treatment. I never said it wasn't hard, or awful or there was a huge amount of suffering.
I wasn't trying to be facetious in using the term "bouncing". I was hoping to have some ideas around a new phrase that some of us could get behind if we didn't like the phrase "new normal". Bouncing was just the best I could come up with at the time.
Maybe eking along would suit you better???
And @Afraser - my apologies! In no way did I ever want to compare you to ScoMo!! God forbid! It just to me seems like you were able to take everything in your stride, head down, bum up and push through all the bad and get to finding some good. I think that's truly admirable. - @June1952 apples and oranges! I agree.
