Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 years old. No family history, it came out of the blue. She was a newlywed and wanting to start a family. She was in the best shape of her life, eating vegan, etc. She had always been interested in fashion and beauty and went to Pinterest and social media to find out what to do with her cancer diagnosis. And she discovered that cancer was her niche. Cancer is part of her journey and wants women like her to be confident and beautiful as they go through adversity in life.
"Cancer may have taken my breasts and my hair but I kept my lipstick and heels. Facing breast cancer in my 20s led me to confront my insecurities and find new ways to thrive with self-confidence and style. I started
My Cancer Chic to share my own journey and provide support & inspiration to all women hoping to thrive through and beyond the adversity they face."
We talk about the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy.
Anna describes how cancer gave her brazen confidence that she never had in her entire life. She was bald, not looking like herself, and she thought she would have the lowest amount of confidence she had ever had, but it was like she was given permission to say, "I'm a bad-a$$, I'm going to put on my wig and some lipstick and heels and walk into that chemo facility and show those doctor's who's boss.
Part of her experience was like stripping her identity of cultural norms for women especially to feel pretty and sometimes fake. Cancer takes that away and puts you in a vulnerable position and doesn't give you a choice. For her writing about her story was her way to control what that message was.
Anna shares her appreciation for a lesson learned from Brene Brown about vulnerability. It's not just about being vulnerable because you should, it actually positively impacts your life because it deepens your relationships.
She shares her and her husbands' love story about how they met, fell in love and built a foundation for a happy marriage. Anna also opened up about her experience with sex during and after cancer and the help and support she found along the way to rediscover her body.