Life Beyond the Bell: Embracing Whole Person Care and Survivorship

Written by Thandi Montgomery

"EVERYTHING will go back to normal if I can just push through, be optimistic, and ring the bell." 

Those words took residence in my head–guiding me through 12 long months of 4 surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo, and 30 radiation treatments at 38 years young. The moment I rang the bell, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude. “We did it, now everything is behind me,” I thought with naivety. But, just as the phrase "you have cancer" caused a tsunami of thoughts to flood my mind, a new wave of uncertainty overtook me after the bell's final echo. 

"What now?"

 "Who am I?"

"What should I do to keep ‘it’ from coming back?"

Focused on treatment, managing medical bills, keeping up with appointments, and balancing life as a wife, a mother of two young children and a marketing executive–I wasn't prepared for the mental, physical, and spiritual challenges of the next phase of the journey. 

Survivorship: A New Chapter

“It’s going to take your mind twice as long to catch up with what has happened over the past year,” my doctor said. I realized that just like the treatment phase, this new journey would require time, support, faith and resilience. Nona Jones once said, “Rising from the pain that lies behind us requires focusing on the purpose that lies within us.”

The morning after my last radiation treatment, instead of my usual 30-minute drive to the cancer center, I sat and began to process the past 365 days. Though I lost my hair, my 34C breasts, and sometimes my hope, I gained a profound sense of purpose and clarity about who I am. I started to reflect on my why. Why did I fight so hard to survive? Why did I continue to push past the unknown and show up to every appointment? Weeks later, I declined the invitation to my own pity party, and realized I didn’t want to go back to “normal.” I began to slowly rebuild. I began to redefine Thandi 2.0–channeling my second chance into helping women shift from merely existing to truly living through my expertise in marketing, health & wellness, and coaching.

Healing For Every Part of Me

Navigating survivorship presents unique challenges, requiring not just physical healing, but mental and spiritual healing too.

Physical healing varies based on your diagnosis, requiring a tailored approach with specialized treatments, therapies, and lifestyle adjustments. Here’s what continues to work for me:

• Accept and appreciate my new body, scars and all.
• Listen to my body and keep up with doctor appointments.
• Follow a workout routine five days a week.
• Clear out unhealthy foods, toxic relationships, and things that no longer serve me.
• Replace harmful products with environmentally safe alternatives.
• Continue taking natural supplements to aid in the healing process.

Equally important are the emotional and spiritual aspects of my healing journey. These steps have been crucial:

• Admit when I need help and seek support from family, my therapist, and cancer advocacy groups like Tigerlily Foundation, DoCancer, and the Young Survivors Coalition.
• Write in my journal weekly. 
• Create a “positive toolkit” with affirmations, music, and scriptures to combat negative emotions and fears.
• Pray, meditate and practice breathwork techniques.
• Give myself space to reflect, find meaning, feel EVERY emotion, and reframe my thoughts.
• Share my experience and story on stages, podcasts, social media, and other platforms.

The path to healing can be painful, but it’s worth it. As you heal, challenge yourself to find meaning and share your story to inspire others. Dr. Viktor Frankl said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” A traumatic experience can either make you bitter or better. It’s YOUR choice.

Who do you want to become? 

How will you make the rest of your life the best of your life? 

Reflect, rebuild, and redefine. Embrace this new chapter with courage, knowing that your journey doesn't end with the ringing of a bell, but begins with it. Take the time you need to heal fully. Let your journey be a testament to resilience and transformation–guiding and inspiring those who will face similar challenges in the future.