I never wanted to be known as Caryn with Cancer but the reality is that’s who I am. My cancer has made me a better version of myself and for that I’m grateful. These Cancer Conversations with Caryn are going to be mini-episodes that will provide you with what worked well for me - simple suggestions that brought HOPE, RESOURCES and CONNECTIONS throughout my cancer journey. If you’re finding me for the first time, my name is Caryn Sullivan, the founder of Pretty Wellness, a two-time breast cancer survivor thriving with stage IV disease and the author of the book that shares the name of this podcast, Happiness through Hardship. Today’s chat I will share my thoughts on the first few weeks after a cancer diagnosis. When it comes to the initial diagnosis, unfortunately, you can’t bury your head in the sand for long. You have to make several decisions in a short amount of time. AND the first few weeks after my diagnosis were the most stressful and mentally draining. Here are a few thoughts in hopes of making you or your loved one’s initial diagnosis a little easier: 2:10 - Mourn without care 4:16 - Google is not your doctor 5:36 - The value of 2nd and 3rd opinions 7:34 - Creating your own care team / inner-circle 9:40 - My three angels - Mary Ann, Meghan and Ellen - to whom I dedicated the book “Happiness through Hardship” 10:38 - Find an appointment buddy 11:15 - Your medical binder If you want to connect, or have questions and topic ideas, please direct message us @PrettyWellness on Instagram. If you're looking for immediate resources - check out the book, "Happiness through Hardship," which includes a journal and note-taking pages on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/39PAjuT or go to PrettyWellness.com/cancer-resources. Please take a minute to rate, review and subscribe. You leaving a review helps us with our podcast ranking. The higher we are ranked, the more people can discover our show. Tune in every Wednesday for new episodes - interviews with inspirational stories about finding happiness through hardship. And mini-episodes on Friday for those wanting more cancer inspiration. Other show notes links including how to contact us: http://PrettyWellness.com/podcast http://CarynSullivan.com http://Instagram.com/PrettyWellness http://Facebook.com/PrettyWellness http://Twitter.com/PrettyWellness