With my final radiation treatment on December 30, a new era of living with cancer has begun. This new era—cancer treatment recovery and prevention, is one where I am the active participant in my health care. The medical professionals who managed my treatment these past several months have completed their roles to treat cancer. It’s now my turn.

I’m told that being successful in a new endeavor relies on having a concrete goal to strive for. I can’t think of a better goal to achieve than to have a healthy body to help prevent a cancer recurrence.

Somewhere in my readings, I learned that it takes three weeks to develop a new habit. My physiotherapist once told me that it also only takes three weeks to lose fitness levels if one becomes inactive. Cancer treatments placed me in many months of inactivity. So, getting healthy this year will involve a series of cumulative baby steps over the next few months.

I have started to live an even healthier lifestyle than in the past through daily exercise, weight loss, improved diet, and more rest. On January 1, I began daily walks, which are now up to an hour. My lower body muscles are strengthening, and my cardio function is improving. I am far from the fitness level I was at last April prior to my mastectomy, but it will return in a few weeks. By early February, my radiated skin should be sufficiently healed enabling me to take aquafit classes, my preferred exercise for over 20 years.

Medical literature on cancer survival and prevention says that an hour of daily exercise and a cancer diet help to ward off the disease. Women with a breast cancer history are additionally encouraged to lower fat levels in their bodies, as elevated fat levels increase estrogen production, which contributes to breast cancer.

For me, this means losing the weight I put on with cancer treatments and inactivity. Additionally, I will lose more weight to achieve low fat levels in my body. My deadline to lose the weight is the beginning of May, concurrent with the next six-month check-up with my oncologist. The weight loss will be come with a diet that promotes cancer prevention using fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and occasionally fish.

Tomorrow, I will meet with one of my Y aquafit instructors to set up a strengthening and conditioning program to rebuild my body in the gym, and then in the pool one month later. We will create a fitness program that will use weights and machines to develop strength and range of motion in my arms, shoulders, and torso.

Today is Day 10 of the “healthier me” program. Each morning I wake up and am grateful for a second chance of life. I will get healthier in the same way that I endured months of cancer treatment - with Strength, Courage, and Determination.