How a Los Cabos Wellness Retreat Led Me to Reconnect With My Body After Breast Cancer Surgery

"Today, I think of my life in two distinct chapters: before BC and after BC. Last Labor Day, I had just arrived in Telluride, Colorado, for the Film Festival. The mountains glowed with golden light, evoking a sense of enchantment and possibility. Within days, the glow vanished. My doctor broke the spell with the news: I had breast cancer. I needed to return to New York City immediately to meet with a surgeon and discuss treatment options."

"Deep down, I wasn't surprised. Breast cancer runs in my family, and I knew my risk was high. My decision to have a double mastectomy felt inevitable-but it wasn't easy. I'd never had surgery before, and this was a brutal introduction. Still, I wanted to do everything I could to avoid a recurrence. I worked on making peace with my choice, even as I recalibrated what my future-and body-might look like."

"For me, the hardest part of having cancer wasn't the medical ups and downs-it was telling my two sons, then 20 and 23. One was studying in Dublin, the other working in London. Breaking the news over a Zoom call broke my heart. I tried to reassure them that I'd be okay, even though I wasn't sure myself. Would I be fine? Would they?"

A breast cancer diagnosis during a mountain film festival transformed life into distinct before and after chapters. A decision for a double mastectomy was taken to lower recurrence risk, though the surgery experience was emotionally and physically difficult. Telling two adult sons over Zoom caused profound distress and uncertainty about the future. Family travel and routines shifted to quieter, local activities and reconnection at home. The first surgery showed clear lymph nodes, prompting a delay of the second operation for healing. Weekly yoga and a return to work helped with physical and emotional recovery. Care decisions balanced immediate outcomes and long-term wellbeing.

Read at Travel + Leisure