navigating your cancer diagnosis

This is a journey nearly 2 million Americans will go on this year-but despite the vast numbers, many of them will feel alone and overwhelmed on this unwanted course. It's time to make sure every single person who hears "You have cancer" feels in control of what's next.

- LORA SHINN

After Karen Jackson was diagnosed in her 40s with Stage II cancer in her right breast, a mixture of emotions soon followed-anger, fear, disappointment, and worry about the unknown.

Many have found themselves in Jackson's position after a cancer diagnosis as if in a boat adrift, without a clear map of where they're headed or a chart to help interpret the night sky.

"It made me determined and fueled my passion to make a difference," Jackson says decades later. "I created a sisterhood of survivors to help make a change." In 1994, she founded Sisters Network Inc., which connects Black women diagnosed with breast cancer with Black breast cancer survivors in their local communities. Now in 30 cities, Sisters Network Inc. provides survivor and family support, empowerment, hope, and financial assistance to thousands of Black women annually.

"When you are diagnosed with any cancer, you become a part of a special sisterhood or community," Jackson says. "The diagnosis is only the beginning. It's important that survivors support, empower, and learn from each other through treatment and beyond. Only we truly understand what it means to hear the words 'You have cancer. We are stronger together."

If you've just been diagnosed with cancer, whether a common tumor or a rare version, it's crucial to have practical, emotional, and logistical tools and plans. The suggestions here, from women who have been there, can help you regain some agency and control. But don't stress if you don't do everything just learning a little more will put you back in the driver's seat.

Start with your personal needs

Cancer may be a physical illness, but its repercussions for mental health are vast. It's important to recognize that and look for coping tools.