The Pink Walk therapy: “During the walks, I was able to switch off my monkey brain”

A year ago, Ann was a woman with a busy social life. Happily married to her husband, she made plenty of time for fun activities and big trips. As she was getting ready to leave for Thailand, she discovered a lump in her right breast. “I was shocked and went straight to the doctor. That’s when things started moving quickly—from a mammogram and an ultrasound, to a biopsy, and then that dreaded diagnosis. When the doctor told me I had breast cancer, my world came crashing down for a moment,” Ann says. 

This was followed almost immediately by major surgery, which could not be performed as a breast-conserving procedure and was followed by a lymph node dissection. Another heavy blow for Ann. “There are days when I’ve cried my eyes out, especially when I lost my hair due to the chemo. Breast cancer takes a huge toll on your body and on your sense of womanhood.”

Eternal optimist

Although the process has had its ups and downs, Ann keeps her chin up. Because despite the tough days, she has an incredible zest for life. On her Instagram account, my_life_in_pink__, shesharedher story and received a lot of positive feedback. “My account is a sort of diary of my chemotherapy process. For me, it’s a way to get it off my chest and to inform outsiders about what it all entails. I received a lot of admiration from those around me, but in my eyes, you have no other choice. I wanted to and would get through the process as well and as strongly as possible. You have to go through a lot, but I wanted to stay in control in some areas. My way of doing this was by imposing a healthy lifestyle on myself and experimenting with headwear and bright lipstick. All with the goal of looking less ‘sick,’” Ann shares.

“On top of that, a kind of survival instinct kicked in,” Ann continues. “Driven by that primal force, I signed up for The Pink Walk started walking like a woman possessed.” From May 1 to 31, she took as many steps as she could every day, and it had a remarkably positive effect on her body. “I had noticeably fewer side effects during my chemo treatments in May than during the previous ones. So walking really does help keep you physically in shape.” 

It also benefited her mental health. Ann concludes: “Walking really helped me get through it. Getting out into nature and breathing in that fresh air was truly therapeutic and gave me the space I needed to calm my racing mind . The Pink Walk for me, The Pink Walk came at the perfect time.”