Make Room For Healing: 40 Tips From A Breast Cancer Survivor

Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis can be challenging, with no straightforward manual to answer all the questions that arise.

However, a new book might offer some much-needed guidance. "Make Room for Healing: 40 Tips from a Breast Cancer Survivor" is written by Travis Brady, a Stage 3 breast cancer survivor, who spoke with LeAnne about her book.

LeAnne: Share with me a little bit about your journey, your diagnosis, and the process of finding out you even had breast cancer.

Travis: Well, I think everyone feels this way when they hear they’ve been diagnosed — it’s like the rug was pulled out from under me. I didn't expect it. I was diagnosed five days before moving across the country from California back to my home state of North Carolina, and I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming process of treatment and all the decisions that needed to be made.

LeAnne: I love the first line of the book. The introduction really grabbed me. It says, "I'm sorry you're holding this book. Seriously. It sucks that you or someone you love has breast cancer. The good news is you're not alone." You're now a survivor. I'm a survivor. I think it’s important to have these stories available so people can understand and navigate the journey. Why did you write this book?

Travis: I wrote this book as a way to pay forward all the help I got when I was going through breast cancer treatment. From diagnosis to my final radiation treatment, it took a year. I didn’t have quick tips or helpful hints to make the process easier. I wanted this book to be like a best friend holding your hand and getting you through it — that was my intention.

LeAnne: I think it’s so helpful for people to document their journey, to show what it was like. You handled it with such grace and humor, and obviously, you had a little one at the same time. So, you dressed as Mr. Clean, I think for Halloween?

Travis: Yes! If you can’t laugh at yourself in those moments, what can you do? I wanted to find joy where I could through the process. When my head was bald and it was Halloween, I thought, "What better than to be Mr. Clean?" It seemed obvious and easy, actually.

LeAnne: Well, after that, you could’ve been a chia pet, then Betty Boop, and eventually back to your regular hair. I think one of the hardest parts for a lot of patients is the outward sign that you’re sick — losing your hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes — and then people start to wonder what's going on.

Travis: Yes, for sure. For me, and I write about it in the book, I tried not to think of myself as sick. The medicine I was taking was healing me. I felt ill from the medicine, but I didn’t feel ill from the cancer. So, I tried to focus on the fact that the medication was healing me and put my attention there.

LeAnne: When you talk about "Make Room for Healing", you cover a lot of things and answer questions people may not even realize they have. Did you take notes? How did you document this as you created the book?

Travis: I did take notes. People were reaching out to me for help, so I was sending texts or emails to someone else going through treatment. In 2017, I started a blog, which is now on my website, TravisBrady.com. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I shared one thing every day that helped me through treatment, and that became the foundation of the book.

LeAnne: That collection is remarkable. One size doesn’t fit all in breast cancer, but your book is so thorough and full of helpful, beneficial tips that can help a patient get through the day-to-day journey of fighting breast cancer. Thank you so much. I want to let folks know the book is available now, and you can find it where you buy your books or at TravisBrady.com.