I've been gone for almost a year.

Not physically - I've been here, living my life, showing up for my family and work. But I disappeared from this space because I was learning something that I wasn't ready to share until now.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down exactly where I've been and what I discovered about surviving as a breast cancer survivor - not just the disease, but the mental torture that comes after.

This isn't another "stay positive" conversation. This is about the brutal reality of scanxiety that can hijack your entire life if you let it. The way check-ups can steal months of happiness before they even happen. How the fear of recurrence can become more destructive than the cancer ever was.

I'll share what sent me into hiding for almost a year. The assumption I made about my healing turned out to be completely wrong. How I thought I had this survivor thing figured out until life reminded me I didn't know anything.

You'll hear about the tool I discovered that's changing everything about how I approach medical appointments. Not another meditation app or breathing technique, but something that works when your mind is spiraling into worst-case scenarios. The game-changer that's allowing me to live on my terms instead of cancer's terms.

I'll walk you through why having more tools in your arsenal isn't just helpful - it's essential. How each new coping mechanism becomes another layer of protection between you and the fear that wants to consume your future. The way building your toolkit becomes an act of rebellion against a disease that's already taken enough.

Because here's what I learned during my year away - assuming you've got this survivor thing handled is dangerous. The moment you think you're past the mental challenges is exactly when they'll knock you sideways.

The tool that's giving me my life back and why I had to disappear to find it.