Breast Cancer Survivor & ABC Anchor Robin Roberts, 60, Gives Us a Monday Motivation We All Need Right Now: "At the End of the Rope…Have a New Perspective"

In a video posted on Instagram, Roberts said, “When we’ve made mistakes and failed, it’s easy to feel that we’ve come to the end of our rope. You may have failed, but you’re not a failure. Failure is an event  it’s not who you are. What you struggle with, perhaps an addiction, is not who you are. What you’ve done may not be good, but it’s not the end. Perhaps your medical situation doesn’t look good. Something in your relationship or in your finances or business is at the end of the rope. Have a new perspective…”

 

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Roberts’ Monday Motivation inspiration is the perfect pick-me-up on a winter Monday, and we all need it. Her joyful positivity is infectious, and no matter when you’re going through right now, it’s hard to not feel just a little bit better after hearing Roberts’ words.

Robin’s Cancer Journey

Robin Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and battled her disease on the public stage. She also had a bone marrow transplant to treat MDS, a rare blood cancer. Roberts discovered her breast cancer after preparing for a news story about the need for early detection for cancer. At home, she did a breast self-exam, and discovered a lump. Roberts said of the experience, "At first I thought, 'This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman.”

Related: ABC's Remarkably Brave Robin Roberts Looks Towards A Brighter Future Nine Years After Bone Marrow Transplant: "This Too Shall Pass"

Roberts had surgery to treat her breast cancer. Breast cancer is typically treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Early detection, as Roberts experienced, saves lives. The best place to do a self-exam is at home in the shower or standing in front of a mirror.

Related: You Should Be Aware of These Signs of Breast Cancer

Dr. Elizabeth Comen said in a previous interview, “Self-breast exams should probably be done every month. It doesn’t have to be exactly every month, but not right before the period, because their breasts may be more swollen and tender after their period. And a lot of women say that in the shower it’s easier because of the water, and it’s just easier to do in that setting. There are no specific hotspots, but there are areas that women might not be as aware have also breast tissue. So if a woman feels a lump in her axilla, or her armpit, that’s also important to tell their doctor about. That could be a lymph node that has breast cancer in it.”

Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams

Positive Attitude Through Cancer

Roberts is known for her upbeat attitude, and through her cancer journey, we can imagine that having a positive attitude helped her. Experts tell SurvivorNet that having a positive outlook through the cancer journey has been shown to positively impact prognosis.

Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability

In a previous interview, Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, said, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”

Stay Positive, It Matters

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