My Advice to Joan Lunden....

Joan Lunden, Breast Cancer

My advice to Joan Lunden.....

1) Formulate your core team i.e. #teamtoni, immediately.  They have to be a group that near or far truly, really and honestly has your back.  They have to be willing to go the distance.  If you happen upon those who can't or won't, don't take it personally and drop that dandelion from your garden immediately.

2) Take a Knee Cadet.  Give yourself a gut check and trust it like never before.

3) Ask for what you want and when you get a no or maybe, don't take it personally just swiftly move on to the next yes.

4) Cautiously and intuitively allow for unsolicited advice.  Now that you've gone public even public with outer core friends, every body and their Grandma is an expert.

5) Friends will be friends, some friends will become acquaintances, other acquaintances will become friends and some gone.  The ones that choose to go, let them go.  Like never before remember, reason, season or lifetime and when season is due...rejoice for the glorious times had.

6) Find your voice and set boundaries as needed with anyone.

7) Be true to yourself and your feelings, we can handle it.

8) Get 2nd and 3rd opinions if need be....follow your gut.

9) Your experience is yours and nobody else's.  Don't let anyone skew your experience.

10) Stay off of the internet!  Find a trusted medical information advocate who can search and disseminate solid information.

11) No.  Is an anointed word.  Use it.

12) Finally, you are the Captain of your own ship.  Your loved ones have a right to their opinion but you make the ultimate choices right for you.

And if you think I only wrote this only for Joan Lunden, repeat steps 1-12!