Transcending Breast Cancer: Reconstructing One's Self

Abstract

This article presents the author's personal journey through and beyond breast cancer. The holistic process of transcendence that results in an ongoing sense of reconstructing and integrating one's Self (mind, body, and spirit) is described. Numerous examples are provided of how listening to and trusting one's inner voice is integral to the process of transcendence and reconstruction. Nursing implications are identified along with theoretical perspectives for understanding the author's experiences.