Being Brave

I have been described by colleagues as being ‘brave’ but what does that mean to me?

To me being brave is getting up every morning and doing my job, but it can also be waking up in the morning and saying ‘today I can’t go to work, I need a break and time out to care for me’. It isn’t always easy to go about my every day life post diagnosis and do a difficult job, so sometimes being brave is about recognising this and saying today I just can’t.

Sometimes being brave is just asking for help.

Sometimes being brave is putting aside what is happening for me and putting others first, who have their own needs.

Sometimes it is brave, just facing the day and getting out of bed.

Being brave can be being honest when someone asks if you’re OK and in that moment saying ‘No’ and being Ok with that.

So, being brave is not about hiding from my diagnosis, but acknowledging it and recognising and accepting how I feel – good and bad – and doing my best to get on with life as best I can.