Understanding the Terrain: Breast Cancer, Anxiety, and Survival

Natalie Kohlhaas is a breast cancer survivor herself, and her story is more dramatic than many: she endured chemotherapy, radiation, lumpectomy, and reconstruction. In the process, she also suffered complications — a blood clot, a pulmonary embolism, and even a period in which she was clinically dead for nearly ten minutes.

That kind of experience isn’t theoretical. It’s visceral. And it illustrates how cancer and anxiety don’t exist in parallel; they intertwine. The cancer diagnosis, the waiting room, the scans, the side effects — all become steeped in fear, in "what if"s, in overwhelm. Kohlhaas doesn’t shy away from that, but she challenges readers to reexamine anxiety as something to harness, rather than to simply suppress or avoid. Goodreads+3Barnes & Noble+3Inmag+3

Her book is part memoir, part practical guide. It describes her “eight miracles,” and weaves in her counseling work, in an effort to help people understand what anxiety is (and is not), how to listen to it, and how to walk with it wisely. Barnes & Noble+2Podchaser+2

Practical Tools from Hello Anxiety, My Old Friend to Try

Here are some practices and reframes drawn from Kohlhaas’s work, adapted for the breast cancer journey:

Practice / Tool	What to Do	Why It Helps in a Cancer Context
Greet your anxiety (“Hello, my old friend”)	When anxiety bubbles up, pause and name it, without judgment.	Interrupts the runaway spiral; helps you separate the signal from the noise.
Inquiry posture	Ask: What is this anxiety pointing to? What do I really care about here?	Helps you discern which fears are meaningful (those tied to values) vs. mere catastrophizing.
Micro-action steps	In overwhelming moments, choose one small next move (call a nurse, rest, hydrate)	Allows progress even when anxiety feels paralyzing.
Values check	Revisit what matters (family, creativity, health, legacy) and let those guide choices	Anchors decisions in identity, not fear.
Self-compassion companion	Speak to yourself with gentleness, as you would a friend — “This is hard, I’m doing my best”	Mitigates the harsh inner critic, which anxiety often amplifies.
Mindful body awareness	Notice sensations (tight chest, fluttering heart) without immediately reacting	Allows you to decouple sensation from catastrophic thought.

These tools don’t eliminate the struggle, but they help you show up in it more consciously.

Reclaiming Hope, Purpose, and Narrative

One of the deepest gifts in Kohlhaas’s framework is the invitation to reclaim your story. Cancer is often told as a tragedy or a fight — either you win or lose. But perhaps there’s a third way: holding both suffering and meaning simultaneously.

When anxiety is listened to, it can guide you toward the parts of life you want to steward intentionally. It can push you to rediscover purpose: writing, mentoring, relationships, artistry, advocacy — whatever speaks to you.

In a cancer journey, you don’t get to choose all the cards, but you can choose how you play them. Anxiety, properly oriented, can help you see which moves are right for you.

Reach out to www.Serenitytreehouse.com for guidance and support. You are not alone!