Survivor Stories 2013:
Carina Tannenberg
1. How did you first find out you had cancer?
I felt a lump in my breast and went in for a check up.
2. How did you react when you heard the news?
I thought I might die. I was very scared.
3. What course of treatment were you prescribed?
I had 3 surgeries, 6 rounds of chemotherapy during the course of 5 months following 7 weeks of radiation.
4. What most surprised you about your treatment?
That I had to loose my hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. How incredibly tired and weak I felt. I thought, “Oh, this is how it feels to be 80 years old.”
5. What would your advice be to anyone who’s just received a cancer diagnosis?
There are such good treatments now, and there is a lot you can do for yourself. Make sure you appoint a person that handles everything around you, like a coordinator so that you can focus on healing.
6. How long have you been cancer free?
2 years.
7. What lessons did you learn from the experience?
In a way I am grateful for this experience. Before I got my diagnosis I was feeling very stuck in life. I was quietly asking for a change. And boy did I get it! They say “be careful what you ask for”, but I do believe we get what we need and in a big way I needed to go through what I went through. It did give me the change I needed and it changed me and with me my life for the better in so many ways.
8. If you could send one message to all the Good Enough Mothers out there – what would it be?
We are often so critical about ourselves. That doesn’t help us, it just makes us feel less and then we perform less, and then we criticize ourselves even more. It’s a downward spiral. If there was something I learned going through cancer, it was to like myself more. I realized that I was actually a pretty cool chick to hang out with. And with that change of attitude, things started to change around me to the better. If I had good thoughts about myself and a good attitude about what surrounded me, it rubbed off not only on me but on others and because I gave myself more credit I also performed better. So my life started to thrive around me.
Swedish born, Carina Tannenberg has always been dedicated to health. As a teenager she took a job in a health food store. ALthough she dedicated her studies at the university to Building Engineering and worked in an architecutal firm she decided to feed her hunger for art and design and moved to Paris. Where she made great connections in the film industry. This brought her to Los Angeles. Through many minor health issues with her shoulder, she researched and improved the Bed of Nails. Through her use, Carina figured, for this acupressure mat to become more user friendly she needed to tweak it some more. In 2010 Carina was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Health had always been a central part in Carina’s life but now it became her calling. . Through her cancer treatments Carina got an even deeper understanding on how much meditation, relaxation and stimulation of energy in the body has such an important role in self-healing. She currently is running her business and introducing new products that elevate well being.
