How a breast cancer survivor transformed her life with positive thinking, more sleep, healthy eating and smarter workouts
- Singapore-based banker Julianne Danielle Lim hit rock bottom after being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and suffering hair loss from chemotherapy
- She decided to prioritise sleep and positivity, and change her diet and workout routine, and her cancer is now in remission. She tells her story to help others
When Julianne Danielle Lim was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in July 2020, she was devastated.
At 38, the then-banker was enjoying a successful career and an exciting social life, and was on track to accomplish her goals.
“When I finally consulted a doctor and was told that the cancer was aggressive, I couldn’t believe it. I also learned that that type of cancer typically strikes women under 40,” says Lim, who is now 42 and lives in Singapore.
In January 2021, she underwent a mastectomy and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap surgery, a type of breast reconstruction that uses skin, fat and blood vessels from the lower abdomen to rebuild the breast.
She also underwent radiation therapy for several weeks, and received eight cycles of oral chemotherapy.
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The side effects of the treatments affected Lim both physically and mentally. She felt like she had been “ejected” from her successful life and struggled with her identity, unable to recognise herself as she hit rock bottom.
As someone who spent a lot of time and money on beauty treatments and always presented herself a certain way, she says she was distraught when she lost her hair and eyelashes after the chemotherapy.
Lim says that during this difficult period, she started to reassess her lifestyle and habits, looking inward to figure out which aspects of her life needed work.
“I was determined to transform my life, not just to feel better about my situation but also to minimise the risk of the cancer ever coming back,” she says.
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“I looked at my own habits and made a plan to hit each of those targets.”
I have a renewed sense of purpose now
As she worked on transforming her diet, she made the conscious decision to focus on macronutrients and limit her intake of foods that were not good for her or that made her feel sluggish and bloated.
These included foods containing gluten, dairy products, processed snacks such as cookies and potato chips, and convenience foods like pizza.
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“It’s important to deal with stress once you start to feel it; many of us don’t often notice the effects of stress on our mental and physical health until it’s well and truly taken hold,” she says.
Lim also changed the way she viewed exercise. Instead of seeing it as a way to lose weight or something to just get over with in the mornings, she started to appreciate it for the way it made her feel: strong, vital and powerful.
She ditched the “no pain, no gain” mindset and began taking a more balanced approach when working out, neither overdoing or underdoing it.
After she finished chemotherapy and felt well enough to exercise, Lim worked with a personal trainer to regain her strength and confidence. She walked every day, eventually building up to short, and then long, runs.
She also worked on her core strength, doing push-ups and lifting weights to help tone and strengthen her muscles – something she hadn’t done before.
As the months passed, she began to notice how exercising improved her mood and focus, and soon she was looking forward to lifting weights, running and walking lunges.
She now exercises multiple times a day and even goes on fitness holidays. Connecting with her body in this way, she says, makes her feel happy.
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Lim’s cancer has been in remission since 2021. That same year, she founded Strong Bold Grateful, a resource platform for people with cancer.
Lim is determined to remain cancer-free. For now, she is relishing her journey of self-discovery, enjoying uncovering her strengths, and continues to do whatever she can to achieve and maintain true health.
“I have a renewed sense of purpose now. I’m on a new mission to make positive changes to my lifestyle, transform my mindset and celebrate life,” she adds.
