825: What Most Survivorship Plans Miss

I still remember the day I heard the words from my plastic surgeon:
"Karin, you look great, I’ll see you in 3 months."

I smiled.
Then, out of nowhere, I started sobbing...the kind of deep, ugly sob that feels like it comes from your toes.😭

Not from relief…
But because I felt utterly lost.

Like the rug had just been ripped out from under me.

 

“I had ‘finished.’ But I didn’t feel finished.”

I had “finished.” But I didn’t feel finished.
I felt like a stranger in my own body—foggy, frightened, completely drained.

And worst of all? I thought I was the only one.

Since then, I’ve spoken to hundreds of women who felt exactly the same way, like the world expected them to bounce back, when their soul was still crawling.

And I can tell you with every fiber of my being: it’s not your fault.  You weren't prepared. You were never given the full plan.

Even if your medical team spoke to you about Survivorship, today we're going to talk about what survivorship care misses...and the new, far more gentle and sustainable way to rebuild your energy and your life after treatment has ended.

💬 “I thought something was wrong with me, until I joined Thrivership School and realized I was grieving—not failing.” – Martha, TS graduate

“You weren’t prepared. You were never given the full plan.” 

What Traditional Survivorship Plans Focus On

You likely got a follow-up care plan. It probably included:

✔️ Bloodwork and oncology schedules
✔️ Medications or hormone blockers
✔️ A recommendation to “eat well and exercise”

I've even heard doctors prescribe:
"Just get on with your life!"

That’s great… but also: wildly incomplete.

Because it didn’t include:

• “Still flinching when people touch me”

• "Crying for no apparent reason out of nowhere"

• “I’m not sure I like who I’ve become, I used to be so much more productive”

• “I can’t remember the last time I felt like me”

I call these "emotional bruises" and they can last long after treatment ends. Nobody can see them...but YOU feel them.

Why That Plan Isn’t Working for You

“Survivorship plans are designed to track disease…

not rebuild a life.”

Let's be honest...we are here because of our medical team, they did a fabulous job...but the system for after care is lacking.

They don’t ask what it’s like to:

➡️ Nod through dinner while silently screaming for someone to notice you’re barely holding it together
➡️ Cry in the bathroom because you forgot why you walked in, then catch a glimpse of a woman in the mirror you barely recognize
➡️ Show up for everyone else… while wondering if anyone even sees you

They didn’t ask if you felt safe in your body again.
Or if you even recognize yourself anymore.

And when you try to do “all the right things” like eat well, walk daily, or take supplements and nothing sticks?

You blame yourself. You wonder: What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I get it together?

The truth?
You’re not failing.

You've been through something traumatic and...
You’re running on empty.

And no one taught you how to refill.

“You’re not failing. You’re running on empty.

And no one taught you how to refill.”

Even Princess Kate has shared that recovery is a roller coaster...

and it’s not as smooth or straightforward as many expect.

The New Way...Healing the Emotional Bruises First

In Thrivership School, we begin where your medical team left off.

We don’t start with green smoothies. (although I love them and won't say no lol)
We start with grief, nervous system safety, and healing the emotional bruises most people can’t see.

The ones left behind by fear, by silence, by trying to hold it all together for everyone else.

👉 We begin by asking gently: Who are YOU now and what do YOU need?

When I created this program, it wasn’t just based on theory and the work of Dr. W. Douglas Brodie.
It came from my life’s work and my lived experience.

I’ve worked in health and wellness since 2003, found my way through many major traumas and grief... but nothing prepared me for what came after my own breast cancer diagnosis.

I did everything “right.”
But when treatment ended, I found myself crying in my car, Googling:

• “How do I feel normal after breast cancer?”

• “Why am I still so tired?”

• “Is this just how life feels now?”

 

“I tried to keep pushing like I always had… but it didn’t work. So I gave myself permission to stop.”

I tried to eat well, exercise, stay positive… keep going.

But it didn’t work.
So I gave myself permission to stop.

To stop putting pressure on myself.
Stop pretending I was fine.
Stop overriding the quiet screams of my body for rest, safety, and space.

And when I finally did?
Something amazing shifted.

 

“My body and mind began to soften...slowly, gently...into the space they needed to truly recover on a deep, soul level.”

That’s exactly why I created Thrivership School...a trauma-aware, community-rooted space where women can finally exhale.

Unwind.
Let down their guard.
And rebuild gently from the inside out.
Because we can only make sustainable changes when we feel safe.

It’s structured around the K.A.R.I.N.S. Formula for Thriving...the exact six soul-centered steps that guide you from lost and exhausted… to clear, energized, grounded, and whole again.

What Thriving Actually Looks Like

Thriving doesn’t mean forcing a smile or pretending to be fine.

Thriving looks like:

• 🌤 Sitting on your porch and realizing… you feel peaceful

• 💗 Saying “no” without guilt or explanation

• 🌱 Cooking a meal that fuels you without rules or shame

• 👭 Laughing with women who just get it

• 🌸 Looking in the mirror and seeing someone you trust again

💬 “Before TS, I didn’t realize how much I was living in reaction mode. Now, I pause. I choose. I feel in control again.” – Jeanne, TS member

It’s like coming out of a dark forest and hearing your own voice again, maybe for the very first time.

Real Talk from Me (and My Body)

Before cancer, I was doing everything “right.”

Healthy food. Exercise. Coaching other women through health journeys.

But behind the scenes?
I was carrying grief, stress, and trauma.

I’d lost both parents. My brother nearly died. My husband had a traumatic accident.
I kept pushing. I kept giving.

I did my very best to keep my head above water...until I couldn’t. Perhaps you can relate?

Even after treatment ended, I was running on fumes. And no one tells you this:
👉 The “after” is often the hardest part.

💬 “Thrivership School saved my life. It gave me back my breath. I didn’t realize I’d been holding it for years.” – Martha, TS graduate

You are not weak.
You are not broken.
Your body and nervous system need compassion, not criticism.

 

“The ‘after’ is often the hardest part and no one tells you that.”

What’s Next for You...And Why It’s Not Too Late

If you're still reading, I already know something about you:

You're not here to just survive.
You're here to feel alive again.

And that whisper inside you, saying there has to be more than this?
It’s right.

Whether you're freshly out of treatment or seven years past like me, it's not too late.
There's a way forward that doesn't require pushing, pretending, or performing.

💛 If this hit home…

You’re not alone.
And you’re not doing anything wrong.

What you’re feeling isn’t weakness... it’s the aftershock of everything you’ve carried.

If you’re tired of feeling on edge, bracing for the next bad thing, or wondering why you still don’t feel like “you”…

✨ My “Stop Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop” guide
gives you tiny, calming shifts to help your body finally exhale ...
without adding more to your already-full plate.

👉 Get Instant Access — $27 👈

It’s a gentle first step toward feeling safe, steady, and at home in your body again.

You may also like: 

💛 Why Did I Get Sick?

💛 The Cancer Personality Profile

💛  Still Tired After Breast Cancer? Here's Why...

🩷 Who am I?

Hey my friend 👋, I’m Karin Del Maestro, Certified Health Coach, breast cancer thriver, and the creator of Thrivership School—a trauma-informed group coaching program helping breast cancer survivors restore energy, rebuild identity, and reconnect with their bodies. Through science-backed rituals and heartfelt practices, I guide women to move from merely surviving to truly thriving, with ease, grace, and plenty of tea.🫖