Let’s just say it: unsolicited advice sucks.

Especially when it's about something as personal and all-consuming as your cancer. 

Your diagnosis, your treatment, your body, your lifestyle—suddenly, it’s open season for opinions from everyone from your coworker’s cousin to the guy at the dog park. 

And somehow, they know exactly what you should be doing. 

Here’s what I want you to know: their unsolicited advice? 

It says more about them than it does about you.

Maybe it’s their discomfort with illness. Maybe it’s their desire to feel helpful - especially if it’s someone who really cares about you. Or maybe it’s just their own fear talking. 

But whatever the source, it’s not your job to manage their feelings, or to entertain their input.

Still, I get it—it’s not always easy to brush it off. You’re tired. Vulnerable. You might even doubt yourself sometimes. When someone says, “You should try this supplement” or “My friend cured her cancer with kale smoothies,” it can trigger that little voice that whispers, Am I doing this wrong?

Here’s your reminder: You are not doing this wrong.

You’re navigating something incredibly hard, and you’re doing it with the best information, support, and inner wisdom you have. So the next time someone drops advice you didn’t ask for, here’s what you can do:

• Take a breath. You don’t have to respond right away—or at all.
  
  

• Use a go-to phrase. Something like, “Thanks, I’ve got a medical team I trust” or “I appreciate your concern, but I’m sticking with my current plan.”
  
  

• Give yourself permission to disengage. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your choices.
  
  

And most importantly? Don’t internalize their noise. You know your body. You know your needs. You’re the expert on you.

This journey is yours—not theirs. Own it.

And if you ever need help setting boundaries or shaking off the emotional weight of other people’s expectations, I’m here for that. This path is hard enough without carrying unsolicited baggage.

The trick is this: whether you talk to them about it or ignore them, if you’re still thinking about it later, you’re still carrying the baggage. It’s that internal emotional and mental load you’ve got to put down - and helping you do that is my superpower.

You’ve got this. And if you aren’t quite there yet, please reach out to me.

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