Elana - you did the right thing with taking care of yourself.
I learned along the way that I had to allow others to sometimes feel disapointment when I was doing what I needed to do for myself. I could not tell them to not feel that way since it was their right to feel that way. But at the same time, I didn't have to do what they wanted just because I felt guilty. The guilt started to be less and less as I gave myself more and more permission to take care of my own needs regardless of what response the other person had. It was not me being cruel. It was me taking care of me - which I deserved to be able to do.