Thank you for all the words of encouragement! As a cancer survivor its not easy to reach out to others, become close and then lose them to the same disease we suffered through. There are feelings of sadness, anger and guilt. Many people tell me that connecting with people who have cancer is too hard. But, while it is hard, to me its worth it.
There is so much research regarding the treatment of cancer but very little about the after math and how to survive. That means it is up to us survivors to speak to each other and to those who will soon be survivors too. Our stories, experiences, struggles and discoveries are treasure troves for those who are about to embark on the long journey through surviving.
If you are a survivor remember what it was like before you learned all the valuable lessons you did. What it felt like to be embarking on the unknown, how afraid and unsure you were. Take what you learned and share it with someone.
Please leave a comment with a little piece of survivor wisdom. And, if you are still battling share something that has helped you through your battle. If you are a survivor and have questions, leave a comment with as many questions as you want and either myself or someone else will reply with answers to your questions.
Lets all work together and help each other. We are all family and have a connection with each other.
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9 comments:
Morning!
Well...as a liveSTRONG advocate and someone who is about to start her on liveSTRONG army (I know, I'm insanely excited!) I thought I would post what liveSTRONG means to me...
"LiveSTRONG to me means living your life the way it was meant to be lived-with every ounce of your being. It means morphing into a superhero to overcome great odds. Cancer survivors may not have silly capes or scale walls, but we can move mountains in our own ways. We have fought, we have won and we have a obligation to be a part of the cure. It’s a beautiful, strong, raw, courageous, passionate obligation to ensure that there are more survivors, to prove that everyone deserves a lifetime."
Beautifully said and so true!
I was very scared after my diagnosis and honestly being pregnant it wasn't easy to find someone who had been through what I had been through until I found the website pregnantwithcancer.org. That would have to be the one place I'd recommend someone that goes through cancer while pregnant to check out. It helped me so much.
It's so much more worth it for me to connect with other cancer survivors than to not...I am a better person because of all the people I've met-whether they are still here with us or not. I have had friends who did not have cancer who don't get it.
R
My advice, for what it is worth: stay positive; realize that every minute won't be fun but resolve to enjoy at least some part of each day - even if it is something as simple as a pretty flower; view yourself as a survivor; visualize yourself doing something in the future that you really want to do: taking that trip, buying that house, getting that degree, getting married, going to that child's graduation - something that gives you a long term goal to shoot for. And finally, think of something YOU will do in the future when you are well again to help others and to make a positive difference, to MATTER!!!!
Well. First of all, I'm not a cancer survivor. I lost my beautiful girlfriend Sharon to cervical cancer back in July 2007. I was her carer and walked the path with her as she fought, and eventually lost her battle, so I suppose I'm a cancer carer survivor. The one left behind.
But, if you want one little gem of wisdom, I think it would be this...
When people around you don't understand, or appear to not care, or let you down, or when those "outside the bubble" seem to be working against you, try to remember. - They don't know. They are doing the best they can at the level of awareness they have at the time.
Think about that for a moment. It really helped Sharon and I in some pretty dark moments. Remembering that people live their own lives and have their own issues makes their actions easier to understand or accept, and if it doesn't it becomes a way of making excuses for them. I hope that makes sense.
Other than that, live. love. laugh. cherish every single second. stay positive and stay strong. Never, ever give up.
i'm not a survivor, but i thoroughly approve this post :D
Hey Meaghan - good to see you blogging again.
I think it is important to remember that cancer is part of your life but not your entire life - by that I mean don't forget that there are people you like to spend time with, places you like to go and things you like to do. These things help you deal with the bad cancer moments.
have a good one!
I used to think eventually I was going to get back to "normal" after my diagnosis and surgery. Normal meant back to the life I had pre-cancer.
It took a long time to realize I was never going back to that pre-cancer life -- emotionally or physically. And it took me a very, very long time to accept and embrace my post-cancer life.
It also took me a very long time to become okay with that. I found it very, very frustrating that other people without cancer always told me to be positive.
Sometimes it's helpful to hear from someone else that it's a really shitty thing to be diagnosed with cancer. Period.
And it's not fair.
Other cancer survivors understand that and can honor the amount of time it takes to deal with and eventually pass through anger.
I joined Gilda's Club soon after my surgery and it made a world of difference.
And I also connected with a lot of people who died. That was so hard, but I am thankful that I got to know them, learn from them and walk with them before they moved on.
I wish continued success to you.
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