Treatment Diaries
While you all know that I am a big advocate of reaching out and sharing our stories via blogs and other social networks, I am also conscious that for many people, sharing themselves in this way is not something they feel comfortable with. I can remember back to when I started this blog a year and half ago, I was so careful to keep all traces of who I was out of the public domain and to remain anonymous. Gradually, I revealed more of who I was and “came out”, inspired by all the other wonderful women who were loud and proud in their cancer survivorship.
However, for those who wish to remain private, yet would still like to write about their experiences, there are websites dedicated to allowing them to do just this. I came across a new one last week, called Treatment Diaries.
TreatmentDiaries.com is a forum that provides a REAL information exchange between people with like medical conditions. Supporting the need for knowledge and support is vital when coping with a chronic condition. People need answers and want to hear about others experiencing similar challenges. The site allows people to keep a diary of important information and then share and exchange this information with other people in need when it matters most. Unlike other websites, users can control their privacy and remain completely anonymous should they so wish. They can also use the newest easy-to-use tools to write in their medical diary and share their experiences with whomever they choose.
“We were inspired by REAL stories of people struggling with medical conditions and treatments and the overwhelming desire to connect and exchange ideas with others facing similar circumstances. Finding and sharing genuine information and experiences is a powerful thing. Our goal is to give you the tool to do just that.” say founders Mike and Amy.
There’s something especially therapeutic about hearing real stories from people who genuinely share the same medical condition as you do, have the same questions that seemingly go unanswered by providers or just to know there’s other people out there with the same anxieties, fears and frustrations.
“A phone call from the doctor right before the 4th of July weekend stating, “the news is not good for you, you have Melanoma,” sent our founder into a state of anxiety. “You have a rare autoimmune disorder and there’s not much out there on it,” rang an OBGYN’s voice to a pregnant woman, expecting her second child and not knowing what it meant for her or her unborn. “Your father has large b-cell lymphoma in the brain,” sent a man into a frantic maze of “Googling.” Web searching can only take you so far. The source for quality information on chronic conditions can be found in the diaries of those willing to share it. That’s why a few people in rural Virginia started TreatmentDiaries.com.”
The site is a forum that provides a REAL information exchange between people with like medical conditions. Supporting the need for knowledge and support is vital when coping with a chronic condition. People need answers and want to hear about others experiencing similar challenges. Each day, people can write about medication, diet or whatever happened at the latest doctor appointment. Writing about it, public or private, can create a sense of hope and optimism. Finding someone across the country, or even the world, to share it with can take that level of coping to a whole new height.
“We hope people can use this free online tool to anonymously connect, share and inspire others to face life’s chronic conditions. We call it shared healing.”
Unlike other sites focused on just one condition, on TreatmentDiaries.com you can track multiple conditions and treatments, all at once, neatly in separate diaries. Make quality, lifelong connections with people who share the same condition as you. This is what makes the site authentic and valuable. No fuss, anonymous, worthy connections.
For more information on what TreatmentDiaries.com is all about, go to http://www.treatmentdiaries.com/about.aspx
Related Posts
How cancer survivors provide support on the internet
Hi Marie, I too share your thoughts of what blogging has done for me. At first I was not comfortable sharing. Do you know I revisited something I wrote in March about, depression and started to get my mind refocused. Had I not recorded this in first my journal and then blog I would have forgotten what I said. Still fighting some of that chemo brain or maybe it is just age creeping up on me 🙂 Blessings today you are still my hero! Your web site was the very first one I connected with and will never forget that.
LikeLike
I am inspired by your blog and others like them, but I am a private person and cannot imagine sharing my innermost thoughts with everyone in this way, so this kind of online diary would really suit me.
LikeLike
I agree with Luann – as you journey through treatment, you forget sometimes how you have felt at different stages, so it is wonderful to keep a record of this and see how far you have come along the journey.
LikeLike
My journal is my life line and I couldn’t have gotten through many of the tough life experiences I have faced without its support.
LikeLike
I am not sure who said it, but the quote that springs to mind when reading this post is “writing is exploration; and most of the time, I’m surprised where the journey takes me”
LikeLike
I kept a diary all through my cancer treatment and am so glad now that I did. I would really agree that it is a very valuable thing to do – very therapeutic at times.
LikeLike
Dear Marie, You know I agree with you about how important it can be to share our story with others, or at least with ourselves! I also kept a journal through my diagnosis and treatments, partly just to remember everything I went through and to keep track of things. But I am also a person who expresses themselves better and at a deeper level through writing than through speaking. So my blog is a great release for me. Sometimes I read back on what I wrote and can’t believe I was so open and honest. But the truth is it will only help me and I hope that it helps others. Love to you, Deb
LikeLike