Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Day 12 #HAWMC
Day twelve of the WEGO Health Activist Writer’s Month which I have signed up for – a month dedicated to the art of writing about health. Today’s writing prompt:
If you could go back in time and talk to yourself on the day of diagnosis, what would you say?
Oh how I wish I could go back in time! Knowing what I know now there is so much I wish I could have told myself.
I would have said, I know you are in shock right now, but the shock will wear off and you will get through this even though there will be times when you are convinced you won’t.
I would have said, don’t feel pressured into treatment decisions until you have all the facts. The doctors won’t mention the impact of chemotherapy on your fertility, so you will have to be proactive in doing so and finding the information you will need. You only have a small window of opportunity in which to do this, so don’t waste it.
I also wish I had been able to read this sensible and reassuring advice from The Pink Underbelly, but I was yet to encounter the wonderful support to be found online – Words Of Wisdom For The Newly Diagnosed.
Marie! I’m so honored and really so touched that you’d consider my post something that would have helped guide you through cancerland in those early days. I still consider myself such a newbie in all this, and I look to you and other esteemed blog friends as the real experts! You just made my day. 🙂
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I have actually sent on your advice to several friends and acquaintances who have been diagnosed with cancer – it’s very helpful!
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I love your approach to if you could go back to that day. There is so much shock that is associated with remembering when we first heard those words, “You have cancer.” And yes the pinkunderbelly’s guide would have been so helpful that day. But as we know we can’t go back. What we can do and you are doing so well is help those who unfortunately will have to hear those words. Your work in cancer land and posts are so helpful to so many on so many levels and covering so many aspects. Thank you for all that you do. I hope you realize the tremendous influence and help that you bring with all of your work.x
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The only thing I would add, and Pink Underbelly’s list is a good one, is the real need for patience in coming to terms and understanding what this means for one. Lists and articles help, but in the end the internalization process has to be worked through (and I think for most bloggers and commenters on blogs, writing is an intrinsic part of this).
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Great point Andrew!
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Great advice to a newly diagnosed you. My doctors had every reason to think I’d still be fertile after treatments. I only had a 1 percent chance of infertility. Well, I was in that 1 percent. Thank you for the lovely post; it is poignant.
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Wonderful advice. Nancy’s was indeed an informative post from which many can benefit. xo
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