What One Thing Would You Most Want To Say To A Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patient?
As soon as the first golden leaves of autumn appear on the trees a feeling of sadness starts to descend over me.
I’m catapulted back over the years to a late September day.
A day that’s etched forever on my mind.
The day I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In the weeks that followed my diagnosis, I became enveloped in a sea of pink as Breast Cancer Awareness Month took place. But when October came to an end and the pink ribbon wearers disappeared, I was left wearing the everyday reality of the disease.
Over a decade has passed since then and yet I still feel a sense of sadness when I think of that time and all I had yet to learn and go through. I can’t help wondering how much my experience might have been different if I had known then what I know now.
One thing I now know is that we owe it to those who come after us to share our hard-earned wisdom. So in that spirit, what one thing (or more) would you say to a person who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer that you wished you had known at the start of your own diagnosis? I’m putting together a list to be shared on the Patient Empowerment Network and I’d love to include your advice in the published post.
Hi Marie,
My one piece of advice would be to not be afraid to reach out for support early on. I realize that many of us are very independent-minded – I certainly am! But breast cancer and learning how to deal with it are complicated and there are lots of great resources out there. And reaching out for information and support can also be a way to begin to recover from the sense of loss of control that often comes with a cancer diagnosis. I wrote a post on this topic a while back: https://after20yrs.com/2014/07/31/finding-great-support-after-a-cancer-diagnosis/
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Lisa, thank you so much for this most excellent response – I appreciate you taking the time to share it
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I would say if you’re working full time when diagnosed, talk with your manager or direct supervisor and work out a plan where you can work from home (if not already due to COVID), and work out a schedule for coverage when your chemo treatments start. I suggest getting your chemo on Fridays so you’ll have the weekend to rest.
I would also say let of your pride and ask for help. Don’t be afraid to start a GoFundMe. You’ll be amazed by people’s generosity to help pay your medical bills and regular bills.
I would also keep a journal of thoughts during this time. It could just be a sentence or two and either save them on your laptop or in a journal. There was a lot I forgot about and was glad I had my little notes from the start of treatment to look back on.
While on chemo, ask your oncologist for a temporary handicap sign. It helped me immensely due to deep fatigue.
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Megan-Claire thank you so much for such a detailed and helpful answer – this is such great advice
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Thanks to those who shared their advice with me – the post is now published here https://powerfulpatients.org/2021/10/27/what-is-one-thing-or-more-youd-like-to-say-to-a-newly-diagnosed-breast-cancer-patient/
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