Telling the world - or not?
At the time of diagnosis, I was concerned about who needed to know about my bc. I felt cut-off and extremely vulnerable. I needed time to accept this big change in my life.
I needed to make some sense of my diagnosis and treatment options first - and that took me a while! I also needed time to connect with my medical team before making any decisions - to listen, ask questions, clear up any confusion.
So I kept things private (to my immediate family and a couple of trusted girlfriends) mainly to protect myself - so I could learn to cope with my feelings and fears.
I didn't want people giving me lots of advice or sympathy - or to suddenly expect the worst for me. I didn't want to be treated differently or avoided, just because of my bc diagnosis. It was hard enough dealing with my own expectations (without too much outside distraction or unhelpful influence).
Once I was ready " to move forward", make decisions and take some control of my bc journey, I really felt informed and empowered. When I needed to be away from home or take time off work, I shared as much as I needed to and kept things as simple (and no-scary!) as posssible - "I was having preventative treatment."
Needless to say, I was lucky to have some very special people to support me - including my husband and my 84 year old Dad. I also gained lots of hope, reassurance and comfort from BCNA, as well as the Cancer Council/Cancer Connect Program.
As my journey continues - beyond treatment into surviviorship, I find I am more ready to share my experiences than ever before.
There is something nurturing and healing when you realise you are not alone with bc and your life isn't over - it's a new journey!