I was so looking forward to a works Christmas Party this weekend to catch up with people I hadn't seen for a quite a while as well as friends who have been there for me since the beginning of this shitty BC journey. I got the old glad rags on ready for a fun night but once having got there I just felt I didn't belong. Like some sort of out of body experience when you are there but not there?? It was lovely to see people but I couldn't muster up one ounce of fun or enjoyment for the evening when everyone else was so obviously enjoying themselves. With the realisation all I wanted to do was go home I left early with plenty of tears driving home thinking what the hell is wrong with me. I know in my heart it will get better, I guess it was just one of those moments when you want your old life back and some sense of normality.

B4 this happened to me i was literally terrified of breast cancer. Flipped straight past any magazine article about it, was sick with fear seeing any pink washing in the media and totally upset by the amount of reminders of cancer around me. I didnt need all these reminders im a total stickler for pap smears and mammograms and was scared witless by the constant bc narrative.My mother died of agressive lung cancer only 6 weeks after diagnosis , her only symptom was she was a little bit tired. Shortly after that a friend was diagnosed with throat cancer. I literally avoided her. I only visited once or twice not because i was mean and didnt care. I didnt feel able to look at her and tell her she was going to b ok after the shock of my mother's sudden death at the age of 68. I felt that i couldnt b a positive presence at that time so i was better off not to b there. I Was terrified at the evidence people my age were also getting this horrible disease. Weak? Maybe. I am universally known as very strong this particular thing i just couldnt cope with. Mayb because i see my strength as so integral to my identity, any reminder of the possibility of being vulnerable terrifies me. Selfish? Probably. Something to work on . Yes!! ( i have since explained and apologised to her. Things probably wont be the same but thats ok thats life) After that, For my own bc experience originally i only talked to one friend because i knew she had also been through bc fairly recently and i wanted to ask her about her experience at the local hospital. We talked a couple of times but she has never mentioned it since, never asked how my surgeries went. Should i be offended?? I prefer to think its her way of putting her own experiences in the past and coping the way she needs to cope. We talk about our shared passion of music and bc is never mentioned. Most people i know still hav no idea of what happened to me ( including my now recovered friend that had the throat cancer) as i hate talking about personal stuff. I just dont get as into the sisterhood vibe as much I would dearly like to. Any way im admitting this hoping to provide a different perspective in understanding someone who might not have given the support that was wanted. And maybe lessen a tiny bit of hurt. I hope every one is feeling 'as good as can be expected' today. X

I too had the friend baling out issue,best friend since primary school,I got cancer December 2016,after telling her heard nothing for 5 weeks,not even a text, then a short text saying hope you well,that’s it. In 2 years since then 2 more texts,I was quite bitter for awhile,then about month ago we meet for lunch, things are different and will never be same between us but the lunch gave me a something like closure and I left it thinking we will happily go our own ways now.like you said there are many other who were there and stepped up,I just move on a invest my time with them.

The disconnect that you feel is something most of us have experienced. Emotional level is totally different to your work colleagues at present - as you get through treatment and settle into the new you perhaps that connection will present again! Please don't feel sad about it, it is what it is and as well meaning as everyone at work maybe they truly are not on your emotional level and hence that appears to be your struggle at present. It will pass and you will settle! In the meantime you have this forum full of all of us who get it!Take care

A woman after my own heart @Elizebeth. Listening to dweezels rabbitting on about which movie star, singer, sports legend etc is humping whom, who has or hasn't had a facelift, or uses botox ...which unemployed Brit (that is member of the Royal Family) is up the duff, somehow gets me hopping mad. That people would spend minutes or hours of their lives enraptured by this drivel astounds me. Different strokes I guess...

@Elizebeth sounds like my staff atm. If they keep it up I’m slapping their heads together. I told my boss last week that I think looking your mortality in the face changes the way you think and you have no time for fools! My staff are being particularly stupid currently which is annoying the crap out of me. If someone came to my office to complain about how someone looks at them I’d have told them to grow up or go back to primary school

The New Me. | BCNA Online Network

72 Replies

Riki_BCNA
Member
7 years ago
Hi@Elizebeth that is good news with your recent check-up and a very happy birthday to you! Be kind to yourself and take care of you -one day at a time
Elizebeth
Member
7 years ago
Yes indeed Sarnicad they are just petty issues..on the positive I had my birthday today which at one point was something that I was not sure would happen!, I also had a 3 month checkup last week and all ok so far...so I spend my time feeling very blessed to be here and then swing in back to wanting to kick some butt...just going to let my mind and emotions settle then work through a new career path...
Sarnicad
Member
7 years ago
@Elizebeth sounds like my staff atm. If they keep it up I’m slapping their heads together. I told my boss last week that I think looking your mortality in the face changes the way you think and you have no time for fools! My staff are being particularly stupid currently which is annoying the crap out of me. If someone came to my office to complain about how someone looks at them I’d have told them to grow up or go back to primary school
Elizebeth
Member
7 years ago
Yes AllyJay it’s just astoundingly trivial and I just can’t seem to tolerate it at the moment...after 2 rounds of this beast I often want to scream at the top of my lungs to some of them to stop sweating the small stuff in life it’s just futile..anyway hopefully I have a job Monday...until I do something else!, next spaceship to the moon maybe!,
AllyJay
Member
7 years ago
A woman after my own heart @Elizebeth. Listening to dweezels rabbitting on about which movie star, singer, sports legend etc is humping whom, who has or hasn't had a facelift, or uses botox ...which unemployed Brit (that is member of the Royal Family) is up the duff, somehow gets me hopping mad. That people would spend minutes or hours of their lives enraptured by this drivel astounds me. Different strokes I guess...
Elizebeth
Member
7 years ago
Must admit ladies..reading these posts made me feel better..I work in HR and after my second battle with this bloody disease I returned to work 3 weeks ago and my tolerance levels for whinging people complaining about frivolous matters is gone..

I must admit one meeting I had one staff member complaining they did not like how another team member looked at her ....it made me respond with a “are you for real? Followed by a very short ..”get out and stop wasting my time..when you have something real to complain about feel free to come back and annoy me then”...suffice to say I think a new career is on the horizon for me!, just not sure what..thinking of something with animals as luckily they can’t talk! My doctor says I am most probably angry!, hmmm yep that would be it...or just over stupid people!

I will rise up and hopefully find my empathy button again and switch it o..but for now I am using it all for me....
Sister
Member
7 years ago
Good news!
kezmusc
Member
7 years ago
Yeehaa @tigerbeth....Awesome news.

xoxoxo
kitkatb
Member
7 years ago
Thats' great news to hear @tigerbeth glad things went well. xox
Flaneuse
Member
7 years ago
Great news. xx

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