Forum Discussion
Newly diagnosed
Hi all, my mum had breast cancer at 50 and passed away after 20 year battle. I was diagnosed last week, surgeon appointment tomorrow, surgery booked already. I also had my first grandson last week, sa...
Friends can be amazing support but they can also be quite draining if all you're talking about is cancer. What worked for me, and it's not for everyone, was letting a couple of close friends tell everyone else but with the instructions that they weren't to call me - they were told I was hunkering down and that any info would be passed on. A few weeks later, I started a blog to update people. What this all meant was that I didn't have to make excuses for how I was feeling (and sometimes I really wasn't there if you know what I mean) but that I didn't feel like I was having to cope with their feelings all of the time. And I certainly felt the love as I was going through treatment - even calling in to work (like you, at a school), colleagues would make small remarks that showed me they were following my progress and were supportive but without weighing me down.
As for appointments, I retained some of what was said, but would somehow vague off for other things so it helped having someone else with me. I did, however, learn early on to write down any questions so that I would forget to ask.
As for appointments, I retained some of what was said, but would somehow vague off for other things so it helped having someone else with me. I did, however, learn early on to write down any questions so that I would forget to ask.