When you are first diagnosed with cancer, you may feel isolated. Even if you’re strongly independent and believe you can look after yourself, odds are at times you’ll feel the need to connect with someone who can relate to what you’re going through. Despite the fact that you may want to face the seemingly endless chemotherapy sessions, scans, and other procedures by yourself, there may come a time when you want to join a cancer community. If so, you might begin to wonder how you ever survived treatment without one.
A cancer community may be as close as your computer. You can connect with others who know what it’s like fighting the same type of cancer you are while raising children, trying to hold down a job, or being the youngest in the infusion room. You can message as frequently as you want about your commonalities, such as being on the same targeted therapy; help others through the chemotherapy regimens you were on; or ask for navigation through the toxic side effects of the targeted therapy you now are on.
No matter how different the members of your cancer community are, you share a diagnosis and are able to help each other through it. Hopefully, everyone sharing their stories, trials, and errors helps to make others’ journeys more tolerable. There is no reason for anyone to be alone in their disease.
If you or someone you know is fighting cancer, contact Chix 4 a Cause. Learn more about our Gifts of Love program at chix4acause.org today.