The Importance of Support Groups 4 Cancer

There I was sitting in a room full of fellow survivors, there was one big difference between them and me...... I was the youngest, and they had at least 21 or more years on me. This is the monthly group that I not only look forward to attending, but that I have been accustomed to attending. Even though most of them were diagnosed with cancer, at a later stage of their lives, they were given the chance to really live their lives. Most of the members of my cancer support group are older, married and with children and grand children. They've lived their lives, they've ran businesses and most of them are retired and enjoying live even more. For some of them, they are still working to feel like they have some amount of normalcy in their lives.

So, last night I went to my monthly group and listened as a newcomer spoke to us about the problem he was having. The problem was something that many of us in the room could understand and fully comprehend. He was a young 50 year old, working a job he loved, and had been involved with for well over 20 years, and he was feeling fatigue on a big level. As I listened to what he said, a lot of things that hes was feeling really hit home for me. I listened to the other adults in the room, share their insight and advice on what this man should be doing, or what could help him with this difficult transition. When I was able to talk, I said to him "Everyone in this room, knows my story and what I have been through. I have been where you are in your life too. When I was diagnosed, I returned to work quickly because I LOVED my job, even against my doctor's orders, I worked from home until I was able to work at the office again. After every treatment and even after my stem cell transplant, I quickly rushed back to work. But when my company went out of business in December of 2008, I was crushed and tried to replace the job i loved with other jobs. They didn't even come close. Eventually, I got to a point of my life where I noticed changes - brain changes. I was checked out by my doctor and told that I have scaring on my brain as a result of my chemotherapy & radiation treatments, and when I was stressed out, I would experience memory lapses, small blackouts and forgetfulness. As much as I wanted to resume to my life - the normalcy, I had to come to terms with myself that it wouldn't. So when my doctor suggested that I take a leave from working, I did. I can't tell you how much it's helped me. I haven't worked in about 4 months now, but it's made me see that I need to focus on the things that are important to me, the things I enjoy doing - like making jewelry! Now I am at a very different place in my life, than anyone else in this group. You all have lived full lives, gotten married, worked a lifetime, had children, and grand children. I am only 29 years old, unable to have kids, experiencing fatigue spells that make me sleep all day some days, not even close to be married, and trying to get my life to something that I can call somewhat normal. Perhaps, you need to take a break from work, like I did. Take time off, maybe try something part time, enjoy life and do things that make you happy, like I do. I get out there and spread the word about my experience with cancer and spread hope and inspiration. I know that we all want to resume our lives where we left off, before we had cancer - we all want to be normal, but after cancer, our lives have changed and we will never have that normalcy again. We need to learn how to cope with the change and find the things we enjoy most in life and do them! We all experience fatigue and I wish that my friends would understand that I don't have the energy that I used to and I may never again. That's why I speak, to spread the word."

The truth is, that after a cancer diagnosis and treatments, we realize what is really important in our lives, and we utilize this experience to make us better people. We all suffer from the side effects - the assorted size effects - many suffer from chronic fatigue, some suffer weight gain or weight loss, brain scaring, memory loss and more. The importance of support groups for cancer survivors and simple - it brings us a place to share a common understanding, a common experience, and to realize that we are not alone. We can't expect our friends to fully understand what we are going through and what we are experiencing, but we can share it with them, and hope that they understand in some way where we are coming from. Fellow survivors amazing people to have in our lives. As I say on my myspace profile, Thank You Cancer. As dysfunctional as that may sound, I am thankful for the experience, the life change and the wonderful people I have met along the way, in addition to helping me realize who my true friends are. The truth is I wouldn't have it any other way! This is my life, I have one life to live and gosh darn it, I am going to make it a good one!! *CELEBRATE LIFE!!*