0 Lots of Good Days ... A Few Bad Moments ...

Julie is busy making appointments for her "first after treatment check-ups". First there are the flight and hotel arrangements since she has to fly from Juneau to Seattle for the appointments. Then there is what seems like the never-ending series of appointments. There will be CAT scans and PET scans and blood tests and meetings with the oncologists and the surgeons and the consultations with the plastic surgeons and other doctors for second opinions. It will be a very stressful and busy time for her, and a nail-biting week or the rest of us as we wait for the results.

She is like all of us who have been treated for breast cancer and is on pins and needles right now. Her nerves are understandably on edge. All cancer survivors have two things in common, no matter what kind of cancer we have had or kind of treatment we endure; first is the acceptance of the diagnosis – the shock and overwhelming “Oh my God, I’m going to die” moment. The second are those nasty "cancer demons". Those thoughts and fears in your mind that your cancer will come back. When you have had cancer, no matter how far past treatment you are, there’s always that little voice in your head: “What’s this pain in my side? liver cancer?” “Could this headache be brain cancer?” “My back is killing me… cancer?”

As breast cancer survivors, we know by heart those four common places it can travel; bone, brain, liver, lungs. Therefore, any little ache or pain involving those areas reawakens the cancer demons in your head. You talk yourself out of it and you go on with your day but the fear is always there, lingering in the back of your mind.

Julie is trying not to let the demons get her down. She is doing a great job getting on with her life. She goes to work every day, is living life to the fullest and stays very, very busy. And if she has a bad moment, or a bad day and the demons take over momentarily – we all understand since we are all in this fight with her and so many of us are facing those same damn demons.

So my appeal to you today is ~ if you know someone who is a cancer survivor or fighting cancer right now, please be there for them; be patient, be kind and be their friend when these demons come knocking. Send them flowers, take them to lunch, let them scream and cry and be their friend and sounding board. They will thank you for it later.

And don’t forget to count your many, many blessings ~ Jan