Hearing the Word "Cancer"
It has only been within the last decade that people have been able to utter the word "cancer" in polite circles. Shrouded in synonyms like "the big C," it has continued to evoke for many an overwhelming and sometimes paralyzing fear that interferes with good decision making. It is a disease, to quote my surgeon, which "wreaks more havoc on the mind than on the body." Everyone is frightened by this diagnosis. Allow yourself time to absorb the news. Permit yourself time to cry. Then get on with the job of getting well.
Cancer had never been a part of my family's vocabulary or history. Imagine the shock I felt when suddenly it became the topic of the day in my home! There were so many unanswered questions; so many loved ones whose fears exacerbated my own. Dark thoughts battled for my mind. Sleepless nights were filled with silent tears at thoughts of what might never be. It took days before I was able to get beyond the fear long enough to think rationally about the steps I needed to take in order to get well.
