Unfortunately there are those that want to prove to you that they had it worse than anyone and that they deserve the purple heart. I am not saying that we don't all have our own battles to fight and some things may have been easier or more difficult for me than for others. Cancer does not come with a rule book or penalties or accolades for how you handled the trip. You come in with the coping skills and strategies that you have had your whole life. You will have to access your bag of tricks and find the path that is best for you. Now, there are some tricks of the trade and those are worth hearing and learning about. If there is an intervention that can help during your treatment, then by all means give me the information and then let me make an informed choice.
The unsung heroes are those caregivers that lift you up throughout the process. Those days when I was so down, I couldn't get up, or those days when another glass of ice water just magically showed up and the encouragement when I needed it. So with having said all that, my question remains, do you know someone just diagnosed with breast cancer? If you do, what kind of message are you going to pass to them? How will you help them shore up the holes during the roller coaster ride of ups and downs. What helped you to get through it all and what tricks of the trade helped that you want to share. One from me, is take all the hugs you can and laugh as often as you can. Leave the serious stuff to the doctors and look to how you can best support yourself. Be kind, be patient, and be considerate. Do this for yourself and for others and make it a great day! S