I am oftened asked how a certain person is doing or what kind of cancer they have or what the outcome of a certain kind of cancer is. The answers are very similar. First, I can't and won't diviluge private information regarding particular patients. Confidentiality and Privacy are required in my position but also my personal composition. I know when I was going through my treatment for breast cancer that I personally didn't care if people knew and welcomed the support but I have also learned that each person deals with their own journey their way and may not want people to know. My dad died of cancer and I remember the effort it took on his part and ours as family to not talk about the elephant in the room (CANCER). For us, it was alot of time and effort that we could have used in better ways but that is they way he chose to deal with it and we had to respect that. Dad and I spent countless hours in the early morning sitting in his hospital room before I had to be at work and that was when all the barriers came down and we talked about his cancer, the prognosis and what would lie between then and now. Just as a haircut looks different on different people, cancer and the outcomes are different. How you choose to deal with what lies ahead does impact what is happening. Not that your outlook can control everything but will help you deal with each day in the most positive way for you is vastly more important than determining what the future brings. As I have often referred to, my husband from the time we were first married would say to myself and the kids, "Make it a good day!" That is the best I can give you now and for the future. Make it a good day! S
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AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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