The Truth About Cancer

Current statistics show a staggering one in three of us worldwide develop cancer at some point in our life. Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancer are the most common forms. In addition to the medical battles faced when diagnosed, studies reveal around 75% of people affected experience problematic anxiety and/or depression. The following is an account of my experience as I was diagnosed and went through treatment; my hope is that this information will help someone else.  

My Story

Life is full of highs and lows and I have had my share of both. One of my recent lows was being diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2016. During a routine mammogram some abnormalities were discovered, and I was diagnosed with stage 0 DCIS cells (breast cancer cells which had not spread). I did not hear, understand or remember a lot of what the doctors told me in that first meeting, but thankfully a friend was with me who had gone through the process herself. She helped me understand what was going on as I was able to deal with it.

At this point, the battle in my mind started. They had said the word “cancer.” I had to prepare myself for what I might face physically, psychologically and practically. On top of that, when you start telling friends, they wonder how “sick” you are. You end up reassuring them, “it’s stage 0, they caught it early, we will know more after I meet with the surgeon.” They mean well, but I decided to be selective and only told a few close friends what was going on. I was not ready to reassure others, so I told friends who I thought could handle my diagnosis and be a support system for me in the process.

Following my diagnosis, I met with a surgeon. He said the cancer had been caught early, it was contained and should be easy to remove. Because it had not spread, he thought the oncologist would recommend radiation after surgery as a precaution, but I should not need chemotherapy. That was a huge relief. Since I needed time off for surgery and recovery, it was time to tell people something, but I was not ready to use the word “cancer.” I told my boss and a group of friends that I was going to have outpatient surgery to remove a lump and I would be off work for a few days.

Surgery went well and there were no lingering side effects coming out of anesthesia. I did not miss much time off work and was still able to do everything for myself. Things were going great until my follow-up appointment when the doctor indicated they had found some cancer cells in the extremities of the removed tissue which meant he needed to go back in and take more tissue out. I was not as concerned about a second surgery as I was that the cancer had spread, which meant chemotherapy might be a recommended treatment. I knew I wanted to tell friends what was going on, but I did not want to talk about it all day, so I decided to post updates on social media. This provided friends with detailed information and minimized my time dwelling on my current situation.

I had the second surgery, they confirmed the cancer cells had been removed and when I met with the oncologist he ran tests and told me I did not need chemotherapy. Tests had shown there was only a 12% chance in the next 10 years I might develop cancer in any part of my body, and that is better than our 1 in 3 statistics we talked about earlier. I was relieved again and went on to meet with the radiologist.

I had a few appointments and then started treatment. After my first treatment I entered a state a depression and I could not understand why. After a few days, I realized that until radiation, everything the medical professionals had done involved taking something bad out of my body. I saw radiation as something bad they were putting in me and I believe this can be a struggle for chemotherapy patients as well. Eventually I was able to make peace with the process by comparing radiation to sunshine. We know some sun is good for us but too much is not. The medical professionals were giving me a healthy dose of radiation and once I processed that information, I was able to move on. I had a few more isolated times of depression after radiation as I waited for the tape/markers to fall off my body and my body to heal, but it was for shorter periods of time and I believe that is to be expected. The main thing was not to stay in that state of depression, find things to be grateful for and to make the most of each day.

My Words of Encouragement

Having cancer is a medical battle that professionals can help with, but you will be in charge of the battle in your mind. Deal with reality, but don’t dwell on it. Try to find a healthy balance between your diagnosis/treatment and living your life.

• Have a support system, people that can encourage you when you are down; possibly individuals who have gone through similar situations and/or professionals that can help you process your feelings.

• If you find you are talking about cancer a lot as you give updates to friends, you might consider setting up a group on social media where you can post updates and ask friends to look for updates there. This frees you up to speak with them about other things besides your diagnosis.

• Find things to be grateful for along the way. Even if you are not given hope for much time after your diagnosis, be thankful for the time you have left and be intentional with it. Live the rest of your life on purpose, tie up loose ends, don’t leave things unsaid.

I had my annual mammogram at the end of 2017 and I am pleased to report that no new abnormalities were found. Being on this side of things I can say that having cancer changed my life. I found out certain foods have healing properties and I became more interested in nutrition. I take better care of myself now and went from a career in Information Technology to Health and Wellness. I created a web-site dedicated to encouraging and inspiring others to live healthier, happier lives. I want to use my story to help others – with their health and to provide words of comfort, encouragement, hope and inspiration. My message is to live, love, engage, encourage and inspire, but most of all, enjoy the journey!  

By Nancy G Baker | Edited by Thomas O. H. Brown MBPsS

© 2018 Nancy G. Baker All Rights Reserved  

https://www.nancygbaker.com/