Do not stop after you create your medical team. Create a support team for yourself, too.
BY Barbara Tako
PUBLISHED February 21, 2018
Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.
Congratulations, you have just joined the club no one wants to join, but now that you are here, connecting with fellow survivors and others will help you make the best of it.
Getting cancer feels lonely and isolating. Family and friends sometimes do not know what to say. Find support by talking to someone who "gets it" because, well, they "got it" too. At my first breast cancer support group meeting, I cried and it was not embarrassing. Instead, I felt understood and supported. In subsequent meetings, it felt like my stress and fear dropped a few notches as soon as I walked into the room.
Try to find a local in-person support group. If you live in a big metropolitan area, visit more than one group to find the best fit for you. Barring that, try to find someone who has been through what you are experiencing. One or two people, if they are the right people, can make all the difference when it comes to emotional support. In addition to that, check online where there are support groups on websites and on Facebook.
Getting cancer feels lonely and isolating. Family and friends sometimes do not know what to say. Find support by talking to someone who "gets it" because, well, they "got it" too. At my first breast cancer support group meeting, I cried and it was not embarrassing. Instead, I felt understood and supported. In subsequent meetings, it felt like my stress and fear dropped a few notches as soon as I walked into the room.
Try to find a local in-person support group. If you live in a big metropolitan area, visit more than one group to find the best fit for you. Barring that, try to find someone who has been through what you are experiencing. One or two people, if they are the right people, can make all the difference when it comes to emotional support. In addition to that, check online where there are support groups on websites and on Facebook.
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