talkingaboutcancer.com

The length of time people wait between diagnosis and the start of treatment can vary. Regardless of how long it is, you experience a horrific period of time where you know that something inside is killing you and the sooner you get it taken care of the better (assuming that you have that option). I had to wait about 2 months for the surgery that would cut this monster out of me and save my life. They were the darkest days of my life, made worse by the fact that I didn’t have a guaranteed surgery date and there was talk of further surgery cutbacks.

I went to work, I cut the grass, and I took out the garbage – all the things that show life goes on, but I lost all interest in current events. I hugged my wife a lot, but I didn’t smile much and rarely laughed. I think I cried once. All I could think about was the cancer and all I could hold on to was the hope that I would get a surgery date soon.

I finally got professional help from a wonderful psychologist and a kind doctor who carved out an hour for me every Friday just to talk. And I spent hours with my dear wife. Sometimes we talked, but sometimes just being together was enough. I only had a few friends to talk with because most people just don’t understand and many don’t really want to talk about it. It was a tenuous time and I don’t know what would have happened to me if my surgery had been delayed.

Tell us about your experience and how you coped. What was the impact on your loved ones? What did they think?

Let’s talk.

Posted by Doug

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