I did not realize how much people don't know about cancer in general. Cancer is the giant dark umbrella that most people view as a death sentence. Truth is, there are SO many types. Within those types, some grow faster than others. They all feed off different things. There are no cookie cutter treatment plans. There is no uniform prognosis.
Breast cancer is not unique. It was actually difficult to find women who had the same diagnosis as me. In that way, you actually do feel alone in your diagnosis.
Telling people about the cancer is the worst. It is emotionally draining and you can't help but feel like you are somehow guilty in making them hurt. People are frightened. They are afraid of the unknown. They are scared of death. They don't know what to say or do. And that's ok....but as the one doing the talking - it really is exhausting.
Perhaps the worst people to tell are your own kids. All they know about cancer is that people die from it. As we told our
kids, we had to list off all the people we know and love who have had different types of cancer and who are currently kicking ass. Here are the top three questions you can expect from kids:
Does it hurt?
Will you lose your hair?
Will you die?
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