Supporters keep survivors strong, focused
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2007, just a few weeks before my 40th birthday. I was a busy mom with two young boys. I was young and healthy and had no family history of breast cancer. Cancer was the last thing I expected.
I had surgery with reconstruction, and then six months of chemo, and then 6 weeks of radiation. I was in pretty bad shape for a while, and forced to accept lots of help from others, which I’ve never been very good at. Some friends sent me little packages in the mail, others cooked dinners for my family, some did work around the house, and others called or emailed or visited. I got lots of cards and notes. And a couple of friends listened to me whenever I had a bad day and just needed to cry. They were all wonderful.
The most wonderful, though, was my husband, Mike. He was and always has been my anchor, and my illness was no different. He cared for me and also took over every detail of running our household. He took care of me after my surgery. He did the grocery shopping and the laundry. And he comforted me when I would cry at night, when I was afraid I wouldn’t live to see my boys grow up.
It’s been eight years now, and I’m still fighting off this disease, and that’s both good and bad.
Good, because I’ve known too many women who wanted to keep fighting and their bodies couldn’t do it.
Bad, because I have to be medicated to keep my cancer from coming back. I just want to put this disease behind me. I doubt that will ever happen.
In the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to find an incredible group of breast cancer survivors in the Machestic Dragons dragon boat team. They say they are a “floating support group”, and it’s true. We rarely talk about our treatments or our disease, but it’s good to be around people who understand.
Dragon boating is a great activity for anyone, but for breast cancer patients and survivors, it’s particularly helpful. Supporters of survivors are welcome to join the team, too, and many do. My husband and my boys have paddled with us once or twice, but for me, this is my activity. This is something I do to keep my mind and body and spirit strong. I think it’s working.