When I was first diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, I decided to start a blog about my experience. One of the main reasons was to ensure that friends and family got a true picture of my situation. With a blog, everyone gets the same information.
For me, I find it is easier to 'write' the words then to face a person and 'say' the words. For example, telling someone you have stage 4 cancer is much more difficult than writing it in a blog.
I think the people who read my blog get an accurate picture of my situation but it's the friends and family who do not read my blog that I'm finding are not getting the reality of my illness.
I find that some people think you get treatment, you get better and off you go ... but that is not my reality. My reality is that my treatment is ongoing and my future is very fragile. Some people don't want to/won't believe this is my future. There lies my challenge.
Daria
Thanks for this post, Daria. It reminds me how people have such different reactions to cancer. Not "bad" vs. "good," but simply... different. Just as we all have our personal experience with cancer, so do our family and friends, the people around us who love us and suffer in a different way. It's human nature; people don't want to think about death, much less talk about it. That's one of the reasons this site is so good, though; there are people here who'll listen to you to ANYTHING you want to say. We're a community with big shoulders and open arms. I hope you keep connecting here, Daria - and best of luck to you as you continue to navigate your cancer journey. PJH