Cancer Etiquette: Talking to Someone With Cancer

[sarah]

Hello Denise,
Good point. I certainly could not have continued my work which often required 12 hour working days, and sometimes 7 days a week.
Unfortunately many women cannot afford not to work and have to work.
Some friends even drove themselves to chemo! I live about 40 minutes away from my chemo and it requires driving on a freeway (autoroute), there is no way I could have driven that myself. I was asleep at the end of chemo.
It is unfair to judge anyone by how you react to the various treatments. No guilt should be attributed to those who cannot be tough and manage everything perfectly as before.
I admire those with children who continue to manage.
We are all different and react differently. The important thing is for us to get through the treatment and to find meaning and happiness in our lives. How we do it is unimportant, we each do it at our own pace and in our own way.
I think people who point out people who have continued to work, etc. mean well and mean to encourage us that it is not so difficult but they just don't understand the reality. if you haven't gone through chemo, and hard chemo, how can you possibly understand.
Don't listen to them, listen to yourself and your body and just do whatever it takes to help you through this and try to find happiness everyday and appreciate your family and friends who mean well but don't often say what you would prefer they say or do.
health and happiness
love sarah