“With great power comes great responsibility.” That phrase, from Peter Parker in Spider-Man, has been resonating with me of late as I am beginning to appreciate the power and implicit responsibility of my blog.
Within 24 hours of my first posts, I received an e-mail from one of my former students, Andrew M, which read in part, “My dad is battling leukemia. He read your first few blog entries and is eager to hear more of your message of hope. Keep up the good work.”
Although my blog was originally intended as an update on my condition for family and friends, I am realizing that my primary audience is cancer patients and cancer survivors.
Recently, a cancer care advocate contacted me about the possibility of guest posts. When I read his article below, I was again reminded of my primary audience and my responsibility to them. Hopefully, this is the first of a series of such posts.
The Support of People is Powerful
Where would you be without your friends? What about your family? There are people in your life that you love very much. However, you may not realize just how important these people are until something tragic occurs to you.
Did you know that there are people in the world who you do not know, but can have a very important impact on your life? These people are not your close friends, and they are not your family. These people exist for a mutual relationship. They receive the same benefits that they give to you.
I'm talking about the support from the people in a cancer survivor group. Though many people know that there are cancer survivor groups, they probably do not know just how important these groups are to cancer patients. These groups can range from groups with common cancers such as breast cancer to even people with a rare cancer like mesothelioma.
Imagine your doctor telling you that you are in the beginning stages of cancer. What would your first thought be? Perhaps you would instantly want to know your options. Perhaps you would think about your friends and family. However, it is unlikely that you would think about people you have never met. It is a bit ironic that these people may be able to help you the most.
Cancer networks offer hope
When like-minded people gather, amazing things can happen. In terms of battling cancer, each patient can offer a shoulder for their peers to lean on. Every patient leans on each other, learning how to walk in a new life. Each patient gives the other patients words of encouragement, words of hope.
Patients who enter the stage of remission will share their experience with new patients, teaching them things that doctors cannot teach. They will offer helpful tips and advice for new patients, giving them information that can greatly increase their health. At the very least, these words of encouragement can help a patient's well-being and state of mind.
Experts agree that optimism is very important for good health. Being optimistic can really help a cancer patient recover from treatment.
Cancer networks offer knowledge
Knowledge is power, and though your doctor has much information, he or she can not give you the knowledge that truly matters: knowledge from personal experience. If your doctor has never had cancer, there is no way that he or she can know exactly what you are feeling. However, your friends in a support group do know how you feel, and they can give you information that is personally beneficial.
If you have cancer, or know someone who does, do not go another second without connecting with someone in a support group. Talking about and writing about your feelings is very important for recovery. These groups are therapeutic to many patients. This article also lists reasons why support groups are very important.
Did you know that there are people in the world who you do not know, but can have a very important impact on your life? These people are not your close friends, and they are not your family. These people exist for a mutual relationship. They receive the same benefits that they give to you.
I'm talking about the support from the people in a cancer survivor group. Though many people know that there are cancer survivor groups, they probably do not know just how important these groups are to cancer patients. These groups can range from groups with common cancers such as breast cancer to even people with a rare cancer like mesothelioma.
Imagine your doctor telling you that you are in the beginning stages of cancer. What would your first thought be? Perhaps you would instantly want to know your options. Perhaps you would think about your friends and family. However, it is unlikely that you would think about people you have never met. It is a bit ironic that these people may be able to help you the most.
Cancer networks offer hope
When like-minded people gather, amazing things can happen. In terms of battling cancer, each patient can offer a shoulder for their peers to lean on. Every patient leans on each other, learning how to walk in a new life. Each patient gives the other patients words of encouragement, words of hope.
Patients who enter the stage of remission will share their experience with new patients, teaching them things that doctors cannot teach. They will offer helpful tips and advice for new patients, giving them information that can greatly increase their health. At the very least, these words of encouragement can help a patient's well-being and state of mind.
Experts agree that optimism is very important for good health. Being optimistic can really help a cancer patient recover from treatment.
Cancer networks offer knowledge
Knowledge is power, and though your doctor has much information, he or she can not give you the knowledge that truly matters: knowledge from personal experience. If your doctor has never had cancer, there is no way that he or she can know exactly what you are feeling. However, your friends in a support group do know how you feel, and they can give you information that is personally beneficial.
If you have cancer, or know someone who does, do not go another second without connecting with someone in a support group. Talking about and writing about your feelings is very important for recovery. These groups are therapeutic to many patients. This article also lists reasons why support groups are very important.
By: David Haas
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