Showing posts with label young cancer patients. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young cancer patients. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Raising cancer awareness
One rap video at a time....
He's 19 and should be a UCLA freshman instead of sitting in a hospital room with a chemo pole. Between treatments he created a rap song to show the every day life of a cancer patient which he hopes JayZ will hear and help him raise awareness about cancer.
I can verify it sucks to be 19 and diagnosed with cancer. Go for it Thomas.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Age makes a huge difference
At both my cancer diagnosis, I was told 'you are definitely too young to have this type of cancer'. Gee thanks. Was that supposed to make me feel better? Because it didn't.
At my second diagnosis, I joined a support group for newly diagnosed patients which included a 28 year old. Then there was me and then everyone else was a decade or two older. I could relate to the 28 year old's concerns more than some of the older women. We still remain tight as a group but the youngest of us, now nearly 35, is thinking about starting a family, if at all still possible. She has a completely different goal than the rest of us.
I know a 22 year old going through treatment for liver cancer and she had surgical drains that were big and nasty for weeks and couldn't wear the fun clothes she wanted. She wants to have fun with her friends and stop going to the hospital. I can sympathize. Its summer and time to have fun, not wear baggy clothes to hide drains.
When I was 19 and dealing with thyroid cancer, I didn't want to stay home as my friends went out. I also didn't want to have to explain the scar across my neck to everyone - the scar that hadn't been there at the end of my freshman year but was newly done and bright red across my neck. Turtle necks in the summer time were not and never will be a fashion statement.
Don't call young people with cancer superficial if we thought of fashion first and then going out with our friends. We were just trying to be ourselves and deal with what is important in our lives. Dating is way more important to a 20 year old than it is to most 50 year olds. Scars and drains put a damper on going to the beach and baring almost all. The idea of getting naked with someone which showing all your surgical scars can make you think twice or three times.. That can put another damper on your dating life.
I have always been a fan of Stupidcancer.org (and wish it had been around decades before). I read this article yesterday about how it got started and the support groups for young adults which have been meeting in CT for the past six years. It illustrates the different needs between young and older adults with cancer. If you are under 40 and dealing with cancer, get to one of Stupid Cancer's events and meet people who can relate.
At my second diagnosis, I joined a support group for newly diagnosed patients which included a 28 year old. Then there was me and then everyone else was a decade or two older. I could relate to the 28 year old's concerns more than some of the older women. We still remain tight as a group but the youngest of us, now nearly 35, is thinking about starting a family, if at all still possible. She has a completely different goal than the rest of us.
I know a 22 year old going through treatment for liver cancer and she had surgical drains that were big and nasty for weeks and couldn't wear the fun clothes she wanted. She wants to have fun with her friends and stop going to the hospital. I can sympathize. Its summer and time to have fun, not wear baggy clothes to hide drains.
When I was 19 and dealing with thyroid cancer, I didn't want to stay home as my friends went out. I also didn't want to have to explain the scar across my neck to everyone - the scar that hadn't been there at the end of my freshman year but was newly done and bright red across my neck. Turtle necks in the summer time were not and never will be a fashion statement.
Don't call young people with cancer superficial if we thought of fashion first and then going out with our friends. We were just trying to be ourselves and deal with what is important in our lives. Dating is way more important to a 20 year old than it is to most 50 year olds. Scars and drains put a damper on going to the beach and baring almost all. The idea of getting naked with someone which showing all your surgical scars can make you think twice or three times.. That can put another damper on your dating life.
I have always been a fan of Stupidcancer.org (and wish it had been around decades before). I read this article yesterday about how it got started and the support groups for young adults which have been meeting in CT for the past six years. It illustrates the different needs between young and older adults with cancer. If you are under 40 and dealing with cancer, get to one of Stupid Cancer's events and meet people who can relate.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Young adults and cancer
I read an article on the Atlantic about the plight of young cancer patients. First of all, please do not use the word 'plight'. A plight is defined as: a condition, state, or situation, especially an unfavorable or unfortunate one. To me its another one of those sneaky, snarky labels with negative overtones. And the article also calls them survivors which is not my favorite term as well. A double negative for me.
Yes, life sucks after a cancer diagnosis. Particularly if you are younger and there are no others around with cancer to help you cope. I was one of them and I do not think that I had a plight. I had a life to live and figure out.
After cancer at any age, you are left with a mangled body, soul, and finances. I was luckier than most as my cancer did not require chemotherapy at age 19. My finances were covered through my parents' health insurance but I had the body and soul of a cancer patient.
Well back to the article. I did like it. I did like the information provided about the issues a young cancer patient is left with. If some one at age 20 is diagnosed with cancer, in addition to everything else, they are left with deciding what to do with their future. Maybe they were in college and were planning a career, now they have to decided can they finish their studies as previously planned and then go on with their career.
What about dating and children? Would a potential partner be turned off by their scars and medical history? Are they now damaged goods in the dating world? If you are diagnosed at age 60 which is somewhere closer to the average age at diagnosis for most, dating and children are no longer an issue.
And finances - take your average post college debt and add on top of that medical bills. Where does that leave the young adult with cancer starting their life after cancer?
Finally, how do you repair the damaged soul of a cancer patient? I can tell you it can take a very long time before you want to open up and talk about your medical crap with anyone - even a therapist. Healing is difficult, long term, and deeply scarring.
So next time you see a teenager or 20 something at the oncologists office, think about what they are going through and where they are starting the rest of their life. How do they get a to a new normal for their adulthood if they never had one in the first place?
Yes, life sucks after a cancer diagnosis. Particularly if you are younger and there are no others around with cancer to help you cope. I was one of them and I do not think that I had a plight. I had a life to live and figure out.
After cancer at any age, you are left with a mangled body, soul, and finances. I was luckier than most as my cancer did not require chemotherapy at age 19. My finances were covered through my parents' health insurance but I had the body and soul of a cancer patient.
Well back to the article. I did like it. I did like the information provided about the issues a young cancer patient is left with. If some one at age 20 is diagnosed with cancer, in addition to everything else, they are left with deciding what to do with their future. Maybe they were in college and were planning a career, now they have to decided can they finish their studies as previously planned and then go on with their career.
What about dating and children? Would a potential partner be turned off by their scars and medical history? Are they now damaged goods in the dating world? If you are diagnosed at age 60 which is somewhere closer to the average age at diagnosis for most, dating and children are no longer an issue.
And finances - take your average post college debt and add on top of that medical bills. Where does that leave the young adult with cancer starting their life after cancer?
Finally, how do you repair the damaged soul of a cancer patient? I can tell you it can take a very long time before you want to open up and talk about your medical crap with anyone - even a therapist. Healing is difficult, long term, and deeply scarring.
So next time you see a teenager or 20 something at the oncologists office, think about what they are going through and where they are starting the rest of their life. How do they get a to a new normal for their adulthood if they never had one in the first place?
Friday, January 9, 2015
Age makes a huge difference
At both my cancer diagnosis, I was told 'you are definitely too young to have this type of cancer'. Gee thanks. Was that supposed to make me feel better? Because it didn't.
At my second diagnosis, I joined a support group for newly diagnosed patients which included a 28 year old. Then there was me and then everyone else was a decade or two older. I could relate to the 28 year old's concerns more than some of the older women. We still remain tight as a group but the youngest of us, now nearly 35, is thinking about starting a family, if at all still possible. She has a completely different goal than the rest of us.
I know a 22 year old going through treatment for liver cancer and she had surgical drains that were big and nasty for weeks and couldn't wear the fun clothes she wanted. She wants to have fun with her friends and stop going to the hospital. I can sympathize. Its summer and time to have fun, not wear baggy clothes to hide drains.
When I was 19 and dealing with thyroid cancer, I didn't want to stay home as my friends went out. I also didn't want to have to explain the scar across my neck to everyone - the scar that hadn't been there at the end of my freshman year but was newly done and bright red across my neck. Turtle necks in the summer time were not and never will be a fashion statement.
Don't call young people with cancer superficial if we thought of fashion first and then going out with our friends. We were just trying to be ourselves and deal with what is important in our lives. Dating is way more important to a 20 year old than it is to most 50 year olds. Scars and drains put a damper on going to the beach and baring almost all. The idea of getting naked with someone which showing all your surgical scars can make you think twice or three times.. That can put another damper on your dating life.
I have always been a fan of Stupidcancer.org (and wish it had been around decades before). I read this article yesterday about how it got started and the support groups for young adults which have been meeting in CT for the past six years. It illustrates the different needs between young and older adults with cancer. If you are under 40 and dealing with cancer, get to one of Stupid Cancer's events and meet people who can relate.
At my second diagnosis, I joined a support group for newly diagnosed patients which included a 28 year old. Then there was me and then everyone else was a decade or two older. I could relate to the 28 year old's concerns more than some of the older women. We still remain tight as a group but the youngest of us, now nearly 35, is thinking about starting a family, if at all still possible. She has a completely different goal than the rest of us.
I know a 22 year old going through treatment for liver cancer and she had surgical drains that were big and nasty for weeks and couldn't wear the fun clothes she wanted. She wants to have fun with her friends and stop going to the hospital. I can sympathize. Its summer and time to have fun, not wear baggy clothes to hide drains.
When I was 19 and dealing with thyroid cancer, I didn't want to stay home as my friends went out. I also didn't want to have to explain the scar across my neck to everyone - the scar that hadn't been there at the end of my freshman year but was newly done and bright red across my neck. Turtle necks in the summer time were not and never will be a fashion statement.
Don't call young people with cancer superficial if we thought of fashion first and then going out with our friends. We were just trying to be ourselves and deal with what is important in our lives. Dating is way more important to a 20 year old than it is to most 50 year olds. Scars and drains put a damper on going to the beach and baring almost all. The idea of getting naked with someone which showing all your surgical scars can make you think twice or three times.. That can put another damper on your dating life.
I have always been a fan of Stupidcancer.org (and wish it had been around decades before). I read this article yesterday about how it got started and the support groups for young adults which have been meeting in CT for the past six years. It illustrates the different needs between young and older adults with cancer. If you are under 40 and dealing with cancer, get to one of Stupid Cancer's events and meet people who can relate.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Raising cancer awareness
One rap video at a time....
He's 19 and should be a UCLA freshman instead of sitting in a hospital room with a chemo pole. Between treatments he created a rap song to show the every day life of a cancer patient which he hopes JayZ will hear and help him raise awareness about cancer.
I can verify it sucks to be 19 and diagnosed with cancer. Go for it Thomas.
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