December 16, 2004
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Today I went to lunch with some of the original members of my breast cancer support group. We’ve never done this before (meet at a restaurant) but the nurse who co-chaired our group had just come back from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference. She has represented St Vincents at these conferences, forever, and she has always been our best source for up-and-coming research. She’s retired so that’s why we didn’t meet at the hospital.
I wish you could see the difference in these women. When I first met them we were all in various stages of struggle. Each of us has learned to care for ourselves in new ways. We’ve all changed our lives so much, in positive ways. We really don’t have anything besides breast cancer in common except for the way we’ve coped with it. Looking around at the faces I admired, I knew what it had taken for us all to get here, to this place of being well. And a few of them are still doing battle. But talk about having your priorities straight.
It felt good to be in the company of women who know me intimately. It’s nice to get together for the holidays but not have to listen to how great everything is and how well everybody’s kids are doing. We are so real with each other, there’s no bullshit. I am not feeling so alone now. They may not be people I consider friends but we are tight. And I feel more like myself when I’m with them.
Comments (10)
wow… a true support group! totally amazing to me that groups like this exists….
The more I read you writing of your life the more I like you… you’re one helluva woman, Pru. (((Big hug)))
What a wonderful post. When you can find a group who knows your struggle intimately, becasue they are living it themselves, that is a rare gift of friendship.
It is great that you are not feeling alone being with people with similar experiences.
IRC on my site, I feel you are very brave and strong, dealing with both physical and emotional things in your life, the way you are dealing with them.
This is such a great post to read at this time of the year
of course I have missed reading you much.
Thank you
Sounds like despite the pain that brought you all together, the end result is a lovely gift of truth.
I so admire you for being part of that support group. I have a neighbor who is 76 now and was diagnosed with breast CA several years ago. Then a year or so ago her granddaughter was diagnosed. Neither of them has a support group. Sometimes I wonder if it’s harder for older women to join groups of other women. I’ve tried to create such groups a number of times and it’s like pulling teeth. But when there’s something as real as cancer going on, it makes sense that you wouldn’t just have chitchat.
It is great to have support of people who can relate. I wish my mother had a group she could’ve hung with… Hope you keep going strong!
ryc: he’s a very special person indeed- hope you learn as much from him as i do!
thanks