8. My Support Network
I’ve always known that I’ve good people around me but a cancer diagnosis truly made me appreciate what I have. I didn’t realise how strong my support network is until I had to go through chemo. The people who have rallied around me have been truly amazing.
It is hard to know how to support someone going through major illness so I thought I would share some things that my family and friends did that made me feel loved and supported.
Some of the cute presents I received!
“Morning” - a simple text every morning. This was the most calming and stress-free reach out from a friend. Consistently, every morning. I usually just responded with the same, just so she knows I am fine.
“Key driver to your recovery is perceived control and will. Start journaling.” - such a privilege to have a mentor who’s known me since my first job, knows me better than myself AND a trained psychologist. It’s like having a personal crisis hotline.
“Breathe, slow deep breaths” - because some days, even breathing is hard. He reminds me to breathe and gives me a reason to live.
Breakfasts - because it’s the most important meal of the day. Some days, it is the only real meal I have. Family and friends make the effort to wake up early and start work later so they can meet me for breakfast.
Making sure I get home safely after every chemo session - I rotate friends to pick me up after each chemo session, so the burden is not on one person all the time.
Texts and Videos - all the random texts to distract me. On the hard days, I send “need entertainment” texts to a few people. I get instant responses at all hours. So helpful to have friends from all over the world. I’ve videos of their guinea fowls, bees, cats, eagles and jokes about work and life.
Personal trainer - having a trained professional who understands what I am going through, adjusts my trainings based on my energy levels and provides a listening ear.
I am truly grateful and feel so loved and supported throughout this whole time.
Find your support network. It’s important to have people who knows you are going through tough times. That’s what family and friends are for, so let people know.