A cancer diagnosis reminds us of all that’s uncontrollable in life. As does cancer treatment. Because patients are not only warriors on the front line in the war on cancer. We’re also the battlefield itself; regardless of whether the bombs are dropped by the good guys or the bad guys, they still fall on us. We regain a feeling of control by learning what makes us feel better and what makes us feel worse. Some people prefer knowing as little as possible about the road ahead. But in the days before my bilateral mastectomy in the summer of 2006, I wasn’t one of them.
I wanted to know how I would feel afterwards, so I could plan ahead. But despite the many books and web sites devoted to breast cancer, I found nothing that would help me prepare. My knowledge as a psycho-oncologist wasn’t particularly helpful when it came to such practical matters. So, I consulted the true experts—other breast cancer patients. With their help and through old fashioned trial and error, I learned some very simple but helpful tips. I also learned that one of the ways we cope with terrible illnesses is by using our experiences to help other people. While I suffered through my surgery and the days after, I already had in mind the day when I’d use this knowledge to help others, the way others once helped me. Today’s that day.
Continue reading What to Expect When you’re Expecting — a Mastectomy
