Hi. I am 39 and was just diagnosed with stage 0 colon cancer.
I
am sure my experience is/will be much easier than most of yours and for
that reason I hesitate to even post here. I do have the utmost
compassion for what you all are going through. My condition will be
treated with surgery only.
The surgery is soon but not soon
enough to spare me the anxiety of waiting. Although I am doing
exceptionally well emotionally, this is still frightening.
What
I'm puzzled about.....other people's reactions. Puzzled, but not
surprised. Most of the people in my life are about as selfish as it
comes. They've always been minimally supportive or totally unsupportive
of me, in good times and bad. (Long story, but trust me, that sums it
up nicely.)
I have lots of coping skills, thanks to a lifetime of
medical problems, but that doesn't mean it's less serious or upsetting.
The people in my life think if you're coping well that lets them off
the hook for acting like human beings towards me.
After all this
time, I still wonder how people can live with themselves, ignoring my
life events while demanding I fall all over them when they have a major
life event. I don't expect anyone to coddle me, but a simple expression
of sympathy would be....normal.
Most people have not said a
peep to me. Not even a card or "gee, sorry you had cancer". I
understand some people are "not good with words" (aka, they don't
bother trying to improve their skill deficiencies), but Hallmark is
better than nothing! I feel like saying, grow up--you're adults.
The
next time one of them whines to me about having the sniffles or expects
me to show up at their 4th cousin's child's 3rd birthday party, I just
might go off on them.
I don't know why I'm posting this. I
usually find Internet forums to be useless because they're full of
bullies. I guess I'm just venting.