As a former Health/Medical television news reporter I have interviewed hundreds of individuals who were either chronically ill, or had gone through some type of terminal illness. I was always able to pull a myriad of raw emotions from these patients, which was great in communicating a story the television viewer would have interest in. My last question was always the same, “What is the one message you want our television viewers to know from this story?”
Since I’m now reliving a portion of those storytelling journalism days through blogging, it was only fair I asked myself that same question, “What is the one point I want my readers to learn from this blog?”
This is what I want you to remember: There is life before being diagnosed with breast cancer, and there is life after diagnosis. The term “before” and “after” diagnosis is as different as black and white; night and day, Venus and Mars, which obviously brings up the differences between men and women, thanks to Dr. John Gray. To watch the rain from the inside of the house and not get wet, while watching from the outside and getting soaked, is the difference between before and after. Coincidentally, after a breast cancer diagnosis, you feel soaked. Soaked with sorrow, soaked with fragility, soaked with fear, but most importantly, soaked with tears.
Those words, “you have breast cancer,” changes the world as I knew it, and would venture to say, how ‘most women knew it.’ Even if the doctor says Stage 1 and non-aggressive; “we are lucky we caught it early.” It’s still Cancer, no matter the diagnosis.
I’ve enclosed an article on the importance of support roles amongst friends and family members and how addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of a Cancer diagnosis can help with overall healing.
PS: Thanks for all your nice notes and comments regarding my first blog; for questions or additional information you can reach me through the shower shirt website at www.theshowershirt.com. Please make sure to both subscribe and share my weekly blog.
Stay Tuned,
Lisa F. Crites
The SHOWER SHIRT Co., LLC,
Principal & Inventor
Corporate Healthcare Consultant
Freelance Health/Medical Journalist