Survivorship

 

Survivorship has become a hot topic in the cancer world.  So what exactly is it all about?  Survivorship is different for each individual cancer survivor.  For some, it is adjusting to the “new normal” once treatments are completed.  For others, it can mean getting back to life as it was before cancer. One important part of survivorship is coping with the diagnosis of cancer and all the changes that have occurred physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually.

I had a wonderful support system during my cancer journey.  There was always someone there with me.  I never had to face any of it alone.  My mother was my biggest support.  I know that I was fortunate and not everyone has this kind of support.  However, even though I had such great support, I still found difficulties in my transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor.  My journey changed my life completely. It affected every aspect of my life.  I was different physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I had to find my “new normal”.  Since then, I have found journaling to be helpful.  I wish I had written down my thoughts and feelings and things that happened when they actually happened.  I recently attended a workshop at The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, AR.  The workshop was titled “Survivors Getting Stronger”.  I had the privilege of spending the day with other survivors and sharing our stories with each other.  We laughed, we cried, and we wrote.  Below is a piece of what I wrote that day…

Bad Hair Day

I got up out of bed and headed for the shower. I had another full day of treatments. I was in the shower washing my hair, when I realized that my hair was starting to come out in my hands.  My heart sank and I felt the tears begin to stream down my cheeks.  There was so much hair falling out.  I couldn't stop myself from running my hands through my hair over and over again. I thought to myself, I'm going to be bald if I don't stop.  I knew this day was coming, so I was surprised at my emotional reaction.  To my surprise, when I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror, I wasn't bald. I couldn't even tell that my hair was coming out by looking, but I could sure feel it. My scalp hurt.  It felt like I had my hair up in a super tight ponytail all day and had just let it down, only a hundred times worse. I finished up in the bathroom and headed to the bedroom to get dressed. I was sitting on the bed trying to muster up the energy to get my clothes on, taking a shower had sucked up what little energy I had started the day with.  My mom got there to pick me up. She came in to my bedroom and began helping me dress. I reached up and touch my hair.  As I pulled my hand away from my head, the hair came with it.  My mom just looked at me and assured me that it would be ok.  She was so positive and encouraging. A few days later, we were once again heading to treatment.  I had a radiation treatment at 9 in the morning. It was late summer, so the mornings were humid but mild. We had the windows rolled down enjoying the morning breeze.  I caught a glimpse of something from the corner of my eye in the window.  I turned to see what it was.  I started yelling for my mom to stop the car as I frantically tried to get the window rolled up.  The car came to a stop and my mom was repeating “What's wrong? Are you ok?”  I calmed myself long enough to say, “My hair is blowing out the window!”  We just looked at each other for a moment and then we started to laugh.  We laughed and laughed until we were crying.  

Christy Scarrow, LSW

 

National Cancer Survivors Day® is coming up on June 2nd.  Christy Scarrow is a Licensed Social Worker and the Manager of Patient Services at Hope Cancer Resources and is a Cancer Survivor.

Been There, Done That...

Imagine that you have recently been diagnosed with cancer and you have noticed that your usually close friends are starting to become infrequent acquaintances.  What if your friends and family seem to expect you to remain upbeat and optimistic, but you are not feeling that way?  Or what if you feel like you've leaned on them so much already... you just can't burden them anymore with your sometimes obsessive need to talk about your diagnosis.

For a cancer patient just starting down the road through treatments to recovery, it's helpful to talk to a compassionate and professional social worker who has the ability to calm your fears and explain what's to come.  Our social workers and patient assistance programs are an important part of what we do at Hope Cancer Resources and, for many patients, they are enough.  But sometimes a patient benefits even more from sharing their experience with someone who has already been through it themselves.  That's when our "Been There" volunteer program can become an additional resource.

"Been There" is a local network of cancer survivors who volunteer to offer their time and an understanding ear for newly diagnosed cancer patients.  Because each volunteer is a survivor, they probably experienced similar feelings and had some of the same questions and concerns during their own cancer journey.  The program provides an outlet for the patient to express all of their emotions - even negative ones -  without fear of upsetting loved-ones and caregivers.  The volunteers are available to help with non-medical questions using layman's terms, and conversations are kept strictly confidential.

The program is managed by one of our licensed social workers, Christy Scarrow, who manages our volunteer programs.  Christy matches patients who request the service with a volunteer who has a close match to their diagnosis or personal situation (single parent, elderly, etc...).  

If you know someone who might benefit from this service, or are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Christy at 479-361-5847 for more information.