From the first hint that something might be wrong, each of us begins the process of hoping and coping.

We hope……the node is swollen because of a cold, or virus……..the ache is from a bump we don’t remember………..the lump is just fibrous tissue……..the light spot on the x-ray is a flaw in the film…….

Then, when we get a double-dose of reality (You’ve Got Cancer!!), we have to find a way to cope. As treatment progresses, coping becomes self-preservation.

For some, coping is being able to focus on something other than our medical condition. For others, the opposite is true. They immerse themselves. They look at every resource, examine every text, trying to learn as much as possible about their disease.

Some focus on family, drawing strength from relationships that do not judge, but exist only to nurture and support. Others find solace in surrounding themselves with persons similarly situated, and join support groups.

When treatment gets particularly rough for one person I know, he closes his eyes, and drifts to a place where he’s on his beloved Harley, reliving favorite rides, and experiencing ones not yet taken. He copes.

At some point, we drift back to hoping. We hope…….the treatment reduces the growth…….the surgery got it all……..the upset stomach isn’t a sign of relapse……that we will be here to see graduations, weddings, births………..

Share here. Tell us your hopes and your copes. Your story just might help someone else.
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