Cancer Survivors Discussion Group

This month marks the 6th anniversary of me being told I was cancer free. In many ways I was lucky in my cancer journey. It was caught fairly early. It had not spread. I had to have 2 scary surgeries, but I managed to avoid chemotherapy even though it was the recommended treatment plan of my original oncologist. My journey taught me a bit about myself, changed my relationship to death and mortality and provided me the opportunity to really assess the life I was living. I came out of it with some clarity and a renewed sense of purpose. I also came out of it with some PTSD, some severe scanxiety and a waxing and waning yet ever-present fear of recurrence. My journey led me to work on a national cancer helpline for several years where I talked daily with cancer patients, their families, caregivers and many survivors. One…