Survivorship – 1: Proactive stance

Survivorship presentation on myeloma survivorship, my first four months.
Part 1 of 6. Proactive stance

1. Survivorship Pro-active stance.
Before I could move forward and fight my disease I had to address issues that would hold back my progress. There was to be nothing holding me back.
Ownership: I had to take ownership of my illness, it was my disease no one else’s. It was then I created my saying “my body, my illness, my treatment.”
Denial: When my doctor told me I had cancer, multiple myeloma, I did not want to believe him. I told him he was wrong, it was some one else’s results. Denial was short, I faced the truth quickly.
Emotion: Tears flowed; at times I could barely talk. I learnt not to let the emotions build up too high; it was that “C” word. I learnt how to release the emotion early, I learnt how to cry.
Anger: I was angry, why me, I have too much to live for, too much to loose, too much work to do. Talking it through with others helped. Like emotions I learnt to deal with anger as it happened, don’t let it build up.
No abuse: There was potential for abuse from me: mental, physical, emotional. My life philosophy of no abuse was reaffirmed. No abuse, not negotiable.
Confront death: Myeloma is a cancer with no cure, a consequence of myeloma is death. I was young, only 53, thought I was bullet proof, never considered death, had no time for it, death was for other people. I had to confront death, bring it out into the open to move forward.
Be a pro-active patient: I wanted to know everything about myeloma, treatment, the hospital system. Being a passive patient was not for me, I wanted to be pro-active.

Links to previous relevant postings:

You have cancer.

Decision made to be a myeloma survivor.

Confronting death from myeloma.

Survivorship – The first 4 months

Late last year (2009) I gave a presentation to my myeloma group on myeloma survivorship, my first four months.
My presentation commenced with my condition at diagnose and I discussed if I wanted to be a survivor.
Some of my strengths are: Positive attitude, can see the big picture, don’t get bogged down with trivia, good planning and organisational skills, a willingness to learn, a self belief that I can do anything. How I used those strengths as part of my survivorship skills was explained in the six survivorship skills I identified.

Pro-active stance: Take ownership of my illness. Before I could move forward and fight my disease I had to address issues that would hold me back.
Myeloma support group: A support system with other myeloma patients.
Team Sid: A network of practical help and support.
Create a myeloma and medical knowledge base: To take ownership of my illness I had to learn about my illness.
Maintain a positive attitude: Continue what I always do, be positive.
Create positive affirmations: Compliments a positive attitude.

My next six postings will expand upon those six survivorship skills.

Two survivorship definitions:
Stages of survivorship: Debbie Moore LBF NZ.
Acute –Begins with diagnosis and spans the time of further diagnostic and treatment effects.
Livestrong - Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Survivorship begins at diagnosis, the moment your battle with cancer begins, and continues through your treatment and beyond.