Today on facebook I posted
the following status regarding my cancer.
“OK, so I'm just gonna rip the band aid
off and put it out there...
Went to the Doc and the Oncologist last week. I found out that I have stage 3
colon cancer. Yes, as in three out of four stages. Good, absolutely not.
Fixable, hell to the YES! What now, you say? Once I heal from surgery, I start
six months of chemotherapy. After that my plan is to be 100% cancer free! Damn
good plan, I say!”
Some may look at this is a
social media faux pas. Others might look at it with mild disdain thinking that
the information is way too personal to share in such a broad based manner. But to
me, it’s called SOCIAL MEDIA for a reason.
By definition:
Social: An informal social
gathering, esp. one organized by the members of a particular group: "a
church social".
Media: The main means of mass communication regarded collectively: "the
campaign won media attention".
Today I am doing just
that, communicating information to everyone in my chosen group. How else am I
going to tell over 100 of my friends, family and close acquaintances that I
need to go through chemotherapy? I’m feeling overwhelmed as it is, I certainly
can’t imagine making that many phone calls or writing that many emails.
As the day progresses, I watch
the benefit of my raw honesty unfold. The outpouring of love and encouragement from
everyone washes over me like a tsunami. I am deeply touched and left
speechless. I have always considered myself a connoisseur of inherently good people.
And in recent years, I’ve even done some purging by abandoning those who wish
to bring negativity and hate into my life. Sadly it took me 40 odd years to
realize you can break up with friends, even family, if they aren’t good
for you. So as difficult as it is to throw myself out there, I’m glad I am
because it’s the high octane fuel driving me to beat this thing.
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