Who Knew?

When you're going through a life altering experience, it is quite easy to become completely engulfed in your own suffering and misery, knowing for a fact that things could not be worse for anyone else. You become enveloped in a little bubble which tends to block other people out completely.

And I was pretty much the same during most of 2008. But in November of last year, a close friend's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the first time, I saw what it was like for the primary care-giver to deal with the 'cancer experience'. And it shocked me.

I had never really given much thought to what my mother (who was my primary care-giver) went through during my cancer experience. We talked about it only recently, and I found out that she had to face the fact that I may die, a truly scary thought for any parent. Couple that with the constant worry that I may catch a cold or a cough which could be life threatening given my low immunity levels, concern about my diet and that I was taking all the right medications, managing visitors, doctor's appointments, hospital bills, insurance details.... and of course, dealing with the inescapable grief - how could this happen to US???

When you hear of someone sick with a life threatening illness, you are overcome with pity and sympathy for the person who is suffering. But you don't always need to be sick to be the one that is suffering and in pain, or the one who is more in need of empathy and support.