Empathy in the Face of Cancer: A Personal Journey
There is not a soul in this world who wants to be visited by the ‘Big C’… and I most certainly didn’t. However, I was truly lucky to have had it diagnosed early. And that’s what I said to all whom I eventually mentioned it to – that it wasn’t anything to worry about as it had been caught early on. And then, a close friend said to me, ”No matter which stage you are at, ‘Cancer’ is not a word you want in your vocabulary”. Food for thought … how right she was, I should not make light of it at any stage.
With that diagnosis…so many thoughts…at work, at home…what do I say, to whom? Sounds awfully pretentious telling people close to you about it. At work, I was obliged to tell of my diagnosis and impending surgery as I would be absent for some time.
And I must say, I was utterly surprised by the outpouring of well wishes I got from so many – friends, colleagues, even people who hardly knew me but heard from a third party. It was not just heartwarming, but deeply humbling. I was just overwhelmed by the total empathy, the compassion and concern I received, offers of help and support.
At the time of first writing this article end December 2024 after my surgery, I was told by my doctor (post crummy results) that I needed to do a bilateral mastectomy, as the post-operative diagnosis now showed…to quote my doctor, “good old-fashioned cancer”. And well, here I am, 6 weeks later after the second surgery, on my way to recovery.
And still, I had so many well-wishers and colleagues rallying around me. I’ve thanked all those who reached out to me, but this is a public ‘thank you’ for the empathy and love I received, which I can honestly say, went a long, long way on the road to recovery. And it truly is the best gift I could have asked for. This is what I would wish for all in pain (physical or mental) – Empathy from those around them.
As for me, when my time comes, and I look back on all that I’m grateful for, this outpouring of empathy will stand out in my mind.
Lastly, to all those who have fought the brave fight, who continue to fight, I salute you all.