Fourth Wednesday of Every Month

7:00pm in the Community Room

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Have you been told you have cancer? Worried with anxiety about what will happen to you? Wondering what to do next? What are the chemotherapy treatments like? Will I lose my hair? Is your head filled with all kinds of questions, maybe losing a little sleep? Are you terrified by the word cancer?

 

All of the above is more than normal. I experienced it all and more as I have had Leukemia in 2000, Lung Cancer 2010/11 and finished up Colon Cancer in August, 2018. In my almost 20 years of beating cancer, there are some things that you can’t escape. The number one thing is to stay positive. Believe in the doctors, the nurses, and the medical professionals as medicine has come so far in my 18 years. Tell yourself you are going to beat this cancer with God’s help, family support, and the prayers of those who love you. There are all kinds of clichés about “Positive Mental Attitude” (PMA) and they are all true! Embrace them, study them, and most of all LIVE them. One of my favorite ones is; “life is not about what happens to us as much as it is with how we deal with it”. Another thing you can’t escape is the fact that this will not be easy, but remember that there are a lot of people in worse situations than you are. Another thing you need to realize is those who love you may not know how to act because they are scared of losing the one they love and care giving is not easy.

 

Some simple medical advice. Do not go on the internet and research the problem unless you are a professional. Be careful of TMI. Never go to the doctor alone. Make sure you have at least one other person with you. You can’t be expected to hear exactly what the doctor is saying when you are the patient. Follow the doctor’s orders.

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If you want to come explore where you are and talk about what is going on, please join me on the fourth Wednesday of every month in the Community Room. Please bring your significant other as they are going to need support and it’s important that both of you have a voice in the journey.

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If you want to talk about this privately, please, please call my cell 847-989-7323 or email me at jlucas@stpatrick-lakeforest.org.