​Talking About Your Pain to Bring Healing

​Talking About Your Pain to Bring Healing
​
For those wondering what has happened to Chat 4 Cure’s blog posts lately, here
is a brief update. On the 11 th December 2017, I went down to Sydney for what I
thought was just going to be a discussion with a vascular surgeon about the
treatment plan for my lymphedema. However, rather than just a discussion, he
admitted me into hospital that day to start treatment right away. This treatment
would last 7 weeks.

Since this treatment began, the lymphedema in my leg has reduced by nearly a
third - go and check out the pictures on Instagram and Facebook.

Sorry for the miscommunication over the break. I felt like I couldn’t do anything
where I was, which in actual fact was the far from the truth.

After spending the first week in hospital, they organised some accommodation
for me about 15 mins away from hospital, with a bunch of other patients, carers,
& family of people attending the hospital. During this time I met a lot of people
who were either going through cancer treatment, or those whose lives have been
affected by it.

I met two parents of a 27-year- old man who had been diagnosed with leukemia
in August 2017. They had been staying at the residence regularly since then. His
mum had quit her job to spend as much time in Sydney as possible, and the
father was doing limited truck work while their son was receiving chemo. I
could tell they were doing it tough and trying to be strong. But deep down I
knew that look of hopelessness and could imagine just how they were really
feeling. One night I decided I would share with them about my journey with
cancer, and the effects it had on my parents and myself. We spoke about some
tough things that they wish could be different. We laughed, we cried, but most of
all we learnt from each other. I told them to “speak out when things hurt. You
didn’t ask for this, it’s not like you did it to yourselves, and you don’t have to do it
alone”.

The following week I saw them in the kitchen where they shared with me the
difference in the way they felt after our chat the other night - “I have not been
afraid to tell people how I feel about all this. I’m being more open and I’m feeling
a lot better. People around me are being more supportive, not only emotionally,
but also financially.”
​
I would love for Chat 4 Cure to be in a position where we could bless families like
this with supermarket and/or fuel gift cards, or even with a cash gift so they
don’t need to worry about money for a little while. I believe that Chat 4 Cure will
one day be in this position, but for now I can only give them the advice I wish I
had been given when dealing with the disease.

This was just one family that I spoke to. There are so many out there struggling
with the same things, and who don’t have the support they need. There is still a
big gap, and Chat 4 Cure wants to do whatever we can to close it.
I want to encourage you to talk about it. Reach out. Talk about the good things
and the hard things, and how it is affecting you and those around you. I hope you
feel a lot better by sharing your journey.