Mom: “Cancer isn’t contagious. It’s okay to talk about it”

It’s been almost a week since the doctors removed a tumor from my mom’s breast, and all is going well. Well, sort of. Mom has cancer, which is not a good thing. And the waiting is starting to take its toll, and my mom is struggling with the after effects of the operation. To keep infections at bay, she was prescribed a certain tablet, which made her sick as a dog. After consulting her GP, mom has now stopped taking the medication. On top of that, the respiration tube caused a small jab in her mouth when it was removed meaning her mouth was a bit sore for a few days.

Luckily, the wound in her breast is healing well, and she has had her first glass of wine this weekend – which is always good news. I told her that she should eat. Mom is like me: when I am stressed, I can’t eat. She needs to eat to keep her strength and energy levels up.

Unfortunately, mom has to miss dad for a couple of days. He has to go overseas for work, which he can’t cancel. She understands, and my dad understands that he has to go, but I sense that they are not very comfortable with this situation.

I was and am very happy to hear that m parents are getting a lot of support from family and friends, in the form of cards and flowers. However, it seems that some people are afraid to talk to my folks about the cancer. That is why mom this weekend decided to send out a very kind email to all her friends and family explaining that it is okay to talk to her and dad bout the breast cancer, to stop b for a visit and to give her a phone call to chat. “A lot of people are scared to talk about cancer, and therefore unwillingly alienate cancer patients. This makes us – me – insecure and lonely. Cancer is not contagious and while it is scary, it is okay to talk about it,” she wrote.

I think this is quite a brave step to take.