Patricia had returned to her church prior to her diagnosis. This decision proved to be helpful in dealing with her illness.
Transcript
I had been away from the church for a long time. I’m a Catholic, Roman Catholic, and I had just decided a few months before that that I wanted to go back to church and I did. I have since discussed that with the man who was my pastor. Not long after that I went to a church near here, and then one even nearer after… which I didn’t know about, I didn’t know about the one I’m at now. He was the pastor there at the time. He has since been transferred to Toronto but has remained a good friend whose guidance I value. He said to me, I call that sort of thing small miracles, when you go… when… I didn’t…so I didn’t go back to church because I was diagnosed with cancer, I went back before and then I was diagnosed with cancer. And somehow there was a certain amount of strength included in that after I was diagnosed. I think faith helps people a great deal.
More from: Patricia
More content
- Alternative and complementary therapies – PatriciaFollowing exercise classes with the cancer centre helped Patricia stay in shape and at the same time it provided an informal support group.
- Endocrine (hormone) therapy – PatriciaWhen Patricia started to feel weepy, she checked and discovered that this was a possible side-effect.
- Radiation therapy – PatriciaPatricia comments on the growing awareness about long-term fatigue following radiation.
- Surgery – PatriciaPatricia learned that her breast will not look the same after a lumpectomy.
- Messages to others – PatriciaPatricia sums up several things that could be helpful.
- Managing within the health care system – PatriciaPatricia feels that patients should be sharing responsibility with their providers for their care and decision-making.
- Coping strategies – PatriciaPatricia had returned to her church prior to her diagnosis. This decision proved to be helpful in dealing with her illness.
- Perspectives on treatment pathways – PatriciaPatients do have the right to refuse treatment and Patricia thinks that it is important for the health professional to provide the patient with all the information they need to decide.
- Physical activity and diet changes – PatriciaPatricia encourages women to keep exercising and not stop doing things just because they have cancer.
- Troubling long-term effects of treatment – PatriciaPatricia described the episodes of extreme fatigue she continued to experience and explained how these episodes were different from normal tiredness.