Your life will forever be changed when you get cancer. That is just the plain simple truth of the matter, it does not matter if you survive, people still treat you differently. I read a blog where all the bloggers were cancer survivors and every one of them had a story of former "friends" and how they had deserted them, quit calling, inviting them to functions, e-mailing, etc. This is a repeating story among a group of people that need their friends and family now more than ever. It is a damn shame that your "friends" don't have the stomach to talk to you about how you feel or what you may need...I have spent my whole life trying to help my friends and others, but when I got sick I saw just who my friends were and it was an eye opening day!!! For many months I hurt to much to even think about who was calling and stopping by and who wasn't...then one day after about the 20th phone call to a friend that was unanswered and the messages unanswered that it dawned on me that all my "friends" had disappeared, not just busy and had not seen for a while, but as all the other people say, they just dropped off the face of the earth. No one called to ask how I felt, if I needed a meal cooked, help with laundry or housework, a ride to the doctor, a ride to the grocery store or pharmacy(as I now have 14 prescriptions/month), if I wanted to go out for lunch or just talk...I want everybody to know, that yes we have changed and that cancer is now a part of our life but if you call yourself a friend and turn your back on a sick friend, then you are nothing but a selfish, self-centered ass!!!!! I am tired of making excuses for all my "friends", they can't take it or they love me to much to watch this, they are busy, well bullshit!! HELLO we are fighting for our lives and you are worried about your feelings, well I am sorry but frankly I don't care. The only good thing about cancer as far as I am concerned is it pushed me on the computer, then facebook and now blogging...I reconnected with lots of old school friends and classmates, and blogging gets all this off my chest. I am sorry that you have been blasted with all this today but after reading all those blogs it just made me think about the way I was treated. I now have a new group of friends, we check on each other every day on facebook, we let each other know what we are doing and what is going on in our lives, we are getting together Saturday for a picnic and we sincerely care about each other. So never give up, there are caring people out there. Be grateful for your health and loved ones...hug a kid, kiss a friend, smile at a stranger...Health, happiness, peace & love my friends.
