Here's To The Friends Cancer Gave Me...And Then Took Away

Cancer has a way of bringing people together and forming bonds you wouldn't expect. But then it can take them away, just as quickly. In this blog post, one survivor reflects on the friends shes gained, and lost, through cancer.

Cancer is so damn selfish. It steals so many things: innocence, stability, financial security, health- but the worst things it steals are your friends. Because once you move into Cancertown, you find your tribe.

"How do you do it? How do you handle the loss of these people you knew? Your friends? How? Maybe you need to take a break, just for a little while..."

If I had a dime for each time I've heard statements made in this vein, from those who love me the most, I could retire. Well, maybe not retire but I could probably go to Fiji...for a couple of weeks. I know it hurts them to see me mourn the loss of another friend, another "pink sistah", or lifer that has left our world; when I tell them that I have another wake, funeral or memorial service to attend.

But I can't just walk away, not even for a little while. Not even when things get tough. Cancer is the illness of a lifetime. Not that I'm trying to make cancer feel like it is all that and a bag of chips,- but it stays with you - forever. Once I was diagnosed everything I took for granted became magnified, tenfold; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I always got that little twinge of pain somewhere on my body, or a cough or a headache that made me pause and panic. I always had follow-up visits with oncologists and surgeons. I knew I would always have to list it as part of my medical history.

I’ve met chemo buddies and support group friends that liked to head out for a quick drink just as much as I did. I found someone at my surgeon's office who donned the same quirky "F*** Cancer" hat that I had. I knew someone that always had a connection to get herbs that alleviate pain and allow you to function more like a human and less like a medical experiment. I joked with these people. We talked about their kid’s achievements, or the devastation this illness has had on our personal relationships. I built these friendships over a connection that no one else will ever understand.

Together these connections become bridges that get you from normal to "new normal" and sometimes you’ll build a bridge from life to death. I hate that bridge. No one wants to cross that bridge but in Cancertown those bridges bisect so many roads eventually you'll find yourself holding the hand of a friend that has no more options...and if the situation was reversed you know they’d hold your hand too.

You never get used to it. Every cancer death is a gut punch and when it is a friend or a peer those are the punches that take your breath away.

Nicole was my first, then Marianne. Soon after came Annemarie and in what seems like the blink of an eye, Roni. This week it was Amanda. These are women I knew, from my community, from Cancertown, from doctor’s offices, and survivor runways (yes, some of us strut our stuff, scars and all, and damn we can work it baby). We’ve had brunches and dinners and marathon late-night Facebook messaging when the cancer demons steal our ability to sleep. All those connections now lost, it never gets easier.

I think back to 2007, when I was first diagnosed, I was obsessed with the 'why.' I needed a reason. I understand that I’ll never have one but the only thing that makes sense is to continue giving back to this community, maintaining these relationships, forming friendships, and building these bridges. It’s so much more than just being supportive but being a friend, being there for them when others may choose to walk away.

I’ll never back away from the uncomfortableness with cancer. I will always try to find a way to make someone smile, even on his or her darkest day, and I always will be here, for you.

Have you ever had a similar experience with cancer and your relationships with people? Share yours in the comments below.