Suzi's Diary

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Suzi's Diary
As I waved good-bye to my mother, as I headed back to my home in FL after a Thanksgiving visit in the fall of 1982, I had no idea that in just a few hours she was headed to a surgeon to have a “lump” in her breast examined. It was not until a week later that I received a call from my father informing me that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a radical mastectomy. Somewhat shocked and having little knowledge of what this meant, I was requested to come home and care for her upon her return from the hospital. Without any hesitation, I was on the next plane headed back to NY. And so began my role of “caregiver” and introduction to cancer and breast cancer in particular.

The weeks that followed were filled with tears and laughter as together we explored all of the questions and fears trying to make sense and understand any of what my mom was experiencing. I remember her saying to me one sleepless night at 3AM, “why me?” and I lay there feeling sad and helpless at the time.

Over the next 20 + years, I served as caregiver to many people in my life that had been diagnosed with cancer. Along the way, I continued to learn more about myself and my role as “caregiver” as well as the importance of how to care for those diagnosed with cancer. Care giving seemed to come to me naturally, yet recognizing the need to take care of my self first and foremost took a while for me to grasp. Click Here to Continue Reading Suzi's Diary.