Last Tuesday I was privileged enough to be part of panel in a live streaming event hosted by the lovely Avril Chester for Cancer Central in London.
Five of us were given the opportunity to openly discuss the effects of being a carer to someone with cancer.
Whilst our situations were all very different it would seem that many of our experiences are exactly the same.
This stepped beyond the realms of childhood cancer & demonstrated quite clearly that no matter what age the cancer patient is, the deep sense of fear & shock is something that all of us as carers share.
It was clear to see that the depth of emotions experienced by the carers just within the hour long chat was raw, painful & utterly character changing.
It is often so difficult to explain the complexities of a cancer diagnosis & whilst we would never want to take anything away from the patient, the sense of helplessness as a carer is often completely crippling; the continuing mental turmoil is torturous.
It’s a world we would wish on no one & it is a world we will never escape.
I came away with a sense of deep solidarity & respect; I am not alone.
The hope is that others might listen to this & also know that they are not alone either.
Link to the full is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oKCeV6bpprzgXJoMMblOIF0xkfHyE8c0/view
The Little Big C 