Be Kind to Cancer Patients

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If someone who works for you (or with you) is diagnosed with cancer, please be considerate of the emotions he or she is going through. I was just thinking back to when I was diagnosed with lung cancer and what it was like to go to work. It was not like anything I ever experienced emotionally. A cancer diagnosis will consume every waking moment. I've heard people say that they throw themselves into their work to keep their mind off of what is happening in their personal life. That sounds great but it's not reality for many people like me.

I remember the call from my doctor when he told me I have a tumor in my lung and that I needed to come see him. I also remember going to work the next day (and several days and weeks after) and how hard it was for me to concentrate on my job responsibilities. When you are told that you have cancer, your life is turned upside down and nothing else seems to matter but your life, and your family. In my case a wife and 3 young boys ages 5, 3 and 1. It literally consumed my thoughts and it was very hard to separate that from what is in front of me. After all, if you think you may die, you are thinking of those you will leave behind. A deadline at the office now seems less important. Not that it's an excuse, because work needs to get done and in my case I managed to get it done. I'm only suggesting that in the mind of the cancer patient, it's really hard to separate the work from the personal. I don't believe showing empathy is hard to do. Why not be kind and try to put yourself in the other shoes? 

From my personal experience, showing a lack of empathy to people who are dealing with a life threatening or life-changing diagnosis can be devastating to the person affected. Consider receiving news that your son has Fragile X and may never speak. Or news that your daughter is blind and may never see. Or news that you have cancer and may not live to see your next birthday. Then going to work and having your boss act as if nothing is going on, being tone deaf to what you are going through emotionally. Work still must be done and the world doesn't stop because of a serious diagnosis. But if you are that boss, or co-worker, I hope you will be considerate and think about what it would be like if you received that news.

#KindnessMatters #Gratitude




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