Check your neighbors!

kmygil

Hi All,

Just wanted to share something. As we all know, even in small subdivisions it can be hard to know your neighbors. Busy schedules and 21st century suspicion keep us from getting to know those we live near. Anyway, my former next door neighbor is the exeption to the rule. She and her family got out and got to know just about everyone in the area. This week, she alerted me to a lady who lives 3 houses down from me. Yep, 3 houses down and I had no idea who lived in that house, even though we have both lived here for over 10 years.

Anyway, my former neighbor told me that the 3-doors-down neighbor has liver cancer, which is a met from a cancer on her duodenum 3 years ago. I had no idea.

I thought about this and decided to go meet her & offer any help I could; then I actually acted on it. Turns out that she is a fantastic lady! She has a great survivor mindset, and was happy to speak w/another survivor. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor. There is another lady toward the front of our subdivision whom I found out was diagnosed with colon cancer on exactly the same same date as I was, and we could have offered support to each other during the really hard times. So I got to thinking. I bet there are more survivors just in our little subdivision.

Do any of you think it would be a good idea to do a flyer and try to get a survivor group together? We could check on each other & offer tips. Besides, isn't it a good idea to know your neighbors?

Kirsten

shmurciakova

Wow Kirsten,
That is really awesome. I can't believe there was another person right down the street with you going through CRC at the same time! Geez, I have lived here since May and I know the neighbors going in one direction down the street, but for some reason, I have not met any going in the other direction. Isn't that odd? I remember when I was in chemo there was another lady from my town at my oncs office. She had breast cancer and she asked me not to "tell anyone". I was like, I don't even know your name so how am I going to tell anyone? So, just bear in mind that some folks, for some reason, don't want anyone to know. I guess I felt that way at some point too, but it sure would have been nice to have known someone else going through what I was going through!

hopefulone

That is so great. I'm glad it turned out so well . By putting together a flyer, your actually giving someone the option of seeking support. God Bless.

Diane

davidsonxx

Although I would love to have support group in my neighborhood I would never participate in one if it existed. We have a neighborhood association where I live. the officers are a bunch of nosy busybodies that already want to be in every body's business. I would not feel comfortable with sharing in a neighborhood group for fear that anything I said would not stay in the group. I would proceed with some caution for a neighborhood support group. You lose a lot of the anonymity you normally have with a support group.

KierstenRx

Kirsten,
I like your idea. I agree it is very hard to get to know your neighbors. I know in our subdivision of 28 homes a lot of us has been touched by cancer. Our neighbors have had malignant melanoma, kidney cancer, prostate and bladder cancer, rectal cancer (me), and lung cancer. Luckily all of us are in remission. The young lady with lung cancer passed away a couple years ago. It's amazing how much cancer is out there. Makes me wonder where it is all coming from???

Kiersten

shmurciakova

KierstenRx said:

Kirsten,
I like your idea. I agree it is very hard to get to know your neighbors. I know in our subdivision of 28 homes a lot of us has been touched by cancer. Our neighbors have had malignant melanoma, kidney cancer, prostate and bladder cancer, rectal cancer (me), and lung cancer. Luckily all of us are in remission. The young lady with lung cancer passed away a couple years ago. It's amazing how much cancer is out there. Makes me wonder where it is all coming from???

Kiersten

I know what you mean.. When I was being treated at MD Anderson I was just amazed by how huge that place was. There are these giant parking garages and some days I had to go clear up to the top and park like 1/2 mile away from where my appointment was. I could not believe that there were that many cancer patients just at one hospital! Yeek, it really makes you wonder why there are so many. Has there always been this much cancer and we just didn't realize it because we did not have the technology? Or is this something new? Unsure...It is funny when people say, "Small animals are just prone to cancer" (like mice, hamsters, hedgehogs and other small pets), what about people!
Sorry, I know I went on a tangent, but it does make you wonder what the H___.
-Susan

AuthorUnknown

I think you have a great idea. It is true that some people want to remain silent about their problems but you are not asking everyone who has cancer to wave a red flag. You are only asking if anyone would want to participate.

I am sure that caregivers would love to be included as well.

When I read your post, I thought about my tiny community. We live in a rural area and everone is fairly spread out. (Most have 10 acres or more) Yet within a one mile radius I know there are at least five people (including my husband) who have stage 4 cancer and undergoing treatment This is in addition to several in the area who have already lost this battle (three just in my immediate family)

These are all people that I have know for more than thirty years and some are relatives of either me or my husband

There is a gret need in all communities for support. It just seems that more people are being dx'ed with cancer. Especially in my rural neighborhood.

Reach out to others. You will help them and in turn help yourself as well.

Good luck and keep us posted.