Words of support and encouragement from friends and family mean so much and I’ve been blessed with so much support from family and friends and even casual acquaintances.  Emails, cards, phone calls, message board posts and Facebook messages that seem to come just when you need a lift.

But the words from your health care providers are the ones you hang onto and I have been as blessed with my medical team as I am with family and friends. Being referred to as healthy when you are being treated for cancer, being told you did nothing to cause this, reminded of your (relative) youth, not being talked down to, feeling like  you are in control of your own healthcare all help you to feel like a person with cancer instead of a cancer patient.  That might seem like a small distinction, but to me it’s huge. And it matters.