I have spent the last six years reading, researching, and writing about cancer. I am so fulfilled by this work, but sometimes I wonder if it is always the healthiest choice of how to spend my time.
My cancer has never been in remission and it could be with me for a long while yet. Cancer is an uninvited companion in my body, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be on my mind. Usually my expertise about young adult cancer seems like a great asset that benefits my own care and helps others too. But lately I’ve been wondering if I have built a little cancer trap for myself.
Right now I have the luxury of feeling well. I don’t look or feel like a cancer patient, but I think and write like one. What would I write about and how would I spend my time if I moved cancer from the front burner to the back burner in my mind? I don’t even know the answer to this question. And that’s a bad sign. Perhaps while I’m feeling well, I should focus a bit more on the world beyond cancer.
So I’m giving myself a little assignment. For the next few weeks, I’m going to write one post per week that is not about cancer. Just for the hell of it. Just to break my little addiction to the small world of illness I’ve built up around myself. I hope you’ll still read and comment as I experiment with the great beyond.
Do you ever feel like you need a break from focusing on illness or that it consumes too much of your identity? Do you volunteer for cancer organizations, work in the healthcare field, blog or write about illness on top of being a patient too? I’m taking requests: What would you like me to write about in my non-healthcare posts?
Follow this link:
Addicted to Your Illness?
Please check out Kairol’s book “Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20’s and 30’s” at Amazon.com by clicking here.
