The wild hurry and panic that often accompanies a cancer diagnosis is not helpful nor psychologically healthy. Decisions are made by patients under enormous pressure and without preparation.
Dr. Christina Hibbert is a great example of that (you can find her in instagram). She documents her double mastectomy and implant reconstruction ONE WEEK exactly after her diagnosis.
Of course, this is not a straightforward thing. She has suffered multiple complications since and had more than 15 surgeries to help with those. I think she is also suffering a bereavement for her breasts, and PTSD, as well as a host of other physiological complaints, including POTS (where your heart races every time you stand up).
This is a sobering reality. In some cancers time is of the essence, but not so in all cancers. In many situations you have time to make your decisions and you do not have to let anybody rush you. It is possible to ask your surgeon ‘what if I wait a month for this procedure/treatment’?
Many hospital departments, especially those dealing with cancer, are operating under pressurised targets from government. So they have to whisk you into treatment straight away or they’re going to have problems with their managers.
It is probably better to be in a creaking medical system, like I was in the UK, and have sizeable delays, because then you can make decisions in a more normal way. In a panic, you can’t make good decisions.
When your’e considering life-altering surgeries and treatments, it is absolutely fine to take your time if you possibly can. Your cancer is probably not an alien invader. It’s a part of you. It may well be best to remove it, or shrink it with chemicals or radiation, and your doctor can advise you as you ask empowered questions from a place of confidence. It’s important to know that you have the power to make your own choices.
One of my earliest clients decided to leave her tumours alone and treat herself with rigorous holistic methods. This was against medical advice, and I was happy to support her decision-making and power in that situation. Choice is extremely important in every life-decision. Disempowering people is deeply wrong and can cause genuine health harms. Wonderfully, her tumours did not grow. In fact they eventually started to shrink. It took a lot of courage to make that choice. I think it was probably the toughest choice she’d ever made. She continues to do well.
Take back your power: it’s yours and don’t let anyone take it from you.
Lyndsey Simpson, cancer coach and psychotherapist 