Friends? What friends??

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  • babsie
    babsie Member Posts: 17
    edited October 2008

    I had a similar situation, people in my life who I thought would turn the other cheek didn't, and those that I thought would be there every step of the way, turned away and were hopeless and useless.  Someone who I thought was my dearest friend came to the hospital with my husband when I had the mastectomy, I saw her once more about two weeks later and haven't seen her since, that was 2005. I didn't have a lot of friends to begin with, I'm quiet and reserved and being English living in the States I have never felt like I fit in.  That being said, I have always stuck by the friends that I have made, why can't they do the same?.  It's almost like when you say breast cancer and mastectomy, they "hear" leprosy.

  • koshka1
    koshka1 Member Posts: 678
    edited October 2008

    HUGS TO ALL OF US....BIG BIG BIG HUGS!!!

    KOSH

  • Pam777
    Pam777 Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2008

    Sorry your " Fair weather friends" deserted you.  I quess they wern't true friends.  We had the same thing happen to us when my husband had a serious car accident and it seemed like our friends didn't seem to care.  I call them fair weather friends.  Now my husband has been diagnosed with throat cancer and we haven't met the same response.  We actually got alot of help when the car accident happened from church and community members(strangers) but our friends where not much around. Sad. Sorry your having to meet the real world.  Find a good church.  God Bless/In Christ  Pam Holloway

  • OG56
    OG56 Member Posts: 897
    edited November 2008

    I have to say that I too was disappointed by the abscence of some people whom I thought loved me during my treatment. I did call one and asked her what happened and she said" I thought you were so busy and your family would be there that I should wait" then she said " okay I took too long and I am sorry" I think people don't want to take time out of their lives to deal with sick people. My husband didn't come to Omaha (and he could have) for my surgery and he thinks he did alot by buying me a plane ticket home " so you could be with your family" he was absent through all my treatment and never really wants to talk about it, so I come here. I know a woman who had a double mast. 12 years ago and she say's you have best friends and breast friends...

  • Jorja
    Jorja Member Posts: 9
    edited September 2009

    I finished radiation Oct. 1st and did the Race for the Cure Oct. 5th with my best friend. When we were at the starting line (I'm wear a pink survivor shirt) someone ask "how long I had been a survivor?" My friend said "O about 13 years".  I know she was aware of what was going on in my life since she drove me home after surgery.  To this day I'm still amazed!

    My first bout was 13 years ago.

  • hollyann
    hollyann Member Posts: 2,992
    edited November 2008

    Well, when i was dx not one of my 4 brothers and only 2 of my sisters called me at all......I havent seen my brothers or talked to them in years...The last time I saw my oldest brother I hardly spoke to him because he is like a stranger to me.....I have 3 sister who I keep in constan cpontact and 2 sister I hardly ever speak to............I am the youngest of  13...there are only 9 of us left.....but we are not close....All of my close freinds disappeared too after my dx....i got NO help from family or friends during my recovery except for 2 days when 2 of my out of state sisters came down fo 2 days after my surgery.......Mt hubby was not much help ...He never did  houswork or anything....He even didnt  want to take time off to stay woth me the first week after surgery..He got his psychotic sister to stay with me...yea right no help there..she spent most of her time outside smoking...and when my daughter needed to be picked up from school because she was sick my dh got pissed because I got his sister to go pick her up...Like I could do it and didnt need her to do it ........i tell you I have come closer to divorcing this ditwad dh in the last yr than ever before......If I had soemwhere to go...but then again  friends and family abandonment...you have nowhere to go..........Even co workers who live in my neighborhood didnt even stop by on their way home form work to check up on me...i actually had total strangers come to my house with food and to help me...They were customers from the store I work for.....I have new friends in them.....Now when I meet someone newly dx i ask what can I do and when...and what do you like to eat?...I'll bring it by......i call a couple of my bc sisters in the area and check up on them every week or every other week.....I dont want anyone I know with bc or any illness to feel abandoned the way I did......Great Big Hugs to you all!!!!!!............Lucy

  • Carmelle
    Carmelle Member Posts: 388
    edited November 2008

    because of all the nice caring friends i had I hate to be negative but...

    My best friend at the time, in a small town where i knew nobody and had no family. Was so supportive when I told her dr had ordered a mammogram at age 38 for Bc. i was not scared at the time and she acted like she was so concerned. welll when the biposy came back positive and I was in shock and trying to plan out my bilaterl amst and likely chemo etc. She was GONE.

    She became angry at me after I bailed on her cocktail party two days after I was told I had BC.

    Called me right before my surgery to see "What was new?" Angry again that i had not called to tell her what was going on. I had not heard from her since her little shindig weeks before.

    I mean i felt so alone and abandoned I could not believe it. I had a 1 year old and a 3 year old and so did she. i thought she would empathize with what i may be feeling.

    Cancer peels the masks off people. yourself included.

    Michelle

  • LeeLeeLynn
    LeeLeeLynn Member Posts: 23
    edited May 2013

    I have not told any co-workers, parents, neighbors etc... Friend who is an Oncologist nurse has been useless...except for saying "please don't die" and telling me stories of shopping for $80 bras. Another friend invited me to shop for underwear 24 hours after surgery and constantly whines about her problems, and that she had a friend who had a lumpectomy and radiation and it "was nothing, breezed right thru"which reminds me of the post "shut the f____ up". I needed to vent after lurking for 4 months. I appreciate all of the educational posts. My sister and husband have been wonderful though, on a positive note.

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