Yesterday was the 45th anniversary of the Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and somehow the songs keep creeping into my head. My neighbor was a huge Beatles fan when I was growing up, so I became one too.
“I get by with a little help from my friends” is like a little record in my mind right now. And it is true. My friends are my base of support. They have made cancer a doable thing and for that I am thankful. From the first phone call where my husband listened as I was told I had cancer they have been there.
I am convinced that a team of support is a necessary thing to a survivor, especially those of us dealing with metastatic disease. They help me see things from different perspectives and hear what is really being said at the doctor’s office.
My friends make me laugh and take care of me when I need to be taken care of. They also encourage me to draw on my own strength and to pursue things that help me to be strong and healthy. Because they are not survivors themselves they can support without needing support in return. If that sounds a little one sided it’s true, but I support them in other ways. It works for us because we all get by with a little help from our friends.