Young women's support group

I went to the young women's support group today. It meets monthly except in July and August. I really like the group - all of the women are under 45 years old, and so they have the same sorts of concerns, fears, and needs as a result of cancer that I do. Many of them have had breast cancer, but there are other kinds of cancers represented there, too.

It's really comforting to talk to people who have experienced a lot of what I'm going through or what I'm about to go through. I have found out a lot of information about the side effects of upcoming treatment from these ladies. It's also the first group I've been in where I feel comfortable crying, because I've seen several of them cry and it's perfectly accepted there. They're really welcoming, supportive people.

A particularly positive outcome today is that it turns out that I'm not the only person who dislikes the nurse I have to deal with at the cancer centre. Each doctor is assigned a Supportive Care Nurse, and this nurse is the primary point of contact at the centre for the patient. My nurse is neither caring nor supportive. She's not exactly rude, but she's not very nice, either. At least I know I'm not alone in finding her awful; I was worried about that. I know that I can be difficult and demanding (some might even say abrasive), and I was worried that I was somehow rubbing this nurse the wrong way. Usually I know when I'm doing that, though, and in this case I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. So I'm glad that this problem is not all me, at least :)