Finding the Support You Need to Heal During Cancer Treatment

Tracy White was diagnosed with cervical cancer for the first time when she was 40 years old. She was diagnosed again when she was 44. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, Tracy quickly realized she needed the support of those around her to help her to fight the disease. Tracy was accustomed to a very fast-paced life, she had worked as a marketing executive for 20 years before her diagnosis. She commuted two hours a day, worked as hard as she possibly could, and was content being completely independent.

That all changed after her diagnosis. First off, Tracy realized she would have to slow down a bit. After that, for one of the first times in her life, she had to ask for help – and the social support that she needed. “All of the medical costs, as well as the alternative treatments were piling up because I was very proud and independent and I didn’t ever want to ask for money,” Tracy says. “My support group at work was astonishing. The management team rallied around me. My team rallied around me. My bosses rallied around me. They even started a GoFundMe because they didn’t know what to do and they wanted to help.”