The Support of Loved Ones During a Cancer Battle
- Los Angeles reporter Amanda Salas was recently surprised by a segment on “Good Day L.A.” centered around her own cancer story.
- Salas became emotional when her mother and grandmother appeared on screen and she thanked them for their unwavering support as she battled cancer.
- Salas was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in 2019.
- Finding support and spending time with others during a cancer battle is crucial. In fact, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin even says “the act of sharing our time and words with others can alleviate emotional and physical pain.”
Four years ago, the “Good Day L.A.” reporter got news that changed her life forever in the form of a cancer diagnosis. Luckily, she had a loving mother and grandmother who were ready and able to be by her side every step of the way.
Read MoreSupport During Cancer
View this post on Instagram
In a follow-up post to her Instagram, Salas shared how meaningful the surprise segment truly was.
“W💚W! What a surprise! Throughout the whole month of June we have been highlighting #cancersurvivors and their caretakers,” she wrote. “@joshkaplan123 told me he found a story of a woman who said her Mom & Grandma helped get her though the fight, and I thought 💠wow we have something in common!
“Little did I know @jennlahmers and @michellepulfrey came up with a plan to have my Mom and Meema LIVE on Zoom! Touched, thankful, and truly happy to celebrate my support system today on Good Day LA! #nationalcancersurvivormonth ðŸ™ðŸ½”
Amanda Salas’ Cancer Journey
Amanda Salas was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma in June 2019 after four misdiagnoses. The news came after she noticed changes to her health like weight loss, low energy, "things inside [her] body [not] feeling right" and facial swelling.
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
For treatment, she immediately began six rounds of 24-hour chemotherapy, five days a week.
"At first, they had to keep me in the hospital 24 hours a day so I could get chemo for five days," she said.
"Then they gave me a chemo fanny pack with this machine inside. I had never heard of it! Basically, I would get a shot glass of chemo an hour, and the delivery was automated. I was able to do my shopping, go to church, hang out with friends, all while getting my treatment.
"It was very convenient, albeit weird. At first, I was so worried. By round six, I was out dancing and going to comedy clubs this is pre-pandemic, of course with my chemo fanny pack, living my life while saving my life."
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Now on the other side of her cancer journey, Salas has made a point to spread awareness for the disease, fundraise for cancer-related causes and share the lessons she’s learned from the experience.
“In June of 2019, my life changed forever,” she wrote in 2022. “Grateful and humbled every single day to be a survivor.”
Know You’re Not Alone
Finding support and spending time with others during a cancer battle is crucial. In fact, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin even says “the act of sharing our time and words with others can alleviate emotional and physical pain.”
Tracy White knows this to be true. After the fiercely independent marketing executive was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she was forced to dramatically change the way she lived her fast-paced life and ask for help. Thankfully, she found immense support from her work family.
MORE: Finding the Support You Need to Heal During Cancer Treatment
"My support group at work was astonishing," she said. "The management team rallied around me, my team rallied around me, bosses rallied around Me.
"They even started a GoFundMe because they didn't know what to do and they wanted to help. Having that kind of social support from every front of my life just made me feel loved, and supported, and really helped with the healing."
Synovial sarcoma warrior Kate Hervey also found support by opening up to others. But instead of work circles, she shared her story with the TikTok community.
Inspiring College Student, 20, Builds Community on TikTok Sharing Her Cancer Journey During COVID-19
"One thing that was nice about TikTok that I loved and why I started posting more and more videos is how many people I was able to meet through TikTok and social media that are going through the same things," she told SurvivorNet.
"I still text with this one girl who is 22. If I'm having a hard time, I will text her because she will understand. As much as my family and friends are supportive, it's hard to vent to someone who doesn't know what it's really like."
Now cancer-free, Hervey says she couldn't have done it without the love and support of her TikTok followers.
"I feel like I've made an impact on other people and they have made an impact on me through TikTok, which is crazy to say. I can help people go through what I've been going through as well," she said.
Sharing details about your cancer journey with your coworkers or social media followers might not be for you, but it’s important to consider opening up to some others if you feel like you need more support.
It could be a mental health professional, a support group, family, friends, church communities or any number of other avenues, but just make sure you try.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
