Sarah Michelle Gellar says she makes sure she and bestie Shannen Doherty, currently battling metastatic breast cancer, talk to each other every day. This support likely makes a huge impact on Doherty’s treatment, but it turns out Gellar is the one who’s learning valuable life lessons thanks to her friend. Their bond is undeniable.
Throughout Doherty’s battle with metastatic breast cancer, Gellar has been right by her side. Their friendship is the perfect example of support, and it’s benefitted both of them in the long run. According to Gellar, she’s learned important life lessons thanks to Doherty, which includes whipping up some food in the kitchen.
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Support Matters During Treatment
A loving support system can really influence a person’s cancer journey. However, it can also reveal which one of your friends will stick with you through it, and which ones won’t. “Cancer ghosting” is sadly a common thing that happens to newly diagnosed patients, meaning their friends will distance themselves and stop reaching out. On the flip side, it can make you appreciate your true friends even more. Amy Grantham learned this lesson first-hand when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She got to see who was still there while she went through treatment, and got to weed out the ones who were not.
“Cancer is the great revealer in a way of peoples’ true character I think,” Amy tells SurvivorNet. “So one of the things I discovered during my treatment was that it was sometimes harder for my friends and family than it was for me to deal with certain information. Also I very quickly learned who was really there in my life and who was just kind of on the outskirts of it when it was good for them or convenient for them, and it cut right through to the people that are most important in my life.”
Related: I Wanted to Be Me Again, But I Also Needed Their Help Finding That Support System
Studies have proven that patients who are able to stay uplifted and positive typically show more successful treatment outcomes. That’s why the people around you can make such a difference. Whether it’s making you laugh, doing activities together that make you happy, or simply just talking, taking your mind off of a diagnosis can really help you keep fighting.
Breast cancer survivor Amy Grantham says she learned who her true friends during treatment
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