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Cancer has touched the lives of countless Canadians. Coping with the disease first-hand or supporting a loved one who's going through the battle can be no easy task.
Globe columnist and MD Marla Shapiro was on-line earlier to answer your questions about the emotional journey of surviving cancer. Your questions and Dr. Shapiro's answers appear at the bottom of this page.
On Friday, August 13, 2004, Dr. Shapiro found out she had an invasive form of breast cancer. Like the more than 20,000 Canadian women who are diagnosed every year with this disease, her world changed forever. But unlike most of those women, her status as a physician meant she had an insider's knowledge of the disease and its treatments.
Dr. Shapiro's recounts her experience in her newly released book. Life in the Balance is an intimate, inspiring and often surprising account of her battle, from the shock of the initial diagnosis to multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and her agonizing decision to have both breasts removed, followed by reconstructive surgery and recovery.
Dr. Shapiro completed medical school at McGill University and trained at the University of Toronto for her masters of health science in community health and epidemiology. She concluded her specialty training in community medicine receiving her fellowship in community medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She is an associate professor in the department of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto and is in private practice.
Since 2000, she has been the health and medical contributor for CTV's Canada AM. In addition to her weekly appearances on Canada AM, she is seen on Newsnet and as the medical consultant on CTV's National News with Lloyd Robertson. She is also the host of CTV's Balance: Television for Living Well.
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Rasha Mourtada, globeandmail.com: Thank you, Dr. Shapiro, for taking the time to answer globeandmail.com reader questions today on the emotional journey of surviving cancer. You chronicle your own experience in your new book, Life in the Balance, and as we all know, cancer has touched the lives of many Canadians. What would you say was the most significant life lesson you learned during your battle with cancer?
Marla Shapiro: There were a lot of life lessons learned through my journey of diagnosis and treatment. Among the most significant was the fact that I could not shield my family nor those that care for me from their anxiety and concerns. As much as it was my diagnosis and at times I felt isolated from those around me, it was clear that my family was sharing in the impact of my disease. This was not just my disease. It clearly was our disease. Not allowing friends and family in to support you shuts them out and denies their feelings. In the accepting of support, you in turn are supporting them.
I also learned that it is important to balance your emotional commitments with your physical commitments. While my family has always been first in my sense of loyalty and commitment, so often I was not present physically, away with work responsibilities. We often call the time we spend with them quality time, but what do we call the time we don't spend with them? My journey has clearly taught me the importance of balancing attitude with behaviour. It has taught me the importance of priorities and making those priorities a reality.
Dennis Choptiany, Toronto: What was the hardest part of your whole ordeal, from the point of initial diagnosis until today? And are you still living under an emotional cloud or have you been able to move beyond the negative aspects of having had cancer? You are indeed an inspiration to the thousands of women who are in a similar situation, and I am so glad that you have won your battle with cancer and have chronicled your experience in an excellent book.
