clipped from www.medicinenet.comBreaking the News About Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) — Shelley Volz, now 59, got the news about her breast cancer diagnosis 10 years ago, right before she was headed from San Francisco to New York for the wedding of her younger brother.
While she says she doesn't think she found it as difficult as many people to disclose the diagnosis, she did think about others' reactions.
Ideally, Yoo said, women should do less of that at this time. "It's a time they should be caring about themselves, what decisions they should be making about breast cancer. They shouldn't emotionally burn themselves out by caring for others' emotions."
Yoo's advice: "We tell women to seek out other breast cancer survivors, other women who understand, to increase their resources." And focus more on getting emotional support than giving it.
SOURCES: Grace J. Yoo, Ph.D., M.P.H., medical sociologist, San Francisco State University Biobehavioral Research Center; Lori Worden, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., oncology social worker, Grants Pass, Ore.; Aug. 4, 2008, presentation, American Sociological Association annual meeting, Boston; Shelley Volz, San Francisco
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