A life-limiting cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and cause feelings of panic and fear. But for some people, it gives them license to live in another way, including leaving toxic jobs and becoming more courageous.
In our recently published researchWe wanted to understand the impact of a cancer diagnosis and subsequent experiences on cancer survivors.
We spoke to 81 New Zealanders (23 Māori and 58 non-Māori) who had survived beyond their expected lifetime after being diagnosed with life-limiting or terminal cancer (starting from 4 to 32 years from initial diagnosis), and 25 individuals who identified themselves as their advocates.
We found that there are very alternative ways during which people experience and respond to a cancer diagnosis, but for some it is a trigger for significant change. Of the 81 participants, 26 expressed the view, unprompted, that cancer has had some positive impact on their lives – without also minimising the negative effects it can have.
License to change
Learning that you simply only have a short time to live can undoubtedly be a shock. But it can lead to profound changes.
It’s not unusual for individuals who receive a serious diagnosis to make a “bucket list.” Some people in our study took the chance to travel or move to a latest home.
For others, the diagnosis was a probability to rethink their lives and make more significant changes to their lifestyle. They decided to be more culturally entrepreneurial and learn latest skills.
Many of those people quit their jobs or modified to jobs that suited them higher. Many modified their relationships with the people around them. One talked about showing more love to his children, one other was nicer and stopped sweating the small stuff.
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Some decided to be more selective and now not hang around with individuals who were negative. Others began latest hobbies or crafts that they felt were healing. For one person, a cancer diagnosis gave them the impetus to take a look at things and folks in another way, something they didn’t think would have happened under different circumstances.
Individuals might also have undergone transformation to grow to be who they felt they were meant to be in life. One person, who was given two months to live, embraced rongoā (traditional Māori healing), including its spiritual side. They now love their “journey” and feel that that is what they’re “supposed to be doing.”
For many individuals, a cancer diagnosis gave them the precise to be different and refuse to conform to societal norms, including having a job, saving money, and avoiding risks.
Disrupting diagnoses
One person, who had just months to live, moved out of her apartment, gave away her belongings, quit her job, which she described as toxic, and moved back home to say goodbye to her family.
Most importantly for her, she worked on experiencing “joy” – after receiving the diagnosis, she realized she had lost it. But she remains to be alive a few years later. After some time, she had to find a latest apartment, get a latest job, and regaining joy was put to the test:
I had to start working again. And after all, after I work again, the enjoyment goes down, the time goes down, the remainder goes down, the spirituality goes down.
But not everyone has the possibility to change. Some people’s lives have been limited by the physical effects of cancer, its treatment, or by their personal, social, or financial resources.
Some people do the whole lot they can to make sure that their lives change as little as possible after diagnosis and maintain a sense of normalcy.
Why do we want to know
Given the fear a cancer diagnosis can bring, it’s necessary to realize that there are alternative ways to respond.
It’s also price knowing that some people live longer than expected. Many people in our study got only a few months to live, but one woman lived one other 12 years after being told she had a 12 months.
In addition, this study documents how the disruption brought on by a cancer diagnosis can lead people to break social norms. Where people have the opportunities and resources to change, those around them and their healthcare providers can support them in taking possibilities for a different life.
We have heard people say they consider their cancer as a friend or an incredible opportunity. Some have even felt grateful.
The undeniable fact that cancer opens up latest opportunities for some people doesn’t in any way diminish the grief or sense of loss, fear and anxiety which will accompany such a diagnosis.
Our research supports the necessity to change cancer narratives to consider ways to mitigate the negative impact of diagnosis – while also being aware of the difficulties that can arise after receiving the news, and the variability in people’s ability to engage with it.