Where do people with cancer find support?
Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.Director, Office of Cancer Survivorship, NCI
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ROWLAND
Cancer survivors are an incredible resource for each other. When we look at what would you want somebody to have for their well being, it is contact with other survivors. Because there is nobody like a fellow traveler who can tell you what the road's going to be like. I don't care how good your health care professional is, if he or she hasn't been there, there's that unique validity and authenticity that a peer survivor, a fellow survivor, can provide to you when you are going through this. So I think that survivors themselves are an incredible resource.
For their part, survivors need to know that it is a gift to help people to help you. So it is that two way street, and sometimes you need to tell your family and friends that this is what I need you to do. I need you to take me to my visits. I need you to do the finances, do the travel. I need you to do the bake a casserole. And what I find myself doing in my clinical practice is say, "Look, you need to assign people to tasks. So that it is a win, win; you get to get what you need and they feel great that they get to help everybody makes out.