The Cancer Club

I feel like I've joined this exclusive club that I've named "The Cancer Club."  I know you are all jealous and wish you could be part of this club with me, but no, it's only for us cool kids with cancer so none of you are invited (unless you have cancer of course, then you may enter).
 
Ever since my diagnosis my phone has been ringing off the hook from random people I don't know asking me how I am doing.  I think I may have signed up for these phone calls accidentally, but I like to believe that as soon as I was diagnosed I became a member of a cool club.  Please let me hold on to that.  I received a call from Monmouth Medical Center first, which makes sense since I received my diagnosis from them.  I thought it was nice that someone called to check up on me.  Then, a week later I received a call from someone at the American Cancer Society.  I've made it to the big leagues!  The American Cancer Society was calling ME!  And this time they weren't looking for donations.

Now, I found this conversation to be a little intrusive and strange.  This woman seriously needed a training course in compassion and customer service.  We spoke a little bit about my diagnosis and how I was handling things.  I was getting ready to end the conversation when she said, "I am a little confused about something.  I see you have a 732 area code, but live in Nassau County."  Now, at this point I should have just said, thanks for checking in on me and hung up, but I continued the conversation.  I told her that I work in Long Island and she called my cell phone, so... yeah.  That's why.  Then she proceeded to tell me that if I have my surgery and treatment in NJ and have to travel back to Long Island, that's going to be a lot to handle.  I thanked her for her concern and told her that my job couldn't be any more understanding if they tried, and that I will be fine.  She then gave me a website where I could turn to if I needed help... something about Careers and Cancer.

After this conversation I felt really weird.  That's the first time I felt like I had become a member of the Cancer Club.  This anonymous woman calls me to check in on me and instead of helping me feel better about my situation she tries to scare me.  I am sure it wasn't intentional, but her compassion was definitely... lacking.

I can certainly appreciate the services that the American Cancer Society offer to cancer patients.  I can see how these services would be extremely helpful in certain situations, but lucky for me, I don't need any of them.  It is nice to know that if I ever were to need these services I'd know exactly where to turn.  But I'd certainly reach out to a different woman.  Too bad I forget her name.

- J.