Opinion | Breast cancer blog: Internet support groups bring me an oasis

Despite the many well wishes from friends and my swim squadmates, breast cancer can at times feel like flying solo. A month since being diagnosed there is at times an immense emptiness, a void unexplained. “Get well soon,” wishes no longer really work.

At times I desperately seek an oasis and a community. So far the pickings are slim; I’ve found a mere two 40-and-under ladies with the same diagnosis, and one isn’t up to talking as she’s undergoing chemo.

When being thrown life’s lemons some people hit the bar, others the shopping malls or the gym. Retail therapy and the treadmill works to a certain point, but what I really want is to talk about the emotions and fears surrounding the cancer, and that’s when it gets tough (it’s hardly the kind of banter one would have with a bartender). I’ve considered taking the pastor or the shrink route, but who I really want to talk to are others like myself.

So I’ve turned to Facebook and the Internet to hunt for others like myself, because I am fast learning that even family are limited in how much they can talk about the nitty gritty of post-lumpectomy symptoms, feelings of anger and loss, not to mention the occasional rant I have with my left breast.

The good news is that there are a ton of breast cancer support groups out there thanks to the power of social media.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Breastcancer.org, and Young Survival Coalition are some of the larger organisations with a wealth of resources and support, but there are hundreds of smaller communities that were born on social media platforms.