Cancer Stories of Patients and Relatives

Starting 1988, with my establishment of the Cancer Crusaders Club (which is still in existence up to now - November 6, 2020 - 33 years after), I placed importance on cancer stories, meaning asking patients and relatives to share their cancer stories, essentially cancer journeys. In the annual Christmas get-together of the Cancer Crusaders Club, I and my secretariat would ask cancer patients and relatives to do oral or verbal sharing. We would choose 3 to 5 sharers per meeting. Majority of my Cancer Crusaders have been reluctant (shy) to share. However, they realize the importance as they love listening to the sharing of cancer stories of other Cancer Crusaders and look forward to attending the yearly affair to hear cancer stories. I have been using the sharing of cancer stories as the main tool in providing psychosocial therapy and support to my Cancer Crusaders and in my Cancer Crusaders Club.

This year, 2020 (starting November to December 2020), I am refining my cancer story sharing program. I am trying to make cancer story sharing more structured. Hopefully, I can measure the impact of the program. I am also motivating more cancer patients and relatives, especially mine, to do sharing of cancer stories.

The following narrative will show what I did along these new resolutions:

Practically, in the whole month of October 2020, I formulated self-assessment forms for psychological distresses experienced by cancer patients in different phases of their cancer journey. I completed them on November 4, 2020.

See: https://sites.google.com/site/cancercrusadersclub/survey-forms-on-psychological-distresses-in-different-phases-of-cancer-journey

I was happy with my outputs. For the first time in my life, I was able to systematize in the simplest way possible (I don’t expect everybody to agree) the identification of psychological distresses usually experienced by cancer patients, particularly in the Philippines (based on my 44 years of personal experience – 1976 to 2020); their assessment in terms of severity or intensity of the distresses; identification of coping tactics commonly or may be used by Filipino cancer patients; and their assessment of effectiveness and outcomes of the coping tactics used. Although I placed “addendum boxes” for the respondents to add more to my suggested options in the survey and gave them opportunities to expound and explain in details in a free-wheeling fashion, honestly, knowing the usual respondents, they will usually place “NONE” or “NOT APPLICABLE.”

So, what happened next? In wanting to make my survey as useful as possible, I decided on an additional motivating tactic. That, of granting of cash awards but making sure that the respondents come out with a structured and comprehensive sharing of their cancer journey.

Thus, birth of Cancer Crusaders Club Excellent Cancer Journey Sharing Award. I launched this on November 6, 2020.

The mechanics of the Excellent Cancer Journey Sharing Award is seen in this link:

https://sites.google.com/site/cancercrusadersclub/excellent-cancer-journey-sharing-award

Cancer journey sharing or sharing cancer stories is a meaningful and effective way to raise awareness (about cancer, its treatment, prognosis, psychological distresses, etc.) as well as to provide psychological and psychosocial support therapy not only to others but also to the sharer herself or himself.

Cancer journey sharing or sharing cancer stories are usually done through blogs, social media, and cancer support group meetings.

With the COVID19 pandemic, I shifted gear for the cancer journey sharing or sharing cancer stories for my Cancer Crusaders Club. I will be focusing on blogs, social media and virtual meetings.

ROJ@20nov7