A mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming. Whether you’re the person who has the disease or the one walking alongside – the impact can be just as devastating.
You suddenly find yourselves going down a path you never imagined and have no experience with. The focus and attention, understandably, is on the person with the disease – how to manage the symptoms, how to make them comfortable, you’re in and out of medical appointments, discussions about end-of-life planning are needing to take place… and so much more.
You want to be there for your loved one and extended family. And you may feel that you need to be strong, to keep things together.
But whose there for you?
Nola’s world was turned around in May 2022 when her husband of 49 years was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
“I met Lizz at our first ‘Meso Mates’ gathering in the city. I was way out of my comfort zone and found the meeting very daunting. I was looking at other people in the room, listening to their life situations and saw my husband and us in those conversations, our future,” says Nola.
“I struggled to keep myself together. At the end of the meeting, Lizz and I had our first girl-to-girl chat about being married to the love of our lives and dealing with something so life-changing. I had the chance to talk about my feelings and living and caring for a person with mesothelioma, an experience we share. Lizz is a very genuine and supportive person who talks from her heart. It was comforting to talk to someone outside of family yet feels like family.”
“The second time we came together, at a large public gathering of people at an End-of-Life Planning Workshop, I broke down in public and had to leave the room. Lizz came with me. Her comforting hugs felt so good.
“Being able to talk to someone about things they understand, because they’ve travelled the same path before me, makes me feel so comforted. I feel able to confide in someone and to share my innermost thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings that my protecting motherly instincts won’t allow me to share with medical professionals, Ron or my family. I trust Lizz completely.
I am a very private person and don’t easily open up or share my personal and innermost feelings, but Lizz has given me the comfort, freedom and confidence to contact her at any time. Her personality, her strength of character, her honesty and her ability to communicate that shared experience has made us friends for life.
“Thank you, Lizz and the team at Reflections.”
Nola
With lived experience of supporting a loved one with mesothelioma, we are comfortable to walk alongside and help navigate the road ahead… or just be a listening ear.
If you or someone you know is affected by mesothelioma, contact us today. You’re not alone.
