Healthy Conversations: Angela Current, Cancer Survivor 2.0

One of the things I try to do here with Pulse + Signal is to highlight the human side of public health. Once again, although there are plenty of numbers and data to be examined in public health – it really boils down to the people that are affected and whose lives can be improved.

That’s why I am really excited to get the story of Angela Current, a friend of mine that I met through Twitter, out here for you all to be inspired/motivated. The fantastic thing about Angela is that apart from being a six year Liposarcoma survivor (in her leg), she is a dedicated runner that trained throughout treatment and three surgeries – running her first 5k race eleven months after diagnosis!

With Angela I wanted to delve into the psych and thought process of a cancer patient who gained encouragement & motivation through social media and online networks. Although many of the current trends in the 2.0 world are looking for the next big shiny thing, when it comes to the health of individuals sometimes it’s just finding support and pertinent information that is what’s needed. Don’t just take my word (or Angela’s for that matter), the Pew Internet Project has great numbers that reinforce how people use the Web for finding health information.

Here is the Q&A session I had with Angela:

Pulse+Signal: When were you diagnosed with cancer and what sort of information/resources did the doctor give you as far as learning about your condition and understanding what can be done about it?

Angela: When I was initially diagnosed, I had hounded my doctor until he told me over the phone. This was on a lovely Friday the 13^th, giving a whole new respect to that day. I was told that it was a Sarcoma and he didn’t know what the treatment would be, as it was such a rare form of cancer. I didn’t get to see the specialist the following Tuesday. With so little information, I spent the weekend expecting to lose my leg and having to go through chemo.

Once I saw the specialist (he informed me that there was no reason to lose the leg or go through chemo) and he did the biopsy, I was formally diagnosed with Liposarcoma (a six inch by 4 inch mass all behind and wrapping around my right knee). With that information, I was able to dig in and seek information online. Besides the basic information (name and a one page description) most of the information, I had to find on my own.

Pulse+Signal: Prior to being diagnosed, had you been familiar with social media and its tools?

Angela: Before diagnosis I had visited chat rooms and did basic research/internet surfing, but everything changed after that.

Pulse+Signal: When did you first think about engaging with social networks and for what purpose did you think it would serve?

Angela: I immediately dove into social networks to find research and just to find someone/anyone that had been through what I was about to go through. I was desperate to find someone that could tell me what to expect. I knew radiation and surgery was ahead of me and wanted to know that I was going to be okay

Pulse+Signal: Tell us about your first encounter with social networks geared toward your (then) life with cancer – pros and cons?

Angela: I ventured into a couple different chats for cancer survivors/caregivers, but found that the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network to be the one I stayed with, along with the WebMD Cancer Support Board.

The chat was nice for instant moral support and for meeting people like me, with cancer. The only drawback was that on rare occasion, someone would stir up trouble, but that happens with any sort of chat. I developed some wonderful friendships through that chat and it assisted me in getting through a very difficult time.

The support board was nice in that you could post questions and often when you came back, the answers were waiting for you. I’m still very involved with this board and love the incredible relationships I’ve developed through it, as well. You could vent your feelings, without worry of someone thinking less of you, because everyone understood what you were going through.

Pulse+Signal: Overall, how did the use of social networks help you through your battle with cancer?

Angela: Overall, I can’t see how I could have made it through my cancer experience without the support I received through social networks. I was the only person in my family to deal with cancer, so no one knew how to deal with it or me. Being the youngest of most of my friends, I became a sad reminder that it can happen to anyone and most of my friends just vanished. They didn’t know what to do or say and I understand that, but it left me alone on a number of levels. The chats/boards became my lifeline and about the only social life I had for the next several months of treatment and therapy. The moral support was priceless.

Pulse+Signal: What can others learn from your experience? What advice would you give newly diagnosed individuals regarding the impact of social networks/media for getting through cancer?

Angela: Through social media, no one needs to feel alone when going through a crisis like cancer and the fears, depression, etc. that comes with it. It’s a wonderful way to find people going through exactly what you’re going through. I found a woman in Florida that was going through exactly what I was going through and she was an angel when it came to support.

I would recommend anyone dealing with cancer to get involved with the social support available out there. Especially if you’re lacking support and information, it helps to fill in the voids. There are some incredible people out there that have long since been through the battle and they have personally dedicated their time to assisting others. It’s wonderful to have a family to go through the battle with you, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to communicate with others that “get it” with cancer. Only those that have been through it can truly understand it.

Pulse+Signal: Any resources you would like to share that have been a particularly helpful?

Angela: As I mentioned, WebMd has a wonderful Cancer Support Board on their website and the American Cancer Society has nearly limitless resources and support through their website. I can’t say enough about how wonderful both those sites are.

I always say that cancer is a lonely place and when diagnosed you need to be able to find people that understand where you’re coming from. It can make a huge difference in how you deal with the circumstances.

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Thanks so much Angela for this fantastic insight into how you approached interactive online resources to help you through your treatment! Angela is a certified resume writer and career coach – you can also find Angela on Twitter!

Alot has changed over the past several years as far as online social resources – her are some other great ones that are changing the way patients learn and cope with their diseases: PatientsLikeMe and my friend Alexandra Carmichael’s CureTogether.

Tagged as: cancer, Social Media, social networks