ESZTER RABIN
From: Bay Area, San Francisco, USA
Member since: The Beginning!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a: Survivor
Coping with...Breast Cancer
Date of Birth: 7/10/1968 Date diagnosed: 4/1999 Sex: Female

Prepare to Live Buddy: Yes
Contactable by Prepare to Live members: Yes
Email: er@preparetolive.org

01: How has cancer positively affected you:
In the end, it really did affect me positively, but it was hard to see it for a long time. It was perhaps 2-3 years before I was able to let go of it's difficulties and enjoy the benefits of appreciating life much more.

02: What does "cancer" mean to you as a Young Adult: Something incredibly scary and unknown.

03: What’s the one thing you’d say to someone who has just been diagnosed: Don't panic, with today's medicine nearly every cancer is treatable or curable. As much it's going to suck in the next few months, a year from now you could be back to your normal self.

04: What things won’t a Doctor tell you: I really believe if you have a great doctor, there should be no surprises. It's important to find someone whom you can trust blindly.

05: What advice do you have for a caregiver, doctor, or nurse who is treating a Young Adult with cancer: Don't treat them as if they are sick (even if they are). You already feel like an alien - having some terrible disease, the last thing you need is your caregiver treating you like things were different.

06: To me, cancer is: a drag and it's incredibly annoying, but by no means is the end of the world.

07: What is the best kind of support to give/receive: I think the best support I received was from people who just let me be and helped me when i asked for help - same for giving help, don't force it.

08: Who or what were your best resources for information: My oncologist. At first, I read all the info I could get, but quickly realized it was waaaay too much. so I just relied on her completely. And now, of course, Prepare to Live!

09: What has helped you the most: My parents and friends outreach and support.

10: What’s your favorite tip or trick for dealing: I have a hard time crying, so I would watch sad movies to make myself cry and release tension. It worked.

11: The thing that keeps you going is: My parents and my family, my husband, my dog and cat - I love life and every morning is an amazing present

12: What are you doing to Prepare to Live: I'm one of the founders of P2L - it's Eran's and my dream to make dealing with cancer easier for Young Adults worldwide.

What additional comments, experiences or ideas would you like to share: Support groups are not for everyone - people really will try to push you to join these groups (with all good intentions) - but you don't have to - often times listening to people with different symptoms and experiences might make you frightened - this is what I call the "what if" - total waste of time and worry - deal with symptoms and issues as they come.