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Mel Majoros: This is Mel Majoros. I am The Cancer Warrior and this is my advice to someone
who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Find somebody who has gone through the same
types of situations that you have, whether it be your own age or older. It is kind of
like just being thrown into the ocean without a life raft; if you don't know what's going
on and finding somebody who has been through there and who can talk to you through maybe
the side effects. You know, I did not know anybody who had the same type of cancer, I
mean most of the people in my town were older and sometimes, it is just kind of uncomfortable
talking to someone who does not have the same issues as you, like you know why does the
chemo make my mouth taste metallic or what can I eat, or you know, when will my hair
grow back which was, you know, I am not vain, but you know, your hair growing back that
was kind of important as a woman. You know just the kind of things were like, hey help
me get through this, like I said, what can I eat, maybe you eat couple small meals a
day, maybe you find somebody who has been out a couple of years, so if you are concerned
about, you know, you're, if you are stage 2 and the doctor has given you certain diagnosis.
So, you know what, I am stage 2 also, I have been through this and this is what you can
do, you know, everybody is different, but we all have the same similarities as far as
going through treatment and chemo and radiation. Like for radiation, I was super tired and
they said, you know, you always have to walk at least a half hour a day. So, my fiance
and I just walked a half hour a day, no matter what, even if I didn't want to go. It was
like, the picture of the cartoon of somebody like dragging your hand across the ground
as you are like laying there, you know, things like that, I mean you would never think well
it's just radiation, I'm not going to get tired, but yes you do. Just find somebody
who you can talk to, who can give you some great advice, you know, you may go through
a couple of people. The first person you talk to, you may not click with, find somebody
who can relate to your issues, relate to your side effects, your problems, may be your depression
and then go from there.