If life is going according to the latest posts on her blog, then Lindsay Norris, a 33-year-old young mother from Missouri, is doing well and recovering from surgery. Norris hasn’t updated her site, Here Comes the Sun, since New Year’s Eve.
But in her last post, she mentioned that her surgery was scheduled for Jan. 23 to remove a tumor from her colon and that recovery was expected to take at least six weeks. The other treatments she had also seemed to be working to rid her body of cancer.
[lz_ndn video=31935717]
Few 33-year-olds are thinking of that diagnosis when they go in for what they believe is a routine health issue.
But for the oncology nurse who was more used to taking care of others with the disease than herself, the diagnosis appeared to have rocked her world.
Norris started her blog to keep in touch with family and friends, to let them know what was going on, and simply chronicle her story.
“I prided myself in connecting with my patients and helping them manage their cancer … I really thought I got it. I didn’t.”
What transpired within a few blog posts, however, and what flowed from her fingertips, has reached millions. One post in particular entitled, “Dear every cancer patient I ever took care of, I’m sorry. I didn’t get it,” has connected with people.
“This thought has been weighing heavy on my heart since my diagnosis,” Norris wrote on Nov. 14, 2016, shortly after her diagnosis. “I’ve worked in oncology nearly my entire adult life. I started rooming and scheduling patients, then worked as a nursing assistant through school, and finally [worked] as a nurse in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. I prided myself in connecting with my patients and helping them manage their cancer and everything that comes with it. I really thought I got it — I really thought I knew what it felt like to go through this journey. I didn’t.”
The response from patients and colleagues has been tremendous — and humbling as well. Letters have poured in to thank her, to encourage her in her personal journey, and to learn from her experience.
“I’m only a nursing student, graduating in May,” wrote a young woman named Rebecca. “But this touched me on a deep level. I think this principle can go toward anything a patient is going through. At the end of the day, as much as we try, we just don’t get it. I try to be as empathetic as possible, but that still doesn’t mean I get it. It’s an amazing eye opener to realize that I will never be able to fully get it. I just have to do my best to be there for my patients and understand as much as possible.”
Related: Alarming Increase in Cancer Rates Among Women
Most recently, though, after her only other post, the messages have all been in support — and to wish her well through her recovery and all else that follows it.
“Hi Lindsay, I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer at about a week after you,” a woman named Lori wrote. “It was devastating to me, as I am a nurse and a single mother with one son. I have made it through the first stage of treatment and now I’m in the waiting game. I received the call from my doctor to have my repeat MRI and I have to admit I’m shaking in my boots.”
She continued: “Your words have rung so true for me. The scans, the doctor appointments, the treatments — it’s all so scary and I still feel like I’m just too young for all this. Good luck on the 23rd. You will do great!”
Join the Discussion
Comments are currently closed.