Male breast cancer survivor: Why I volunteer at MD Anderson

当我接近我原来的四周年male breast cancerdiagnosis in March 2013, it occurs to me that the feelings which overwhelmed me at that time have not faded entirely.

相反，他们作为一个不断提醒我的生活有目的的。其目的就是要分享我的故事让别的男人有breast cancer因此，更可治疗 - 尽管这种疾病尚处于早期阶段即可诊断。

这就是为什么我一直致力于自己在志愿服务MD Andersonand participating in severalMD Anderson委员会和理事会的工作，以丰富的经验幸存者。

Look for opportunities to do good

在我访问MD Anderson, whether for treatment or committee meetings, I frequently observe volunteers interacting with patients and caregivers, offering support and asking how they can help. Many of these trained volunteers are survivors or caregivers themselves.

It’s impossible to walk throughMD Anderson而不是有机会帮助其他人。这可能是一个温和的词或柔软的触感的形式。而且，由于只有17个月过去了我的第二次诊断，我甚至可能是谁需要它的人。

But make no mistake: the opportunity always exists here to do good for others — you just have to be aware of your surroundings.

You’re not alone

Recently, I offered support to a woman whose husband has advancing Alzheimer's. I said that I was there for her and that she was not alone. She came back rather quickly with the comment, “But I am alone.”

我的回答，我已经说出对自己在许多场合，是，“你可能会觉得你是独自一人，但现实是，你都没有。”

我告诉她myCancerConnection,MD安德森的one-on-one support program for patients and caregivers. This robust network is comprised of more than 2,200 survivor and caregiver volunteers who give tirelessly of their time and talents so that nobody has to face this journey alone.

All we volunteers have to do is reach out to those we see struggling or be receptive when someone reaches out to us. That’s it. But the payoff is huge.

Defining my legacy in a positive way

I share this with the hope that other cancer patients will continue to have confidence in their recovery journey. Because it is a journey, not a destination.

AtMD Anderson不仅是我的最好的手术和肿瘤的团队曾经组装处理;他们还讨论了我的情绪和精神需求。

而我所学到的是，癌症并没有以消极的方式来定义我们。我们可以决定我们的遗产，我们通过手术，治疗，检验和药品使我们的方式。我们能做到这一点的方法之一是通过帮助别人。

Today, I try to share the message of giving back as much as I can. Because what I have found is that when I am thinking of others, I have less time to think of me.

从myCancerConnection请求支持要么sign up to volunteer.

在申请预约MD Anderson线上要么by calling 1-877-632-6789.