Who on this group does not know they have blood cancer? Or that their loved one has it? I realize there are folks on our group who are trying to get information whilst their doctors are trying to get to the bottom of their personal symptoms, but most of us are well aware of our official diagnosis.

That being said, how do we know what treatment options are available? And how do we educate others, especially in our personal circle? I was just talking to a friend the other day who has housecats and was horrified that her husband began meal prep without sanitizing the counter surfaces. I couldn’t go into the house where a family birthday party was being held recently because we couldn’t have the party outside. I have talked to people who questioned whether or not their hematologist was privy to the latest treatments for their type of cancer. There is so much for us to wrap our heads around.

Blood cancer awareness is multifaceted! It is not just about finding the right care team or getting the top of the line treatment, it is about telling our families, educating them on changes we need to make all around.

Merriam-Webster defines awareness as: the quality or state of being aware: knowledge and understanding that something is happening or exists

It is definitely not enough for just we, the cancer patient, to be aware. We need others to come along-side us and lift up our hands when we are too weak to do so, or, in some cases, to take over for us.

So I believe that this month we need to become as educated as we can in our blood cancer category and to be diligent to share what we find with our families.

We are real people with real experiences, and this group was developed as a safe environment to join hands and support and comfort one another. And we are accomplishing this task by the posts and articles you share and by our growing authorship on www.bloodcanceruncensored.com.

If you hear about an event to increase our blood cancer knowledge, or want to share your treatment story, please post it below on the Facebook group.

Please watch for other events or activities we can do together as a group in the month of September.

Here are some other resources that may assist your cancer journey

https://www.lls.org/article/september-blood-cancer-awareness-month

https://patientpower.info/myeloproliferative-neoplasms/treatments

https://www.llscanada.org/disease-information/facts-and-statistics#:~:text=Blood%20cancers%20are%20the%20third%20leading%20cause%20of,the%2078%2C800%20cancer%20deaths%20in%20Canada%20in%202016.

https://www.thisislivingwithcancer.com/get-support?cmp=42bb81fb-166b-483b-8f9c-856913816dd1&gclid=c923c421d28e19b35658a50fd842ddf3&gclsrc=3p.ds

FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

https://allbloodcancers.org/bcam/

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/what-is-blood-cancer/

Here are some of our real life and informational posts from the last year and a half on what we have learned and shared with you:

Interested in joining our growing authorship on www.bloodcanceruncensored.com? Please message us on Facebook group or email us at bloodcanceruncensored.com with a bio of who you are and a sample article!