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  • Keep Breathing
    • Keep Breathing: Introduction
    • Part 1
      • Stay Grounded
      • Keep Breathing
      • Gather Information
      • Feel What You Feel
      • Take in Support
      • Pray
      • Practice Surrender
      • Notice Your Reactivity
    • Part 2
      • Realize What Is Happening to You
        Is Happening To Everyone in Your Life
      • Take Inventory
      • Let Go of Shame
      • Extend Grace
      • Show Up
      • Learn Vulnerability
      • Make Amends
      • Stay Present in Times of Waiting
    • Part 3
      • Be Still and Keep Moving
      • Know You Are Not Alone
      • Ask for Healing
      • Seek Guidance
      • Meditate
      • Pursue Peace
      • Acknowledge Death
      • Grieve
    • Part 4
      • Express Gratitude
      • Stay Open to Joy
      • Make Room for Laughter
      • Celebrate Each Day
      • Let Yourself Be Carried
      • Be Who You Are
      • Know That You Are Loved
  • Desperate Hope
    • Shocked by the Diagnosis
    • Responding to Feelings of Fear, Anxiety, and Sadness
    • Ordering Desperate Hope
  • TLC Leader’s Manual
    • Group Leader Resources
      • Introduction to TLC
      • Meeting Format
      • Notes to Group Leaders
      • When a Group Member Dies
    • Strong Feelings
      • Understanding our Feelings
      • The Emotional Roller Coaster
      • Living With Fear
      • Dealing With Depression
      • Living with Anger
      • Grieving Our Losses
      • The Experience of Gratitude
      • Celebration and Joy
      • Experiencing Peace
      • Finding Hope
    • Challenges to Faith
      • Stretching Our Faith
      • Prayer
      • Examining Our View of God
      • Healing Prayer
      • The Lord Is With Us
      • God’s Healing Presence
    • Changing Perspectives
      • The Seasons Of Survival
      • Living Sanely in An Insane World
      • One Day At A Time
      • Positive Thinking
      • Accepting Our Need for Help
      • Building Friendships
      • Perspectives on Treatment
      • Coping With Pain
      • Repairing Our Self Esteem
  • Contact

The Seasons Of Survival

“We got it all. At this point you are free of cancer.”

These are words of relief and ecstasy–both to people who have had a diagnosis of cancer and to their families. But the ecstasy often turns to nagging worries as we face the reality of frequent check-ups and heightened awareness of old aches and pains. The reality is, these words are followed by “seasons of survival.”

The first “season of survival” is the acute survival season. It is the time that follows the diagnosis of cancer. This is often a time of disbelief and acute anxiety. During this time we gather information about cancer and its treatment. We make important decisions about treatment options. We inform our extended family and friends. We gather all the energy and resources we can to fight against cancer. And then we undertake the fight by going through treatment.

The next season is the season of extended survival. This is the time following our treatment course. It is a time of relief and fatigue. And it is a time when we experience a mixture of hope and renewed fears about the possibility of a recurrence. During this time our trips to the doctor’s office are still quite frequent. And each visit brings us face to face once again with our worst fears.

The third season is the permanent survival season. This is the time of prolonged remission or cure. It is a time we hope will take us into old age. During this season we are free of cancer, but the reality of the diagnosis remains a part of our self understanding. Cancer has changed us deeply. It has left a lasting impression.

May your seasons of survival be times of discovering new friends, new inner strength, and a deeper experience of God’s love for you.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity
under heaven,
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4


Questions for Discussion – Session 1

Think about the various seasons you have experienced with cancer. Share some specific experiences from the various seasons you have been through.

In the acute survival season.

In the extended survival season.

In the permanent survival season.


Questions for Discussion – Session 2

Think about the various seasons you have experienced with cancer. Share some specific needs you experienced during the various seasons you have been through.

In the acute survival season.

In the extended survival season.

In the permanent survival season.

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TLC Leader’s Manual

A photocopy-ready version of the TLC Leader's Manual is now available for download. If you are thinking about starting a Cancer Support Group, this might be helpful!

PDF version

MSWord version

Quote of the moment

"One of the things that we tend to dislike about our feelings is that they are not always rational. We feel things that don’t make logical sense to us. . . But our feelings do not go away simply because we try to dismiss them as irrational. On the contrary, the more we resist them because we don’t want to feel them, the more they seem to lay claim on our attention and our limited energy. "
Juanita Ryan

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