3. Making use of available support: Judy makes use of her support systems through
reaching out to her husband for help in trying some new strategies for her memory
problems and becoming a member of the support group. She makes plans to seek
out advice from her support group as she transitions out of her job. ‘I talk about my
new life in my support group…and will bring up the issue of not working in my
support group the next time we meet’’. She takes advantage of resources at the nonprofit
agency where she attends a speaker’s series and takes mindfulness classes.
In response to her severe and distressing cancer-related symptoms, Judy ends up
advocating for herself in a way that gives her a renewed self-concept and hope for
the future with a better sense of control over cancer and chemotherapy’s symptoms:
‘It seems like it has been a long time since I have felt so happy and free’.