Good afternoon everyone
I found out yesterday that a work colleague has just been diagnosed with AML and she is currently in hospital for treatment.
She is a notoriously private person and has only chosen a handful of people to tell. I heard about it from one of her closet friends at work who said that she'd asked for me to be told.
We don't socialise outside of work but we have worked together for 15 years and we have both had previous cancer diagnoses - mine as breast and hers was bowel - so I assume that is why. Either way I am devastated for her and keep thinking about how she must be feeling
My dilemma is that the other colleague has sent me her mobile number and I really want to message her but every time I start, I just don't know what to say
I was hoping someone could offer advice - I think more about WHAT NOT say, as well as to be supportive
Thank you in advance
Best wishes, Karrie
HI Karrie Karrief and welcome to this corner of the Community although I am always sorry to hear about your colleagues diagnosis. I am Mike and I help out around our various Blood Cancer groups.
I don’t have Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) but I was diagnosed way back in 1999 at 43 with 2 rare types of T-Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphomas the first in 1999 and second in late 2013 the second taking me Stage 4a so although my blood cancer ‘type’ is different I do appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.
The unfortunate challenges of some Leukaemia treatments can require prolonged hospital stays….. this is hard.
The simple answer to your question is send her a simple message saying that you are thinking about her and ask her if there us anything you could do to help out….. the situation is then put back into her court to see if she is up for further communication or further support.
You may want to look through the posts in our general Family and Friends as this subject is often discussed.
Always around to help more or just to chat
