Sharing About Chronic Illness Online: Pros and Cons

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer and possible untreatable bone cancer in 2011, I had to weigh the pros and cons of sharing my diagnosis and treatment journey with family, friends, and others in my life.

Pros of Sharing Info on Chronic Illness Online

Pro: Sharing Builds a Support Network
I never realized how many people had had or were undergoing cancer treatment when I started to tell the people around me about my diagnosis. Some people came forward to give me rides to medical appointments and sat with me as I went through chemotherapy and drug therapy. They provided a listening ear when I needed it.

I had friends who had already been through the cancer journey, but I found that everyone’s experience is different. Someone would breeze through radiation with few side effects while my sensitive, pale skin fried. I would be fine on one drug therapy overall, while another person would struggle with heart problems.

On the whole, treatment is a scary journey into the unknown. Having people in my life who have already been through treatment is comforting, even if their experience is somewhat different from mine.

Patients sometimes develop online relationships with people who are going through similar…