“Start moving and keep going one step after another — and eventually, you will reach that light.” This is Dr. Tamara Lazic Strugar’s advice for anyone struggling through a cancer diagnosis. Dr. Lazic Strugar tells SurvivorNet that her family and community were able to keep her grounded through this ultimate challenge and helped her to take those first steps through the darkness while she underwent treatment.
When she was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, the New York City-based dermatologist and mother of two found herself plunged into a battle she never expected. But even in the darkest moments, she found strength by leaning on those closest to her.
Understanding A Colon Cancer Diagnosis
“As strong as I think I may be, I couldn’t do this without an amazing support system,” Dr. Lazic Strugar says. “And I really hope that whoever is struggling with cancer, I hope they have just one person, that’s all it takes. It could be a person, it could be a dog, it doesn’t matter, but it’s important not to do it alone.” This is not the first challenge Dr. Lazic Strugar has faced as she grew up in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) and lived her entire childhood in a war-torn country. When she emigrated to the U.S., started attending Yale for medical school, and met her husband, it seemed she was living the American dream. While cancer certainly threw a wrench into her life, the journey has also allowed her to show her children a new sort of strength and love.
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