Welcome.

Let me give you just one perspective....

What's WRONG with you ??

Nothing.

Not a damned thing.

I'd say you're having a very reasonable reaction to a pretty unreasonable set of circumstances.

The "C-word" often means ... you could die. I (having helped a couple of relatives through THEIR battles) can't imagine how that must feel.

But you're here, so ... at least in the BIG way ... you won. Cancer lost.

But why WOULDN'T your co-worker's recent diagnosis trigger all of those old feelings, again ??

Seems very natural to me.

The question is what to do about it, particularly since you're REALLY feeling with it.

Do you have a trusted counselor, social worker, or psychologist -- somebody to whom you've turned, before, and could turn again ??

I think your reaction is 100% human. I'd guess that most of us will view it that way.

But how you get through it, being good to YOU, is probably the most important challenge that YOU currently face.

Other than us (a lot of great listeners), who can you talk to ?

Who was there, supportive, loving, helpful, and non-judgmental when YOU were going through YOUR battle ?

Could they be there for you again ??

I wish you ... AND your co-worker ... peace, health and strength.

Simply put, Yes, that's regular. HUG

first, welcome, and i'm very glad you survived such awful ailments.

second, i think it's a pretty common reaction, and there is nothing wrong with you.

i find, with ptsd, some things just simply hit `too close to home', and i try to show myself acceptance in those situations. it is not a weakness to have triggers, it just is what it is.

What is wrong with you?

Nothing more, nor less, than being one of those cursed humans.

A trigger doesn't need to be a duplicate event. It needs only remind you of a single element in the complex mosaic of your personal trauma.

But the trauma still needs to be processed. You found an excellent source of help in processing that trauma. Welcome aboard and keep posting.

It doesn't sound that surprising. In fact, I believe, just speaking for myself, I'd be surprised if you had no reaction. I think I speak for others here, too, who've survived many traumas of many types. You're not alone.

Muji, you said it much better than I did.

That sounds about right. Its perfectly "normal" after being traumatized to be triggered by such reminders. Definitely dont beat yourself up over it.

Firstly, there is nothing abnormal or wrong with your response. This person is known to you and you are probably feeling a whole bunch of things all at once: fear for this person, empathy, and fear that your own battle with cancer will return. These are normal feelings, and probably only a couple in a very long list of other very normal feelings.

One thing I didn't see yet, but that I hope you will take from this is that your feelings are your own and even if they don't fit with what everyone else thinks of as "normal" they are still your feelings, no one else's. You have a right to feel however you want to feel, and if you don't like feeling that way you are the one who has the power and control to change it. I think you must be pretty darn strong to have faced cancer twice. Hope this helps

(((((((((Gentle hugs)))))))))))) :)