A colleague greeted me in the Ladies room this morning.
That's not unusual except that this young lady has just
returned to work after being away for a few months.
She was diagnosed with cancer of the nose and
was undergoing treatment.
When we met this morning, I noticed that she has slimmed
down somewhat and her nose has a darkish patch from her
radiation treatment. She looks normal except for the patch.
I am glad she is smiling and taking things in her stride,
at least that's how I see it.
Cancer is so devastating and traumatic for the patient.
Sometimes, equally so for loved ones. Those stricken have
had to totally re-vamp their life-style.
Friends and colleagues of mine who had various forms of
cancer (breast cancer mostly) had to put up with a complete
upheaval of their life pattern. Their routine now includes
a change in dietary habits, medication, the constant
follow-up visits to the doctor, the physiotherapy sessions,
the counselling, and the pain they have to put up with during
the healing process. They are suffering in silence.
They are so brave.
Even though a cancer victim has survived, there is no guarantee
that the cancer will not relapse, neither is there any yet known
method of prevention to ensure that it will not resurface.
I'd like to share with you an article on the findings by
someone who has won over the disease and has written a book
about it. It's a somewhat long article so I won't feature it
here but have put it into an article archive just set up for
holding longer-than-usual articles. It's really worth the read.
The article can be found here.
That's a very thought provoking article. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteso sorry to hear that.
ReplyDeleteWhat stage is her Cancer?
Please tell her.. Cancer can be treated!!! and give her the support to fight this dreaded illness.
i'm sorry to hear that. Cancer can be beaten during early stages.
ReplyDeletethere is a lot if cancer survivors stories & topics on Lance Armstrong (who beaten cancer himself)
http://www.livestrong.org/
tell her to be strong & optimistic. emotional support from friends & families are important.
Cancer can be beaten.
Pfong, you're welcome and thank you.
ReplyDeleteRobin, thank you. Hers is in the early stage and she's responding well to treatment. She is positive about it and she has her family and friends extending our support and care. She will be alright. I'm sure of that.
Slurp!, thank you. Thank you too for Lance's site. Will be sure to share it with her.
Again, Thank you, All.
One of the best cures for cancer seems to be a positive attitude and the determination that goes with it. Once you lose your spirit, your life is pretty much over.
ReplyDeleteDON'T GIVE UP, GIVE IT YOUR BEST!
MM, thank you for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteI believe that's true. I know someone who passed away who was extremely depressed and couldn't accept the fact that she had it. She shut herself up at home and refused to see any visitor except for one or two of her closest friends. Her constant question was "Why had it to be her?". She simply couldn't get over it. So sad. She seemed such a nice and positive person before her sickness.