I had to be reminded that I have cancer. I really hadn’t thought about it in those terms. A friend of mine, a doctor, felt it necessary to tell me that yesterday. I had cancer. I have cancer. And I will continue to have cancer until it, or some other illness or accident, claims my life. Remission? I will never be cured. I may one day be told that my cancer isn’t expanding or easy to find. But, it will always be there.
Well that’s pretty bleak. We are not machines. I am totally aware that I will not live forever. I don’t think I would want to. But I think that hope is as important as oxygen. And at some point you have to have faith in the doctors, the hospitals, and the system to guide you towards a positive outcome. Even if a cure is not possible, relief from pain or an extra year or two might be. Maintaining one’s focus on those realistic outcomes seems to be more productive than wallowing in despair or anger.
You can’t un-hear a conversation. Or at least, I can’t. So I will move forward with the full undeniable knowledge that I have cancer. The important part of that last sentence isn’t that I have cancer. No, the most important words are that I will move forward.
DAVE
There is always hope and faith. Although they have the title of doctor, not all are the sharpest knife in the drawer. To those doctors, science is everything and they don’t understand how important the hope and faith are in the healing process. You will be fine! I have faith.
This doctor obviously wasn’t in charge of his high school pep rallies and shouldn’t be in marketing or public relations. I can imagine the t-shirt now…
“I Kicked Cancer!
Well, not really, I’ll always have cancer…it’s just in remission.
Nevermind.”
The mind is powerful. I encourage you to pick-up a copy of “The Secret” (available in paperback and audio format).
As far as I’m concerned, you HAD cancer. This doctor IS a cancer.
Thank you, Tasha.