'Cancer is a word, not a sentence'- My musings on Breast Cancer
Let me highlight what you'd love after the chemo sessions. Ahem! Please note..these awesome side effects are for those who are on a healthy diet of vitamins and proteins. It's for those who are stuffing themselves with all those lovely green veggies and fruits which were avoided like plague otherwise. It's also for those who are living life to the fullest and not whining about the miseries wrought on them by god or their destiny. Sorry! Had to add that disclaimer in case things didn't work out the way I write it... But it will. I am kind of positive for all the pessimists of this world. Oh yeah... another important thing to remember. Stay away from those folks who come to see you with that standard sorry face and sympathetic talks. Believe me, you don't need their stupid advices or help. Be around those who are cheerful. It helps!!! Also, prayers do work but most god men don't. I remember teaching this to my Sociology students while at college. During the Bhakti movement era in India, the women saints who came up, preached oneness with god directly and without any middlemen. Use this approach. Prayers always helps to find peace and it is also a way of releasing your stress. Bogus priests who give you assurance of killing cancer using their magical prowess need to be avoided as much as possible. Faith may heal. But don't spend all your time in believing these pundits who think they can cure you. Always ensure that your medical treatment is going on as per doctor's advices.
The awesome positives associated with cancer treatment
1) Your skin glows after the chemo sessions have started. That's because all the unwanted hair that was earlier tweezed or waxed or threaded disappears due to the chemo drugs and your skin gets as clear as water.
2) You get to eat the choicest of food that's home cooked. It's like a rejuvenating ayurvedic spa session where you give up on junk food, alcohol and all that unhealthy stuff which never did you any good anyways. Sigh..I know, it doesn't sound very appetising. But believe me, it's not as bad as it sounds. Those veggies can be eaten in many different curried/flavored forms. Works wonders for your stamina!
3) When the hair starts coming out in clumps, just go ahead and get the 'bald' cut. If you are from a tropical region, you escape the heat as you are free from all that hair on your head. If you want to look at the positive side of this part, just go ahead and buy yourself a great wig. There are a lot of varieties available in the market. Pair them with colorful bandannas, cute little slides and there you go..it's a transformation of you!!! It's a known fact that new hair grows again as soon as you are done with the sessions. So this is only a temporary situation. This too shall pass.
4) Your husband actually listens to you during these days!!! Isn't that an achievement for all you wives who always complained that he never listens??? So compensate for all those days where communication was next to nil. Chew his head with your constant chatter. (Don't forget to keep drinking those much needed fluids like fruit juice or water while you are at it) Oh yeah..this is a good time to get him to promise to take you for that European vacation or buy you that diamond ring that you were eyeing at the jewellery shop. Tee hee! They are at their loving best during this time and they'd do anything to make you happy. It's fine. Don't feel guilty. It's payback time:) Jeez..I hope I don't have the husbands aiming for my neck for saying all of the above. But what the heck! It's for a good cause! :)
I am no doctor. But I do know that you will come out of this beautifully and happily if you firmly believe that you would. If you keep wallowing in self pity, then there's no hope is what I believe. Of course, you'd say that I am not the one who's undergoing all of the pain. Well....am just trying to be positive for one and all. Atleast, I am a tad better than all those screeching and hysterical relatives whom you may be surrounded with. So bear with me.
A good piece of advise for your immediate family- Take care of your own health. It's extremely important to stay healthy so that you can look after the sick person in the family.
I wish there was some way that govt could subsidise the cost of the medicines and treatment related to cancer. It's oh so expensive. Wish there was some medical center from where these medicines could be purchased for lower prices for those who cannot afford them at the price they are currently being sold at. It's a thought to ponder on in relation to my future plan for an NGO.
I can go on and on. But will end with the quote below and a prayer to god for all those who are undergoing difficult times...
It is a fact of life that we find ourselves in unpleasant demoralizing situations which we can neither escape nor control. We can keep our morale and spirits high by using both coping and hoping humor. Coping humor laughs at the hopelessness in our situation. It gives us the courage to hang in there, but it does not bring hope. The uniqueness of hoping humor lies in its acceptance of life with all its dichotomies, contradictions, and incongruities. It celebrates the hope in human life. From one comes courage, from the other comes inspiration.
Cy Eberhart
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