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Cancer

Cancer...aka The Big C.

I saw a post on Facebook today saying something to the effect of "How many people out there wish cancer didn't exist". As a 2 time survivor, I have to admit, I chuckled. I, for one, have found cancer to serve a few purposes in my life.

First off, just what exactly is cancer? Simple:

can·cer

/ˈkansər/
Noun
  1. The disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
  2. A malignant growth or tumor resulting from such a division of cells.
 
That's really all it is. You don't catch it like the flu, it doesn't miraculously appear out of nowhere...you have cells, sometimes they do things you don't want them to. Sometimes it's controllable and/or treatable...sometimes it's not.
 
Since my initial diagnosis in 2000, I've come to know a lot of people who have or have had cancer. Each one of them amazes me. One friend developed spinal cancer as a baby and had at least one surgery per year well into her 20s. She is an amazing woman and one helluva fighter! Just TRY telling her she CAN'T do something!
 
Another friend beat cancer while studying nursing. She's another amazing woman and fighter. As a nurse, I think she will excel at working with cancer patients...as she knows from firsthand experience what the patient is experiencing.
 
Another friend was diagnosed with lung cancer. After a lobectomy, he's doing pretty well. He gets winded easier...but his outlook is good...both medically and personally. Every time I talk to him, he sounds happier than he has in years.
 
I've lost a number of friends to cancer. I think that most of us have known someone touched by cancer in some way. As a survivor, cancer has taught me some valuable lessons. It has taught me to live life on my own terms. It's my life and no one else's. It has taught me to accept each person for who they are. I don't judge. I've made some amazing friends thanks to this...friends that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. Having had cancer has taught me to appreciate the little things in life and to truly be passionate about the things that mean something to me...whether it be music, art, friends, family, food, politics, etc. Cancer has taught me to respect other people and their opinions. I may not always agree but I'll give anyone the respect to have their own point of view.
 
Cancer has taught me to slow the hell down! Why does everyone feel the need to rush so much? What's the big hurry? The journey should be enjoyed...savored...not rushed through. Need to get somewhere faster? Leave earlier. Or change your ETA. Many of you will say that you can't. Fact is, you've probably never tried.
 
Oddly enough, I got rid of cable TV around the time I was first diagnosed. I didn't realize it at the time but in retrospect, I, like many of us, wasted so damned much time in front of the boob tube/idiot box. Let's be honest, there's rarely anything good on there.
 
I started writing more at that time. Music, essays, you name it...I started writing...creating! I got back in to photography again. Since then, I've taken thousands of photos all over the world. I seriously think that had I not been diagnosed with cancer, I might not have done much of what I've done this century. I took some big chances. Some paid off, some didn't. That's life...it's a gamble.
 
Cancer has taught me to pay attention to my body. It tells me what it wants and needs. When I go to the doctor, I don't ask him what might be wrong. If something is wrong, I tell him! Makes his job easier and my day less stressful. Sure, my doctors would much rather I not smoke or drink...but I remind them often that I'll probably dance on their graves. I might not...but I live each day like there's no tomorrow, all the while planning so far ahead that I may never reach the finish line! Cancer taught me that too!
 
So really...why wish for something as silly as there being no cancer? Why not wish for someone to find the causes of cancer or even cures? Why not wish for a cure for diabetes or heart disease or AIDS? I'll tell you why: each of these things happen for a reason. Just because we neither know nor understand the reason is irrelevant. They happen. Humans are fallible. We breakdown just like any other mechanism.
 
If you really want to wish for something, wish someone a nice day. That's really the one thing we all really want anyway.  

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