I was talking with my sister-in-law Janice today. She has been fighting cancer for three years now. And her and I were talking about the daily struggles of dealing with cancer. Cancer is not just a physical illness. The mental stress is not just day-to-day, but sometimes hour-by-hour, it's often torture . She started crying at one time and said she is so tired of struggling everyday to survive.
People without cancer go about their life never thinking thoughts such as, will I be alive next year. But people with cancer, do. We wonder whether we'll be here next year, or two years from now.
I think the most hurtful part of it all is when, we politely sit and listen with a forced smile on our faces, as others talk about their future plans. Or they talk about doing things that we people with cancer can no longer do. Cancer, not only threatens to take our lives, but it slowly takes away from us certain abilities. Chemotherapy and radiation destroys the cells in our bodies. We develop heart problems, breathing problems become worse. Unspeakable side effects that those without cancer cannot even imagine. The energy is sapped from our bodies, Even if we wanted to do something special, we really don't feel like it. And all the while someone is telling us what a great trip they had, telling us about others doing things that we use to enjoy doing. They don't mean to hurt us, in fact I don't even think they think about what they're doing. But the truth be said, they could not hurt us any worst if they had tried. I'm saying this not because of myself. It's because there are many people out there with cancer and other diseases that truly don't know whether they have another month to live. It’s the most cruelest thing in the world, to my opinion, for someone to talk with these people about the future and what it may hold for the person who is not ill. If you don't know what to talk about while speaking to a person in these circumstances, just talk about the past, talk about family members. And if that doesn't work, hey, you can always talk about the weather.
Janice and I are in the same situation. Although our cancer may be controllable, or treatable, both her doctor and mine have both said that our cancer will come back. Of course they can't say how long it will take to come back. They can't say where in our bodies it will come back. We were only told it will. So neither Janice nor I can say whether we will be here a year from now, or not.
I just wanted to give you something to think about, So the next time you go into a nursing home and talk to one of the residents, or to a prison and speak to one of the prisoners or in a hospital speaking to someone dying.
Please think about the topic of your conversation.
People without cancer go about their life never thinking thoughts such as, will I be alive next year. But people with cancer, do. We wonder whether we'll be here next year, or two years from now.
I think the most hurtful part of it all is when, we politely sit and listen with a forced smile on our faces, as others talk about their future plans. Or they talk about doing things that we people with cancer can no longer do. Cancer, not only threatens to take our lives, but it slowly takes away from us certain abilities. Chemotherapy and radiation destroys the cells in our bodies. We develop heart problems, breathing problems become worse. Unspeakable side effects that those without cancer cannot even imagine. The energy is sapped from our bodies, Even if we wanted to do something special, we really don't feel like it. And all the while someone is telling us what a great trip they had, telling us about others doing things that we use to enjoy doing. They don't mean to hurt us, in fact I don't even think they think about what they're doing. But the truth be said, they could not hurt us any worst if they had tried. I'm saying this not because of myself. It's because there are many people out there with cancer and other diseases that truly don't know whether they have another month to live. It’s the most cruelest thing in the world, to my opinion, for someone to talk with these people about the future and what it may hold for the person who is not ill. If you don't know what to talk about while speaking to a person in these circumstances, just talk about the past, talk about family members. And if that doesn't work, hey, you can always talk about the weather.
Janice and I are in the same situation. Although our cancer may be controllable, or treatable, both her doctor and mine have both said that our cancer will come back. Of course they can't say how long it will take to come back. They can't say where in our bodies it will come back. We were only told it will. So neither Janice nor I can say whether we will be here a year from now, or not.
I just wanted to give you something to think about, So the next time you go into a nursing home and talk to one of the residents, or to a prison and speak to one of the prisoners or in a hospital speaking to someone dying.
Please think about the topic of your conversation.
Until next time, God bless and God save.
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