Cancer and Our Response to it

I have now met three people in close circles who have recovered or are doing so from various forms of it, post chemo and radiation. I am amazed at their attitude- every one of them. I am sure it is not easy to be resilient, or cheerful, in the face of what was once thought of as a death warrant.

But the fact of it is that if not cancer, it would be something else. Biologically, we are constructed to deconstruct at some point in life, after our biological function (procreation or the extension of our species) is complete. We may have other aims in life, creative or spiritual for example, and usually we get ample opportunities to pursue these as well. Some of us become poets, writers, scientists who make discoveries, teachers and so on.

Coming back to cancer, its treatment in early stages at least, is now advanced enough to give you a few more years in relative peace, compared to a few years ago. Though the causes remain elusive, it is estimated that at least some are pyschological. So it is with the treatment and its impact. A positive self-image, attitude and good self-esteem, seem to do good things to a recovering patient of cancer. Great that I found this in all the three I met. Three cheers to their zest for life! Much better than the drugs and despair of various celebrities, I would say. These are the heroes/heroines for me.