Probably the most common word or question people ask when they face a new diagnosis of cancer or a recurrence of a disease they thought they beat is WHY?
More often than not there is no answer to that question. It wasn’t anything they did or didn’t do. For all we know about this relentless disease there is even more we don’t know. Yes, we believe there is some genetic link or molecular pathway that is out of whack and we need to reign it in. But the reality is most of the time we don’t know the etiology or cause of the disease or it’s recurrence.
The faster one can go from the WHY question to the WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT question the sooner they can move past the emotional/psychological aspects of this disease that so many struggle with. How can I continue to live life and do all I can to fight this disease?
Cancer is an awful disease and the more we learn about it the better our treatments will become. With more targeted treatments many are hopeful that new means of fighting the battle will continue to surface and side effects of these newer treatments will be much improved. Someday soon we may be able to control cancer like we do high blood pressure and diabetes. Hopefully, turn most into a chronic disease you can live with versus something we are trying to CURE.
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit”
– Author Unknown
