Die Trying
Word Count: 1,151
Cancer in its most common form is the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells, with no known reason as to why it is occurs, or how to cure it. It is unfortunate news when one hears they have an incurable cancer, and must start to prepare for their death. With such a severe eminent end result, cancer has been adapted into everyday life to refer to malicious and destructive events and people, such as racism or genocide on a society. Depression, stress, and mental disorders can be considered cancers of the mind, but these are all curable cancers, whether it be through therapy, lifestyle changes, and/or medicine. However, as it has been shown by James “Rhio” O’Connor, an expiration date and the words, “there is no cure,” are no reason to make funeral arrangements. When diagnosed with any disease, the measure of someones character lays in how they handle their diagnosis. Although it is not always possible to prolong your life based on willpower alone, it can definitely help.
In times of hardship, it is difficult to stay positive. It is easy to lay down and accept defeat, especially when the odds are stacked against you. James was diagnosed with
mesothelioma, a cancer where surviving the first year after diagnoses is 40%, and five years later the chances of surviving is about 10%. With such low numbers, his story is amazing. Given six months to live, James put his all in to surviving, and extended his expiration date an astounding five and a half years past what the doctors told him. The wonderful news is that he is not the only one. Another surviver story is that of Paul Kraus, where he is still living and breathing today, an astonishing twelve years after his initial diagnosis of mesothelioma. Although these are not the only stories where the odds were beaten, it is important to recognize their important accomplishments. Therefore, in the honor of both James and Paul, it is the duty of humanity to never accept what is given to them at face value, and to always choose perseverance over defeat. A popular yet useful cliché is to either win, or die trying. With that in mind, I would like to tell you a little story about myself and a close friend of mine.
A few years ago, my best friends mother was diagnosed with cancer, and given a specific time to live. She did not make it past the allotted time the doctors gave her, and she did not beat the odds. Her daughter, my best friend, was devastated, and so was everyone around her, including myself. This young woman has shown me that through the toughest of times, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Although her mother has passed, she lives on inside her daughters and my spirit every day. This alone has taught me to always fight for more, because we never know when our lives will draw to a close.
To continue with this depressing topic, in 2008 three of my friends committed suicide, and in 2009, one of my good friends was killed in a drunk driving accident. Surrounded by death, I have made it my vow to extend myself outward to help those in need by volunteering at a Hotline, where training starts in a week. It is in honor of the dead, those who were so defeated that they took their own life, and those that had their lives abruptly taken away from them, that I live to beat any and all odds I face, and if not, to die trying.
If I were diagnosed with cancer, whether it be mesothelioma or leukemia or anything in between, I would follow a similar course of action of James. Upon hearing the diagnosis, I would keep my composure and ask the doctor for referrals and literature on my specific cancer. I would then head home and break down, break some things, throw a fit, question the meaning of life, and wallow in self pity and sorrow for a day or two, all while reading up on the history of the cancer, and potential treatment options -- every day counts. I would find a support group in my home life, and also a group to go to, because being active and remaining positive is the best medicine for a broken spirit. Having a strong and stable mental state of mind makes the physical degradation easier to deal with, though it will not be a cake-walk.
In deciding which course of action to take, I would ask for the facts from doctors, researchers, and clinicians, and read as many case studies to all conventional and unconventional treatment methods. I would research the history of the disease, try to figure out the main causes, the best treatment options thus far, and relate it to my life, and what I think is best for me. With that information, I would make an informed decision based first and foremost on my gut feeling. I would rather make a life-altering decision based on my gut, than to have someone feel guilty for me choosing their option over what I would have preferred, and wondering, “What if?” After conducting my own research, the most effective way to see results in action is to talk to current patients undergoing treatment, and to talk to the families of the current and former patients, whether they be deceased or survivors. It is important to know the state of mind these people are or were in, and what they are/are not or did/did not do that is encouraging/encouraged survival, or potentially leading/4led to a premature death. I would then present my findings to the best of my knowledge to my parents, significant other, and immediate family, because I trust their opinions more than anyone else's. I would also ask my support group and close friends their feelings. Although it may not alter my decision, they can help me talk through every procedure, and to present information I may not have found on my own. By doing this, the treatment processes become less confusing, and the answers can appear more clear-cut, since often times things sound different inside my head and on paper than out loud.
The obvious options are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, in the event that they have low survival rates or overly invasive procedures, I would not hesitate to look for alternative routes. Given an expiration date, I would rather take the higher risk of a new treatment and possibly help to further the progress of finding a cure, than to possibly die taking a route that is well-known and ineffective. I understand that we are all only given one life to live, and I would rather help further science to preserve other lives than to keep science at a stand-still.
