A Little Philosophy

Well, Campers, I'm feeling a little pensive today. . .


I'm also feeling very tired as I seem to be in the throes of cancer-related fatigue, a not uncommon phenomenon, I understand.  For the most part, the other manifestations of the disease are abating, I'm just zombie-tired.  I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so hopefully there's something that can be done the ease the fatigue.  I know that a lot will be dependent upon my getting my sorry a$$ in gear and just pushing through the weariness.  Unfortunately, that's way easier said than done. . .


Which brings me to the rest of the story. . .  What I'm finding is that everyone who has cancer, has had it, or knows someone who has/had it has their story.  And no matter how the stories may be the same, they are also all different -  the disease affects everyone differently.


What I find interesting and consistent is that people who had 'milder' forms of the disease (no such thing, but I'll get to that later) are often apologetic when speaking to people who had a more severe variety.  And that is where I think they sell themselves short.  In my humble opinion, someone who has/had Stage 1 of the disease does not owe anyone of us who were Stage 4 any apologies.  As I tell them, the disease is still the disease and radiation and chemo are going to knock you on your tail feathers if you were treated for Stage 1 just as much as if you were treated for Stage 4.  Your body is being pumped full of poisons and chemicals that have the single purpose of killing everything in their path.   The theory being that the 'bad' cells will stay dead and the 'good' cells will come back.  I'm guessing that the regenerative process is what causes the massive fatigue as your body is trying to combat the poisons, a process that continues long after treatment is complete.


And, no matter what stage and how early the disease was diagnosed, this is the first time that most of us faced our own mortality.  And no matter how prepared you think you are, until you look the Grim Reaper eye to eye, your personal definition of fear is not complete.  Again, no matter how low the actual risk of death is for your form of the disease, you will at some point face the fear.  And in the back of your mind, you know that no matter how many times you beat the Reaper, he eventually wins. 


So, I guess what I'm saying is, at the risk of sounding like I'm patting my own self on the back, anyone who has lived through cancer and the treatment, deserves a pat on the back, no matter the severity of their disease or the ultimate outcome.  We've paid some dues.


Peace and love to one and all!!


Joe