Wednesday
Jun292011
It Was A Gift
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 1:53AM I know you’re going to think I’m a little bit crazy, but I’ve gotta tell you something: getting cancer was actually a good thing. Before you start thinking I have a death wish (clarification: I do not) or that I’ve been drinking something other than herbal tea (I always tell you when I indulge in wine or champagne, and today is not one of those days), hear me out for a second. It’s not that outlandish of an idea.
When you receive a cancer diagnosis, you’re immediately inducted into a club: the cancer warrior club. We all know the drill of chemotherapy sessions and CT/PET scans and surgery. We all know what it’s like to spend an entire day at a medical center. We all know what it’s like to be diagnosed with a disease that kills so many every year, every month, every day. The cancer warriors are given a dose of reality that is undeniably tough to take, but we persevere and we fight. We will do anything to survive.
Along with a daunting diagnosis, cancer warriors also receive a strange, hard-to-describe kind of power. Or at least the potential for power. We are given a golden opportunity to help and educate others, to empower those fighting the disease or caring for someone who is. We can even empower people without cancer in their bodies, families, or social circles. We are the wise ones, the living who have looked death in the face, and we have a chance to inspire others to appreciate their lives and take care of their bodies.
I have always wanted to help others in my life. That’s why I decided to become a lawyer, and that’s why I want to run for office one day. But the greatest part of my diagnosis is that I can achieve my goal of improving people’s lives right now, at this very moment. I can give advice on a treatment plan, or tell someone that they were born to beat the hell out of cancer, or raise money for colon cancer research...and make a tangible, real impact on people’s lives. Lots of people. Lots of lives.
Along with a daunting diagnosis, cancer warriors also receive a strange, hard-to-describe kind of power. Or at least the potential for power. We are given a golden opportunity to help and educate others, to empower those fighting the disease or caring for someone who is. We can even empower people without cancer in their bodies, families, or social circles. We are the wise ones, the living who have looked death in the face, and we have a chance to inspire others to appreciate their lives and take care of their bodies.
I have always wanted to help others in my life. That’s why I decided to become a lawyer, and that’s why I want to run for office one day. But the greatest part of my diagnosis is that I can achieve my goal of improving people’s lives right now, at this very moment. I can give advice on a treatment plan, or tell someone that they were born to beat the hell out of cancer, or raise money for colon cancer research...and make a tangible, real impact on people’s lives. Lots of people. Lots of lives. Is there really anything better than that?
So, despite the sacrifices and challenges -- the 11 month hiatus from work, the loss of my ability to have biological children, the 13 rounds of chemo and 13 tubes attached to my body in the ICU -- I can only come to this conclusion about my cancer diagnosis: it was a gift.
So, despite the sacrifices and challenges -- the 11 month hiatus from work, the loss of my ability to have biological children, the 13 rounds of chemo and 13 tubes attached to my body in the ICU -- I can only come to this conclusion about my cancer diagnosis: it was a gift.
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