Cancer (Truly) Sucks ... so What Do We DO ABOUT IT?

Thursday - April 11, 2012

Stuffed cancer plush "toy" (?) courtesy of Giant Microbes

Sometimes I think that I do not adequately or frequently express just how much cancer sucks.  I am not specifically referring to my personal health challenge;  I am enjoying fabulous health, feeling lucky as HELL, and savoring this blessed remission for as long as it might last (and let's hope that it's a long, long time).  No, I am simply expressing my undercurrent of latent hostility towards this scourge disease, my rush of emotion that roars to the surface whenever another family member, friend, acquaintance, colleague, neighbor, compatriot, fellow human is hit with the ton-of-bricks news of that dread diagnosis or learns with a heavy heart that relapse has come to an end, or fights another bout of neutropenia, confronts another hospitalization, realizes that the damn-port-that-has-just-been-taken-out must now be surgically re-implanted. 

Tonight, I am raging for that new case of prostate cancer that has smitten an unsuspecting family, the escalating fatigue that accompanies the chemotherapy working to combat a case of uterine cancer, the infection (and possible tumor) that is delaying a Bone Marrow Transplant for a pre-adolescent with Burkitt's lymphoma, and the recurrence of Hodgkin's Lymphoma that may necessitate a Bone Marrow Transplant.  Yes, my prayers are strong and frequent, my thoughts are pulled to these individuals many many times as I go about my day.

But what else can we do?  Megan and Jonathan are both fundraising and working to advertise bone marrow drives.  My sister Sally and I may run in Richmond in a Be The Match fundraiser IF my mid-May scans are clear.  Next week, I will join Jonathan in Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech Relay for Life event.  But what else?  I think we talk.  Talk about cancer.  Talk about symptoms.  Talk about the chemo.  Talk about infusions and ports and radiation and biopsies and hair loss (it grows back folks, it's NOT the end of the world!) and neuropathy and fatigue.  Take away the stigma.  Help increase awareness.  Help others recognize symptoms EARLY.  Blog.  Share.  Talk.  Communicate.  Open the windows and let the sun shine in and eliminate the shadowy "cancer" whispers.  Use language and community to kick this sucker out the door.