A very close family friend is battling cancer. The Big C. Is there a person's life that hasn't been touched by cancer?? I have a prestigious list of people that I know and that I dearly love that have gone toe to toe with cancer; some have won, some have lost.
This particular person is one of the toughest people I know. I'm not sure she even feels physical pain. I am going to give you an extremely abbreviated version of what she has been through in the past few months. It won't begin to describe the highs and lows that she and her family have experienced, but you will get the gist. She was diagnosed before Christmas. The doctors opted to have her do radiation before surgery. Her post-radiation CT scan two weeks ago showed an extra spot popping up on her liver. This changed the protocol for her surgery because they needed to address two issues with two separate procedures. Yesterday was surgery day. The first procedure was going to be guided by another CT scan. When they got her under anesthesia and in the CT, they discovered 7 more tumors that had cropped up in two weeks time. She was sent home with a prescription and a 2 month timeline for her life.
She is a fighter. She is not going to let yesterday be the end. She is seeking alternative treatment plans. If anyone could find an alternative to western medicine to cure herself, it is this person. I have to have faith that she will beat this. The alternative is too hard to think about at this point. I have seen this woman fall face first in the shit countless times and she always comes out smelling like a rose. She is the person you never worry about, because she is so self-sufficient. She is a comedy of errors that range from entertaining to scary, but always end up ok. She is hard-headed and hears what she wants to sometimes, but this is how she stays incredibly positive and able to shake things off. This is not just cancer I am talking about, this is how she approaches life. Nothing bad in = nothing bad out. This is how she survives. She has operated her battle with cancer with the same flare. Losing this war is not an option for her. She has educated herself, defended herself, and pushed her "team" to make the right decisions for her. That attitude will be what saves her.
I can't help but let the worst creep into my mind a little. I am a "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" type of person. It makes me reflect on the life that she has had to this point. She is one person that I can say has lived the life she wanted to live. She pursues the things she wants with great passion. She goes and does the things she wants to do. She asks forgiveness, not permission. She loves her people deeply and with gusto. She is soulful and compassionate at the most unexpected times, the times you really need it. This woman lives her life to fullest each and every day. No wasted days. Who can say that? I don't think I can. But I'm going to try.
I want this post to mainly be about her, but let's tie it in to our regular theme a little. She is a healthy, active person. She doesn't drink, she isn't overweight, she gets plenty of fresh air and exercise. She shouldn't be sick. She. Should. Not. Be. Sick. So, let's put a little perspective on the health aspect. I worry about my weight, what I eat, and how much I exercise ALL OF THE TIME. Right now every fun thing I do I am calculating calories, or budgeting time for workouts, or worrying that I am over or short on one of those two fronts. It takes some of the fun out of having fun. My perspective is this: Be conscious of your health, live a healthy lifestyle, but don't let it BE your life. Go have experiences. Spend time with your loved ones. Chase your dreams. Don't spend your whole life counting calories and steps. Look up from your devices and feel the sun on your face. Put things in perspective and then go LIVE. Live to the fullest. As cliche as it sounds, life is short. There is no way to predict when your time is up. I am certain that my friend's time is NOT up, but I am also certain she is content that she has really lived. I want to know that I will be content someday. We should all have that much perspective.
No comments:
Post a Comment