The big C
Sunitha Anand
Cancer… this word is usually uttered with myriad emotions attached to it. There's the limb numbing fear, the helpless anger, the hopeless cheer, the neverending tears. Even if there is hope of statistics that say ‘95% curable’ there is always the scare of whether the patient would be able to withstand the side effects physically and mentally. There is also the effect on family and friends. Here is one disease that affects those associated with it closely as much as the patient themselves.
Is there any pattern to the attachment the big C has? Nope! It could be an amazingly wonderful Mom who took tuitions to pass on her knowledge and then left behind her husband and only son as survivors.
It could be a happy go lucky young girl who dreams of completing her CA at the first attempt. It could be a dad of two who knew how to live life and had no other ailment till he was 70. Or it could be a tiny tot who hasn't learnt to walk yet. Amazing how non-biased this thing is.
There are millions of heart breaking stories out there and it's more easy now to know someone who has cancer than the common cold. One visit to Tata memorial hospital will change anyone's life and outlook to it. The costs are prohibitive in this disease and the wait for treatment is also sometimes unimaginable.
So what can we do when you or your loved one is a chosen one? There is no correct answer that fits all. Though I have found that the one thing that makes it bearable is the support of family and friends. Because the mental turmoil far surpasses the physical problems one faces. Of course the decision of chemo or no chemo will always haunt you but in the end it's a choice that needs to be made keeping the well-being of the patients in mind.
One can never be prepared for the change in the person you knew all your life in terminal cases, but when I read about the ones that defeated cancer and lived enriching lives, it shows how indomitable the human spirit is! A recent example being a 40-year-old man who will run the marathon after defeating cancer.
Just reading about him and others gives me hope. Hope – that one day there will be a cure, hope – that one day we might even prevent the occurrence of cancer. Till then we fight!
