I am Fighting Cancer!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Facing Life As A Cancer Survivor Can Scare The Pants Off You!

Guess what? I am a cancer survivor and I’m apprehensive. Yeah…“apprehensive” is a good word for scarred!?

Me scarred? I’m an ex-Marine-2nd Degree Black Belt. I am scarred of nothing! Well, almost nothing. Maybe….in all honesty, I’m scarred of a lot of things. I am proud to say I am a cancer survivor. So what else is new. Join the human race Jack. Welcome. Me scarred? Well heck, so is the rest of Humanity.

I guess this enlightenment is called self-acceptance or whatever. Who cares?

You see, normally after a life threatening event like having colon cancer, I’d stash it in the back of my mind and get on with things. You know what I mean? No big deal. It’s done. I’m over it. I feel great. Am working out etc. Getting on with life. After all, I am a cancer survivor. Problem is, the Docs have me taking some test the end of the year to be sure cancer isn’t coming back! Get out of here. I don’t want to hear about it.

So, grow up Jackie boy. It is just a formality. Yeah I will do it to it. But, I am sure there are lots of other cancer survivors out there in the Big Net that have the same thoughts. They can’t all be Superman or Superwoman. Right?

There is one thing I have found out about myself, since I became a cancer survivor. It is much easier for me to express myself emotionally. Like I have no trouble using words like affection, caring, loving etc.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the reason I can express myself emotionally now is because I feel I have nothing to hide. The reason I have nothing to hide is because of my hospital experience back in April.

My back was against the wall and I was at the total mercy of the Docs and Nurses. The deal was, I was finishing my 4th week of radiation. I stopped eating and drinking that 4th week. Felt like hell. So, I got off the radiation table and fell down on the floor. The nurses laid me out on a bed, took my blood pressure, and told me I was going to Emergency Hospital. Oh, I also couldn’t stop hiccupping.

Making a long story short-I spent 18 days in the hospital. At first, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I was continuously vomiting, hiccupping, and had diarrhea. Couldn’t keep down food. Then I got pneumonia to boot. Cheers, good times are hear. My Docs came in and just starred at me, seemingly totally dumbfounded. Shaking their heads. “I can’t figure it out”. (My radiation and chemo Docs)

After a few days they put me on a liquid diet. After 18 days they figured I was well enough to be release from the hospital. Yeah, I lost 25 lbs. I know one thing, there are worse things that can happen to you then dying. Several of the nurses told me I was in really rough shape when I came in their. The only thing I can say is Cancer treatment in some cases, is not for sissies. Don’t misunderstand, my case of disaster, doesn’t happen to all cancer patients, not by a long shot.

Anyway, needless to say, I appreciate the good simple things in life now. How sweet life is.I am a cancer survivor. Cheers, Adios, See Ya Latter alligator, jack
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p.s. I bet some of you readers have some very interesting stories to tell. Do you want to get published? Keep the story short.check this out