I try really hard not to hate, I think hating is unhealthy and that hate in itself is like a cancer that left unchecked grows out of control and kills Joy. Kills Hope. But today I HATE cancer. The bad news is that the cancer rate will double in the next few decades. The good news is that many will survive cancer for years, decades, and sometimes even a lifetime after diagnosis. Five-year "cure" rates vary from 100% for prostate cancer to a scandalous 15% for lung cancer. But aside from the crucial issues of funding for cancer research, treatment, and prevention, it's time that we all acknowledge that cancer's here to stay and that whether we receive a diagnosis or not, we will certainly know and care for someone who has the disease. All I can do is strive to be more thoughtful, sensitive, and considerate. Listen more and talk less.
Below is a survivors story. He is a very courageous and brave man. He has made it his goal in life to educate people on the health hazards of smoking and if I do say so he is doing a great job on twitter.
HERE (in his own words) IS RANDY’S STORY:
A close friend of my wife's & mine ask me if I would write down a few thoughts on cancer. Since I am recovering from throat cancer, I have quite a few thoughts on it and they are mostly all bad.
When I started smoking cigarettes there was no evidence or proof that smoking causes cancer. Once that we found out that all the tobacco companies were not being honest about cigarettes being addictive and possible carcinogens, more testing started and more facts and information were released to the public. Bottom line is that smoking does cause cancer. I knew it but it was too late, I was hooked. I made the decision to quit 12-29-05. I won't say that it was easy quitting cigarettes but I had some insight into stopping addiction since I stopped drinking 13yrs prior to quitting smoking. I had been cigarette free for 2 and a half years when I was diagnosed with stage 3 squimous cell cancer of the throat. All 3 of my doctors, surgeon, oncologist and radiation said that my cancer was 100% caused by all of the years I had smoked. That's why I can say that it is never too soon to quit smoking but it can be too late. Cancer has been the scourge of both the past and present centuries. There were probably people getting sick and dying in the 1800s, but doctors had no idea what it was. Cancer also can run in a family. If there are members in your family that have or have had cancer, that increases your odds of getting some form of cancer. I myself had 2 strikes against me. I smoked and my mother and grandmother both died of cancer and my grandfather had prostate cancer.
There are hundreds of kinds of cancer, some of which have causes that are known but most, just happen. Myself and my partner manage a website for UAW retirees, bcbmonitor.com and in it there is a Medical section. In it we post articles about insurance and health. Our core belief in this section is that Health Care must start at home. This can be done through diet, exercise, regular maintenance and quitting smoking.
Some things that anybody who is diagnosed with cancer must do, is go into it with your eyes open, have and keep a positive attitude and put your life and trust into your doctors hands. It can be hard at times to keep a positive attitude but it is a must. Everybody told me that they couldn't believe the positive attitude I had going through all of my treatments. They would ask, how do you do it, and I would tell them that that was one thing I had control over. Through the surgery in which I was cut from just behind my right ear, down then over to just below my Adams Apple, 3 intensive chemo treatments that were three weeks apart and going to radiation therapy 37 times while doing chemo, it can be easy to get a poor me attitude but that does nothing good for you or your loved ones. When you go through it with a positive attitude, it helps you and gives family and friends more hope that you will recover.
I am 1 and a half years into my recovery and feel great. I will feel much better when I hit the 5 year benchmark and I have no doubt that I will make it. All of my follow ups with doctors have been nothing but positive and I know they will continue to be that way. I know that there are a lot worse kinds of cancer than I had but no matter what kind or how bad, keeping a positive attitude through it all can and does make a difference. A person has control over 2 things that can help get through or even prevent cancer. Keep a positive attitude and if you smoke, QUIT and if you don't smoke, don't start.
