Cancer Should be A Four Letter Word

The definition of cancer is – a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by invasion and systemically by metastasis.

That is what I have cancer – wow I still can’t believe I have it. Not just cancer but brain cancer. I was living my life as normal as could be and then one day I wake up have a seizure and find out latter I have brain cancer. It is still hard to believe. What is more shocking is how prevalent cancer is. I can’t escape it. If it’s not a friend it’s a friend of a friend everyone knows somebody with cancer. Cancer is everywhere! It’s on the news it’s on my favorite TV shows it’s everywhere. Izzy on Gray’s Anatomy has brain cancer. (Although I think their portrayal of it is not realistic). Cancer is everywhere. We just can’t escape it.

I just watched GMA and saw a story about a ten year old girl who has breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy… ten years old and she has breast cancer! WHAT’ THE HELL IS GOING ON?! This is should not happen! But this young girl was and is strong… someone else for me to draw strength and inspiration from. If this young lady can go through something that most adults find impossible I can get through it too… I know I can get through and survive my brain cancer. This is what I do I find people and ways to draw my strength from. It is hard to wake up and live a normal life… if and when I am found to be cancer free I think life will be difficult to live. It’s the uncertainty that cancer is. When I am cancer free I will still wake up each day not knowing if that’s the day it could come back. How do you live life that way? I’ll just have to find out.

Cancer will be a part of my family’s life forever. I know it’s hard for Kim to watch me go through this… she may not have cancer herself but she is living with it as much as I am… in fact I think it’s harder at times for her and the rest of the family than it is for me.. if something does happen to me they are the ones left behind… they are the ones left to pick up the pieces. Cancer is a six letter word but it should really be a four letter word. Cancer… if it happened to me it can happen to you. Each day is a gift… don’t sweet the small stuff… enjoy life.