Anyone who knows me, knows that I've been battling cancer for 8 years. What I have is incurable and has metastasized into my bones 4 years ago. The normal life expectancy for metastasized prostate cancer is 36 to 48 months and I'm going to blow by that easily. A few years ago, I was depressed because my life expectancy was measured in months instead of years. Jenny helped me get past this, telling me that my case is different from all others. Andrew Jackson told us that we should not take counsel in our fears and I learned to believe him. Looking things up on line was really scary and I've stopped doing it. Even though my cancer can't be cured, my doctor is controlling it nicely. It seems that when one treatment quits working, there's another one to try.
I have been on chemo since last October first, It's doing a good job, getting my numbers down and giving me a nice quality of life. I do have some issues. My feet are both numb from chemo two years ago. It feels strange but doesn't have any pain like it can. The tumor in my jaw is probably hitting a nerve because the left side of my face is numb. It really feels strange when my face sweats or when I shave.
One thing that helps me to more easily deal with my illness is the kindness of others. Whenever Jenny talks with anyone in her family, their first question is asking how I am doing. At the golf course, I am constantly asked how I am doing and am shown positive support by lots of people.
Despite the uncertaincy of my future, I feel blessed. I don't have any pain in either my cancer or my treatment. I have a remarkable group of caregivers that I believe will keep me thriving into old age. A couple years ago, I was reluctant to buy a new golf club because I wasn't sure I'd live long enough to get my money's worth. Now, I'm looking at buying a new truck next year. I might never buy it but I believe that if I do, I'll get good use out of it.
Now, I know it is difficult to deal with other people's cancer. One of my classmates just lost his wife to the harsh toxicity of chemo, one of my cousins has lung cancer and a close family member is being treated for breast cancer, Even though I've been dealing with cancer for years, I have a hard time figuring out what to say and how to say it. So when I have someone who graciously asks me how I am, I know how tough expressing empathy is.
My advice for anyone who gets a tough diagnosis is to be strong. Be aware that many kind people will be praying for you. Also, as scared as you might be, your family and loved ones are also scared. Your strength and positivity will be a Godsend to them, giving them hope for the future. Also, I believe that a positive outlook will help one's recovery from an illness.
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