Another Face in the Crowd: Life in the Face of Cancer - vol 2

One of the biggest reasons why I am doing this series is awareness. You might say you know about something but trust me, you don't unless you lived through it. I lived through it and want to share my knowledge with others in an effort to help. For me, I let my symptoms go unchecked for 2+ years because I just didn't know enough. Like I mentioned in volume 1, I thought it was pretty much EVERYTHING else BUT cancer. If you read this and you have persistent symptoms that don't seem like that big of a deal, GET CHECKED OUT!

It could just save your life.

Cancer sucks. It really does. But at the same time, I can't help but realize how fortunate I am. My cancer was pretty much confined solely to my sinus region. It had spread and it was stage IV but because of some cosmic-level good luck, my team of doctors and nurses (all of them truly remarkable people with immense talent), were able to beat it with a good deal less side effects than what others might have had to fight. The tumor was removed and proton radiation killed what was left. My eye, which the tumor had been pressing up against, remains intact and has full function. There was no scarring due to surgery to my face. There was no lasting effects to my skin from the radiation - and even my eyebrows finally grew back in (for the most part, although I am still working on the top of my moustache).

Others in my situation have not gotten off as easily as I have. I know that is a weird thing to say after surviving something like cancer, but it is true. It's really how I feel. Now, that's not to say I didn't do my fair share of fighting. I did. I won't take away from all the hard work I had to do as well, but a part of me does feel like I dodged one hell of a bullet. It came for me and while it was very close to being "too late," it was still early enough to come away mostly unscathed. I still have side-effects I am dealing with but all in all, they are not significantly impacting my life.

The real damage I had to face from cancer was the fear. It insinuated itself into everything, not just me. My children. My family. My friends. That fear spreads. It's like an infection with no cure. And it hurts to see that in their eyes. That and the inevitable helplessness they felt too at not knowing how they can help me through all the pain and mind-numbing terror that is this sickness.

I can answer it for those that might not know or understand what they can do for their own loved ones fighting cancer.

Just be there.

It might sound like a small thing but it really isn't. You don't have to talk. You don't have to console. You don't have to do anything of the sort. Just being there with that person is enough. Cancer is a weight that takes a toll not only on the body but the mind. Having that support system goes a long way to alleviating some of the loneliness and isolation that can come with a cancer diagnosis.

Well....that's all for this round. I suppose in the next volume to this, I'll go into more details on my treatments and their effects on me.

Until next time.