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Freedom from Cancer. What does that really mean?

by Gloria Gamat on July 23rd, 2008

In lieu of this month’s Channel Theme Day and the recent Fourth of July celebration in the US, our topic is independence or freedom.

Speaking of freedom, in the context of cancer…what does freedom really mean? The definition varies from case to case, from person to person, from one’s perspective to another.

First of all nobody is free from the big-C. Each and everyone of us is at risk in one way or another. I mean we all walk on the face of the earth…all factors are at play contributing to the development of cancer. Environmental factors, genetics, lifestyle, diet, exposure to harmful chemicals and substances…just to name a few. Need I say more? Well yeah genetics. He he. You know what I mean.

Anyways, my second point is that: another kind of freedom is having the access to all the best treatment and healthcare and having the freedom to choose (with your doctor of course) what’s the best course of treatment for you. This all boils down to money folks. Without it a patient may prolong his life, despite cancer. Without it, a person can just die without even a fight. In this whole wide world money speaks, that’s the hard truth. You get the picture.

Third point is even if one has all the money and the best cancer treatment in the world. It just all remains now to how one’s body responds to treatment. Those that survives or gets into remission gets their freedom. At least in this case, one gets to fight cancer even though at the end some still lose.

I’m sorry if that sound harsh, but cancer is really harsh. It just turns our world upside down in one way or another. Our families have to deal with it and we cope too in any way we can. We all need all the help we can get: prayers, support system, family and friends, treatments, therapies, etc.

Yesterday I heard news - somebody I knew from a previous place where I used to work and live -  died a few days ago. Today she will brought to her final resting place. I was told she had a tumor in her throat, underwent surgery. Woke up only to suffer from stroke and then she went into a coma for a few days. She did not wake up of course, that was just too sudden. I wish her peace. At least she’s not in pain anymore.  In a way…hers is another kind of freedom. Like any other cancer patient that battled cancer and lost in the end. I don’t want to look at it as losing, the body is just free from pain and then you rest in peace, hopefully…something like that.

Well anyway, there goes my third point of freedom from cancer. I don’t wanna go any further, this post is making me sad.

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