Is It Worth It?
I’m thinking about all of you tonight who have been through the fight.
You’ve taken the chemotherapy and some of you have taken the radiation on-top of the chemotherapy and some of you have been through the trifecta of surgery on top of that. You have been brave beyond words. You have shown strength and stamina and have even managed a smile and a laugh at times.
And then comes the news of more cancer. The old adage, “It’s not what we see, but what we don’t see” rings true once again.
The doctor begins to set-up a new schedule of treatment. Do you have what it takes to go through it all over again? You’re a warrior, so it’s likely you’ll fight another day.
Or, do you measure the smiles and laughs against the harsh reality of going through this war again and ask yourself, is it worth it?
June 1, 2012 @ 6:17 pm
Whether to endure treatments is such a personal decision but had Jim not received chemo and radiation we would have lost him much sooner and for us that was not an option. I respect those who choose quality over quantity…it is a decision each patient must make. We have a little 7 year old boy in our area who has been fighting the beast for a good part of his little life. He has been to UVA and Johns Hopkins and he is still fighting. Another friend is being treated at Hopkins and she is just beginning but she is determined to fight with all she has. I count them among the heroes of the world.
June 1, 2012 @ 1:15 pm
Just a month shy of my 20th anniversary in cancer world, is the fight worth it? In a word: yes.
June 1, 2012 @ 9:03 am
Today I would fight the fight once again even knowing what I know the consequences would be with chemo, radiation and/or surgery. The toll on me and my family would be heavy but worth it ……I am betting that the misery would lead to some more quality time but it is a roll of the dice. I look at my friend Cathy…brain mets, liver mets, intestinal mets and now more tumors in her body…..but she soldiers on by taking the radiation and chemo and enduring more surgery. Her spirit remains high…yes there are some bad days but mostly good ones. A true fighter. I also look at little Danielle who is fighting leukemia. She is about 10. She endures her chemo, needle sticks, blood being taken and transfused, loss of her hair, pain throughout her body, frequent trips to the ER when her vital signs are low. She endures and fights with all that her tiny body can muster. These are just two of my heroes.
Whether to fight again is such a personal decision and there is no right answer. Just the answer that best fits for you and your family. In spite of what we think or want to believe, the thread of life is tenuous. Our lives can change in an instant. So for this moment, another fight against the beast would be worth it to me.