#WorldCancerDay February 4, 2016
It would be a day of celebration if we did not even have a #WorldCancerDay trending on social media. A #WorldCureDay is what we would all like to see trending. That seems impossible and unlikely to many. So what does #WorldCancerDay mean to you? My short answer and one that holds great meaning to me personally: #Community. A community of #WeCanICan.
I resisted being part of that cancer community when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the first time. Get it out, kill it with the toxic chemo and radiate it until it is no more. I did not want to be in that community. I wanted to move on and get back to a “normal” life.
Diagnoses number two? I decided it was time to join the community. What a community they are! Yes, it is a community of frightened patients. It is a community of worried caregivers. It is a community of health care providers racing against the clock to find a cure. It is mothers, daughters, wives, husbands, sons, children, sisters, brothers, family and friends who do their best to support and love those going through it. We are sometimes tired, angry, in pain, weak and frustrated.
We are also a community of helping hands. We meet collectively to shore each other up with fund raisers, bike rides, oceans of pink or blue or colors representing a disease that no one wants to even wear a color for.
We are a community of healers and a community of smiles. We dance, laugh and love our way through this disease because we have hope! We have hope we will live long lives; long enough to dance at our children’s weddings, hold our grandchild’s hand, and a community of physicians who burn the midnight oil digging through research to find the elusive cure.
So today, BE a part of that community in some way, big or small.
Here is my #WorldCancerDay list:
- Physicians, take the extra time to dig deep for that compassionate care today, even if your own personal day is not going so well.
- Caregivers don’t forget to take time out for you. You didn’t ask for this job but you do your level best to help your cancer patient.
- Send someone a card today even if you don’t know what to say. Make it something that has the potential to evoke a smile.
- Give someone a ride to treatment today and ask if they’d like to stop for a special treat on the way home.
- Pray for those who you cannot be with but love and want to see cured.
- Researchers, NEVER, NEVER lose site of the cure! One day, we will not celebrate this day but we will celebrate the cure.
- Cancer patients, NEVER, NEVER give up hope that you can be purposeful in your life even through this diagnosis and even in those times when you have become an unintended hero.