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Some times events
occur in our lives over which
we have no control and which at the time seem to be
overwhelming. Such a moment is the diagnosis by your physician
of cancer.
Here in London this illness is treated by
enrolment into the London Regional Cancer Programme at Victoria
Hospital.
Just the thought of going to a large unknown
destination can be frightening for many people and it makes the
world of difference to your peace of mind to comprehend the
nature of the Programme before your entry. That understanding
is the purpose of this article but because it was too large for
a page in St Michael’s newsletter it was decided to place the
whole article on our website for you to read at your
convenience. If you have recently been diagnosed, or have loved
ones or friends who have been, please accept our invitation to
read on. |
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When most of us hear the word
“cancer”, we simultaneously, in our minds, associate it with the
word “death” which is rather odd when you consider the fact that
many forms of this disease have a “cure” rate of over fifty
percent after treatment and also the possibility of remission
for many years. In some countries in the third world, even a
bad cold doesn’t give you that much chance of survival. And if
you have passed the seventy-five year age mark, like myself, a
fifty percent plus chance of getting up and around the next
morning sounds pretty good. So, placed in perspective, the odds
in your favour of recovery really are encouraging.
When, a few months ago my wife was
diagnosed with Lymphoma, a form of cancer, my mind entered into
a kind of internal shock. Obviously, you can’t let your partner
of over fifty years know how the news has affected you because
you are her main support base but in my unspoken concern for her
I lost almost ten pounds over the next three weeks until I “came
to my senses” so to speak and began to calmly accept my role as
her number one supporter. Until we entered the London Regional
Cancer Programme I had no idea how much easier that support was
about to become. |
