Cancer

Cancer

Death may be the greatest fear of some people but to some death is what they crave for. Death may strike in many forms, accidents, murder, old age, in one’s sleep, and etc. It happens when you least expect it. A quick and painless death is what every one wants but not everyone is lucky. Death usually occurs slowly and painfully in the form of disease and one can only wait and watch helplessly as one’s life passes by and comes to an end.
Cancer ranks third in the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines. It can occur at any age and in any social class, no one is safe from this disease. Cancer is like a silent killer that strikes without you knowing. You only know when the cancer has progressed to a larger scale, multiplying and spreading throughout one’s body unnoticed until it is too late to perform any treatment. It’s like being stabbed with out you knowing and you only realized this when it’s too late.
I have seen and read many movies and books of real people going through cancer. My own Godmother had this disease and I know how she really fought to live for her family and keep her family together. Cancer had changed their lives totally. They went through not only the pain while undergoing treatment but also through emotional pain, fear, and even denial. They need not only the treatment for the disease but they also needed spiritual support to keep them strong. Being alone during this time can be very hard because one can fall into a state of depression and hopelessness and will just embrace death just like that.
In the Philippines however, not every one can afford to undergo treatment so even if they have a huge chance of being cured of cancer they cannot avail of the expensive procedures and I find this unfair.
I empathize with the patients with cancer because I know how it is to be sick. Being sick is the last thing that I want to happen to me and a mere fever is already too much for me and I really suffer. So I am really amazed at the people afflicted with cancer, I am amazed at their strong will to undergo chemotherapy and endure the pain. I especially am amazed at the children with cancer.
Having knowledge of cancer and other diseases had really changed my perspective in health. It is really scary to think of the possibilities that I might acquire any of these diseases. It simply sends chill down my spine as I am made to think of a scenario where I have cancer. This is why I am more interested and more motivated in pursuing nursing, as I want to be able to save a life someday by being able to educate people of proper health practices and learn more of these diseases and how to treat them. I only hope that treatment for cancer may improve in the future and have lesser side effects and of course may be affordable even for the poor cancer patients.
Only one-third of all cancers are curable if detected early so yearly check-ups are really needed. We should invest in our health because what will money do if we are dead? But prevention is always better than being treated so one should always practice good health habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We only have one life, let us not let negligence destroy it.

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