I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She was devastated. Her world is shattered. Good job. Nice family. Young kids. Prime of life. Loving husband. What does this mean for her? What lies ahead? Pain, suffering and the final appointment with death? How could fate be so cruel.
The thought of cancer sends chills down one's spine. It's almost like a death sentence. Most people think that the diagnosis of cancer as heralding the end of life. It affects the person totally- physical, emotional, psychologically and socially. Fear, anxiety, guilt, regret, sadness, grief- a whole gamut of human emotions. Questions about life- existential questions- why me, why now, what did I do to deserve this, what will become of me, my spouse, my kids?
This is the final path that many of us will walk through since nearly 1 in 4 deaths in Singapore is due to cancer. Despite this gloomy statistic, we can take comfort in knowing that cancer is curable in the early stage. So picking it up early is important. A small lump in the breast, rectal bleeding, sudden lost in weight, etc may be a signal of something amiss.
In our daily 'busy-ness', drowning in work and caring for the family, sometimes we have to sit back and think about our health. I suspect that most early cancers are left unattended because of our preoccupation with work and family.
Work especially can be an important hindrance. Yet we must remember this- when you die, the most affected will be your loved ones. You are the one and only husband, father or grandfather they ever knew. To them,you are irreplaceble. To the employer, on the other hand, they will miss you initially and they'll put up two advertisements- one an obituary for you and another in the classified ads looking for someone to take over your job. So get your priorities right in life.
