Let's begin with a legend. In the old days, miners would take canaries into coal mines with them to warn of dangerous levels of methane gas. If the canary died, the miners would beat cheeks/run back out of the cave.
Granted my perspective is a bit introspective, but I wonder about a behavior that I am observing. It starts with a well-intended and casual check-in: "How you doing?" I'm appreciative of the inquiry and welcome the concern. Though I feel the genuine sincerity in their hearts, I also see a multi-layered look of concern in their eyes and I wonder if maybe I'm their barometer of cancer survival. They want to make sure I'm ok because one day they will be touched by cancer - everybody will, directly or indirectly, if they haven't already - and they want to be reassured that it's survivable. I am the embodiment of that reassurance. More proof that we are winning the battle (in many cases) and this can be conquered.
He got cancer - he survived. Lots of people are being diagnosed with various strains of the disease and they are surviving. Maybe if this happens to my loved-one or me - maybe there is survival in that future as well. The fact is that science is exploding with developments that are enhancing the odds and increasing the positive outcomes. And I am eternally (literally) grateful that mine was a manageable strain, and that I found the right team to help me manage it.
So if seeing me and my outcome helps them see themselves or their loved-ones with a similar result - now or in the future - then once again my experience has helped someone. It makes things like nausea and hair loss seem insignificant when weighed against the gratification of being the support of others, as others are/were the support for me. I'm still chirping, so all is good. Let's all go a bit further into the cave of life.
