Cancer, hate it or HATE it!

As I sit here watching "Chasing Life" ( a show about a girl diagnosed with cancer ) I start to think of all the things that people with cancer and their families go through. It's such a sad thing to think about I know, but it's something that everyone at one point in their lives thinks about. My grandfather, who passed away when my father was 5 years old, died of lung cancer. I wasn't affected so much because well I never really met him, but is it weird to say that I love him, and miss him like I had? I've only ever heard stories, and seen some pictures, but he's still such a big part of who I am! Sometimes, and I know this sounds funny, I think that the drive for me to be a doctor, is because of him. He was a radiologist, the only doctor in my family, and I like to think that I'm making him proud by studying to be a doctor. Either way, I don't know if I would ever be strong enough to be a caretaker, and I'm sure all caretakers once thought that themselves, but to see someone you love so dearly go through so much pain, is such a hard thing to do. 

My sister, a few years ago, was taken to the hospital because of a pain she had on her right side. We all instantly thought no big deal, probably just appendicitis, surgery would take care of that. What was actually true was much worse. When the ER doctor came in to the room that day, he told my sister and our family that she had a mass on her right ovary, and that she needed to see an Oncologist, to get a biopsy and run some test to make sure it wasn't cancer. To all of us in that room curtain, all we heard was the word cancer and nothing else. My sister instantly started bawling her eyes out the moment the doctor walked out of the room. Followed by tears trailing down my and my mothers face. My father ( who lost his dad to cancer ) was just pale, sitting in the chair staring off in to some sort of distance. My father had already lost someone to cancer (he was young and didn't really understand much at the time but he lost his father to cancer regardless) wasn't ready to lose his daughter as well. We went to see an Oncologist as asked and luckily after all the test and everything, the tumor was a teratoma, which was benign and removed from her ovary through a laparoscopic procedure. We were all extremely lucky at this point, but it doesn't mean we weren't terrified. 

The point of this is just to tell you all that sometimes, others aren't so lucky, and although cancer can be the scariest of things, we all need to be strong enough for those who need us. Those who have cancer, I'm sorry, I know I don't know what you're going through, and I wish telling you that you're going to be okay is enough, but lets be real, who am I to tell you that you're going to be okay? I don't know you, or anything about your cancer, all I know is that you shouldn't be scared to ask those around you for support, they're put in your life for a reason, to be your support system so use them. I say this because the main character in "Chasing Life" didn't want to tell her family that she was diagnosed, she preferred to keep it to herself, and get through it alone. In my personal opinion, although completely inexperienced, don't not tell someone because you don't want that look of pity, tell someone because you need them to be there for you. You're support system is going to have to process that you have cancer the same way you did, but after they do, they will be there for you! I know I would've been there for my sister 100% had that tumor not been benign, it would have been tough on her and the family but thats why we're here. To deal with the messy, the ugly, the bad, and the scary, not just the good things. 

I say we should make some kind of contribution for the cancer society! Go to CVS, and when you pay, add that $1+ donation for lung cancer, or give March of Dimes a few dollars at publix! If you're short on cash, but want to do something, look for the nearest cancer support, and find out how to volunteer to help those fighting cancer. Money isn't the only thing they need, they need love and support, and we as people can do that! 

Do you know someone with cancer? How do you get through your days helping them? Speak your mind about this, thats why I created this post! Cancer really sucks, and all I can say is F**K CANCER!