Every hardship in life makes one a much stronger person.
As an oncologist, when I meet some of my patients, I try to dig deeper to understand their perspectives on cancer, treatment, impact of close encounter with threat to life etc.
And every time I dig deeper, I learn something worth remembering and sharing.
Recalling one such meeting with a young 32 years old lady, college teacher by profession, treated for breast cancer. Upon her diagnosis of breast cancer, she took a sabbatical leave from college job to take care of her health and manage treatment. By the time she completed her breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, our lady had gained few extra kilos of body weight. Once she joined back her college job after many months of absent from work and while she had put on some weight- many of her colleagues asked if she was pregnant and was blessed with a baby. To this she wittily replied that – “I have been born again in last nine months- I have new hair, skin, nails and a new life”.
How true – I think almost all cancer patients especially breast cancer patients can relate to this.
Recently met another young lady who had completed her breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy sometime back. I asked her how she was doing and how was life?
She said doctor this disease and its treatment has transformed me as a person. Cancer and its treatment shows you both life and death very closely. It has made me a much stronger and fearless person.
“C” (of cancer) has given me four new “G”s in my “new” life.
I have stopped keeping grudges and guilt.
I have more sense of gratitude and I am more giving by nature now.
Every day I try and live a better life then I was living before my diagnosis.
What a learning and journey from C to G !!
#Cancer Free # Guilt Free # Grudge free #Gratitude # Giving #new life # Life transformation