While talking to ooglersgooglers today ,he mentioned that some celebrity has got cancer and my immediate reaction was Oh God!
Then he mentioned another one in the family who also has been detected with this killer disease. And my reaction again was, Baap re, very sad!, what will happen to the family? without even asking about the condition of the patient or the severity of the symptoms I just took for granted that the person will definetly succumb to death. ( as if others who are not suffering from cancer will never die)
Most of the people react in the similar way when they come to know of someone who is suffering from cancer. The word cancer has become synonymous with death sentence.
We all know that death is inevitable. Who so ever has come on this earth will go. No one is mortal.
Koi bhi amrut peekar nahi aaya hai that means all of us have to go.
Then why this phobia of this particular disease ( carcinophobia)?
There are so many other diseases which ultimately lead to the end of life. Then why do we dread this word cancer?
Is it because
1. This is incurable atleast after a certain stage.
2. Granted that earlier there was no cure for this disease and any one who fell prey to it be in the first stage or last stage will surely have a painful end.
3. Most of the times this disease is diagnosed at the last stage and then it is too late for any medicines to act?
4. The after effects of the chemotherapy are very painful. ( I read a novel by Danielle Steel where she has beautifully described the trauma a cancer patient undergoes and there she has portrayed the aftereffects of chemo)
5. That the end days are very painful for both , the patient and the persons who are looking after the patient.( my father went because of this only and although I did not witness his pain but have heard that it was intolerable and he used to suffer a lot)
Whatever may be the reason, but the mere thought of this word is shuddersome and distressing.
and the worst scene is when every one around the patient starts moving with a drawn face, gloomy expressions. even if the patient tries to put up a bold front and face the situation with utter courage the so called well wishers keep reminding him of his agonising state and forces him to become mentally weak by talking about his ill fate and bad luck.
they are the ones who by their expressions, attitude make the patient see his end approaching.
and this reminds me two famous dialouges of our movies
1. Jindagi lumbi nahi chodi honi chahiye
and
2. yeh mat socho ki jindagi mein kitne pal bache hai balki yeh socho ki har pal mein kitni jindagi hai(
dont think how much time you have left with rather think how you can live the leftover moments of your life)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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19 comments:
Thank you Anju for sharing my thoughts on your blog. Indeed death is inevitable and one has to face the truth of life. It is the stop of the journey where all passes and tickets come to an end and no matter how hard you try, the almighty god will never renew or extend your ticket beyond that station.
As for cancer, it is indeed the dreadful demon of the 20th and continuing into the 21st century and many more will fall to it. A very dear family member has this and I can't fathom the fact that this person will no longer be there in few months(hopefully many years) from now. The lively face, the jovial nature and the very thought of his family really makes me sad.
I guess, one has to continue and life goes on.
I lost an aunt to cancer (leukemia), but we have two family members who have survived breast cancer and esophageal cancer, I know other survivors also, one very dear friend (breast cancer) and two other close acquaintance. I too have had my scares whenever I have had cancer check ups. I had blogged about the experience too...
The survival rate for cancer patients is high now... but the fear does stay.
anju, it is indeed a dreadful demon...but it is equally important to face such obstacles in life and move ahead...we can't help what already has happened to us, but we can at least make sure that people around us do not suffer because of us...
Its Lisa ray, famous model....cancers are dreaded or any decease which confirms to be mortal is, coz to live with the knowledge that one would die in 6 months or 8 months could bring worst sufferings. Its the feeling that one would never again see the same person that one grew with can be heart breaking.....
And cancer is slow painful death, where your organs die one at a time and you could actually feel your body die, inch by inch...which could be unexceptionably tormented.
Other than terminal cancers , there are no other diseases which can be confirmed to be terminal with complete certainty. TB, Hepatitis, Meningitis, etc can be 100% treated or even AIDS can be controlled and life prolonged, but not a later staged cancer. Other diseases can be prevented, but Cancer?
There are other auto immune diseases which are equally dangerous but extremely rare. Thanks, nice post. :)
I am really surprised by the usage of your words. DEATH is not a an easy word to even pronounce , but you haven’t realized this in your post. It’s easier to wonder why people react the way they do when they hear about family members health, but it’s difficult to experience our self.
“…even if the patient tries to put up a bold front and face the situation with utter courage the so called well wishers keep reminding him..”
How would you react if a close family members of yours is diagnosed with non curable disease which will for sure cause lots of pain for the victim…?? Will you go-around keeping an happy face..??? Death will separate the person from us rest of our life filling our life with regrets and unanswered questions. Sorry to hear about your father, but can’t believe someone out there can take the word “DEATH” for granted and post a blog like this. I know what you’re trying to convey by above sentence, but usage of words matter a lot.
May god bless you…
yes everyone is afraid of cancer.
To live for today and to love for tomorrow
Is the wisdom of a fool
Because tomorrow is promised to no one
Many types of Cancer still doesn't have cure. Lisa Ray (I think that's the celebrity you mentioned)is diagnosed with incurable myeloma and now she started a website to create awareness and fund for more research in the area.
It is tough to go on when you know that the time is near. I mean death is inevitable but waiting for it is really painful. In a way with or without a disease, all of us are waiting for death because all of us know that we will have to go some day.
That is so true we are dieing the day we are born.
QMM
Yes it is miserable.I have seen it. My niece in her 30s is going through this and I know what it means to the family with 5 yrs old kid around.This disease has no known cure and is the reason why it is so scary.
Yes,we all have to go,but this one is only sufferance.
life is a journey for some its short but some live meaningless long life .This is beyond our control .
Anjuji jeevan-maran nahee hota apane hath
par sabke liye shubhkamnae hai mere sath
Very True!! One life live it.. and mast raho!!
i guess you are correct the word cancer is so dreadful that by hearing the name we are scared you have enlighten us very well
This is indeed a dreaded disease and many people in my family have been affected by it. In this disease not only the patient but also the family members suffer.
Hope there is a cure for the disease some day soon.
My Uncle was detected with Cancer 10yrs back...he underwent painful and Expensive treatment and was cured ( we were all shocked and Surprised)...He passes away 15 days back, but thats not cos of Cancer...
Just the word dissapoints me..No idea, why it attacks ppl...its so painful...
Anjuji,
The two line you said at the end of your post is very meaningful and we all try to practice it in our daily lives. But when we are faced with the ultimate reality called "death", we hardly can keep our composure, not too many of Anand's are there in the real life correct? Have you ever imagined someone very dear of you lying on the death bed in front of you? Just the bare thought is scary enough to make me run away and come back to reality.
As far as the common perception of people go, is the survival rate more than 50%? I am not sure, the general belief is that if you are diagnosed with cancer, you are lucky if you survive.That's what make people frantic about it...
Very sad topic it is..Yeah cancer is truly agonizing and traumatic..
I'd a junior,a very sweet,caring and loving girl..who was also a close friend's love..suddenly the guy tells me,she is detected to have brain tumour..the shock i had then,is still tough to grapple with..i tried my level best not to show her that i knew of her ailment..one day,out of my habit when i said,god bless,the girl replied,'what yaar,you still think god would bless me??my days are numbered!'
Hearsay or 3rd party description abt the probs is easy to get along with..but when u encounter a close friend in such a sitn,it's truly painful!
I think it is mainly because of the way bollywood treated cancer in their films. I have not seen the movie but i am under the impression that some Rajesh Khanna movie used it first!!
u should see the movie - "my sister's keeper"...its about a girl dying of cancer and her mother fighting to keep her alive by means of her other child...
the reason y the name of cancer sends shivers is because most people are aware of it and have heard about its incurable nature after some stages and the painful treatment..
other diseases which are fatal...are not so common...and like Zeba said...not shown in movies...that's y the hype and fear
Very well put! Death is the only 'truth' or 'fact' of life... but then... the 'soul' never dies.
Shloka:
"Nainam chindanti shastrani, nainam dahati pavakaha
Na chainam kledayantyapo na shoshayati marutaha"
It is from the Bhagavad Gita... and means:
I am the spirit/soul... atman... any weapon, elements of life or any danger cannot destroy me... I am eternal... energetic...
Lord Sri Krishna describes (to Arjuna) the human soul as something that cannot be cut by weapons, can’t be burnt by fire, can’t be drowned in water, can’t be blown by the wind...
Just as a man casts off his worn out/old clothes and puts on new ones, similarly... the embodied self casts off its worn out bodies and enters into others which are new. Weapons cleave It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not. This self cannot be cut, not burnt, nor get wet, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-prevading, stable, immovable and ancient. This [self] is said to be unmanifested, unthinkable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This to be such you should not grieve.
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