What kind of treatments are available? How much can they possibly offer and how much time do they have left to live? These are the questions running trough one’s mind when given the terrible news of being diagnosed with a detrimental disease. This is a situation that no human-being wants to ever confront; unfortunately some have a greater misfortune than others and so was the case of sixty-one year old Rhio O’Connor, who was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in October 2001. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is essentially always cause by being exposed to asbestos, a fibrous mineral. When inhaled, it sticks to the mesothelium which is the thin lining on the surface of the body cavities. This causes enormous damage leading to the development of Malignant cells. Mr. O’Connor’s physician gave him a prognosis of less than a year, told him to go on a cruise and wait for death. Rhio O’Connor found it to be completely unacceptable, rejected and took matter into his own hands. He choose to be his own hero, chose life over death and his determination and inexorable spirit allowed him to survive for seven and a half more years (www.survivingmesothelioma.com).
Like Mr. O’Connor I would not concede into chemo radiation or surgery, especially if they had little to offer. Chemotherapy is just a painful procedure that will eventually lead to dead, in which people hope for remission instead, and deteriorate not form the cancer but from the side effects of the therapy itself. If I were given a dire cancer prognosis, despite the abominable situation I would look deep into my spirit, and find the courage to make tough choices and fight against my feeble immune system. Unite my spirit, body and mind for this is the path to the healing process, thank God for allowing me to live my live and think of the available treatments. Meditating, consuming equitable food, exercising, convene with nature and research as much as possible would be the kind of treatments I would acquire to. By doing so I would be able to keep track of how I feel and what activities make me feel good or bad.
Overall I try to make wise decisions regarding my heath and body, for we are only provided with one body and have to cherish it. My major in college is Biology and I am looking forward to pursuing a career in the medical field. Thanks to my education and volunteer services I have many resources to seek for help while making a decision. Not only that but I also have a very supportive family and friends, along with a couple of acquaintances in the medical field. Like Mr. O’Connor I also believe that education is empowerment, my father always tells me that without and education we have nothing to fall on. The greater our education the more bountiful opportunities we will have in our life time. Keeping this in mind the library would be the place where I would spend a large amount of my time. By doing so I would get a little more insight on the disease thanks to the abundance of resources. When questions arise they can be definite questions to the Oncologist or my support system and hope for extensive possibilities.
It is our duty to seek other choices besides chemo or surgery, and to choose life over death. Mr. O’Connor is a great example of what a true hero is, for he was not fictional and suffered a great amount but never gave up. Even though cancer changed his life and daily routines he took charge of his own destiny. He discovered the power that the unity of the body and mind grants, and has given hope to victims who suffer form decremental diseases. He fought something greater than himself, his ability to make touch choices lead him to success. He is a great influence not just to cancer patients but to men in general, his fighting spirit opened a broader view of opportunities that await for us. We should not be afraid to think out of the box, sometimes that is just exactly what we need to do and maybe along the way we will find our victory.
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