LITTLE ROCK- Chances are, either you, or someone close to you has battled cancer. Unfortunately, it is a harsh reality that we as a society have to face every day. But perhaps no more than those who are fighting the battle today, and every day. For them, cancer is a battle of the brave.
As a sportswriter, there is nothing better in my opinion than covering or writing a story about athletes who demonstrate great courage and never give up in seemingly impossible situations. And when they overcome those battles on the way to victory, it is a great story.
But, in my opinion, there is no better example of courage than those who are fighting cancer. Facing fear and uncertainty, these very special people get up every day and fight the battle. They endure great pain, fatigue, and fear every day, but they refuse to give up. They are true warriors, and my respect for them is endless.
If you or someone you know has or is currently fighting this battle, you know better than anyone what a scary and arduous battle it is. Cancer patients face long days of treatment, scans, waiting endlessly in doctors’ offices, and then contend with the pain and physical discomfort of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. They sit in chairs for hours, receiving chemotherapy drugs, and then go home to a myriad of oral medications that are prescribed to combat the various side effects of the chemo treatments. In some cases, they must force themselves to eat and drink, although it may be in very small amounts.
It requires patients who are being treated to fight with every fiber of their physical, mental, and emotional beings to overcome a treatment process that can seemingly be worse than the disease itself. Flat out, it can be horrible at times.
Some forms of cancer treatments have achieved big gains and advances in the administration and comfort of medications as well as their efficacy in curing cancer. Some cancers have seen very little improvement in the past fifteen or so years.
Advances in early cancer detection has been significant in some cancers, and in others, diagnosis comes too late to avoid spreading to other vital organs from its origin in the body.
And the cynical side of me wonders why we, in 2024, still do not have a cure for cancer. Afterall, and I have shared this thought with many others, we as a nation were able to land men on the moon with the technologies that existed in the 1960s, but in today’s world, we still do not have a cure. My mind leaps to the thought of too much money being involved, but I just don’t want to go there thinking we are sacrificing life for the all mighty dollar.
Who knows why, but the fact remains, we do not have a cure for cancer. That is reality.
According to the American Cancer Society, for every 100,000 people, 403 new cases of cancer were reported in 2020. That is the latest year for cancer statistics to date, and I should emphasize the operative words of “reported cases” suggesting that the number of actual cases could be higher than reported. Statistics also state that men have a 40% chance of developing cancer in their lifetimes.
So, I am sharing this story on behalf of everyone out there who is battling this terrible disease, and for those family members and friends who know others close to them that are engaged in this terrible battle. And to the caregivers out there, please know that you are valued and loved for being there to help your loved one or friend through this scary period of their life.
Cancer has struck our family this year, and I have written this story to share my thoughts for the benefit of my mother who is battling cancer, as well as anyone out there who reads this story.
My mom is strong…perhaps the strongest person I have ever known. I love her; she is the greatest mom a child could ever have been blessed to have. She is a fighter, and she is fighting the good fight. This is what I would have expected her to do; she has fought the good fight her entire life. Whether it was the loss of their home last March to the tornado that hit Little Rock, or her cancer diagnosis in January of this year, my mom is a fighter. And I love and respect her for many reasons, but perhaps first and foremost for this very reason.
Cancer clinics across our nation are full of fighters every day. It is disturbing to see the large numbers of people in clinics across America who every day take treatments to fight this terrible disease.
God bless all of them. They are inspirational in their fight and positive attitudes. Each of them are examples of how we should value each day of our lives.
