Cancer is a big word with numerous outcomes...

Well, it's the end of September 2013 and I am just getting back here (to post a photo of my mail carrier in the 'local postal person' group).  Life just gets more and more complicated at times.  My husband got diagnosed with (luckily!) very early stages of prostate cancer a few months ago and that has taken a lot of time for research to decide what treatments, if any, he wants to undergo and, frankly, just to get our heads around it.  We've been told that his kind of prostate cancer is so slow growing and microscopic at this point so he doesn't really have to have any treatment right away.  They are doing something with him called 'active surveillance' which means testing PSA every 6 months and probably another biopsy in a year.  If all goes well, the soonest he'd have to deal with radiation treatments would be in 2 or more years.  That's a relief in one way but I know it's hard for him to know there is cancer in his body somewhere growing, even if it's very slowly!  Since this happened, we have learned how many men around us in every part of our lives has had prostate cancer!  It's amazing and seems to partly be because we tend to live so much longer now and partly because of chemicals/radiation/etc. in the air, water, and land.  Anyway, in solidarity with all of my mail art friends living with various cancers, I thought I'd mention it.  At least we who are still alive are living with it!  As the oncologist we talked to reminded us, there are many more people living with cancer than dying from it, something we don't usually realize.  We all remember those of our friends and families who haven't survived cancer, also, and they are not forgotten.  Hugs to all of us.

xox

Carla

Views: 129

Tags: absent, cancer, friends, survivors

Comment

You need to be a member of International Union of Mail-Artists to add comments!

Join International Union of Mail-Artists

Comment by Carla Cryptic on September 30, 2013 at 7:42pm

Thanks to all of you for your responses! 

I will tell Graham about possibly talking to an amchi, Erni - I have a background which includes Chinese medicine and I have also recommended that to him.

Val - I'm glad to hear your treatment went well!  I so agree that staying calm and avoiding stress and worry are very important.  As you say, balance is key.

Ruud - yes!  We must live life to the fullest and see all of its beauty - that's what balances out the dark times and fears.  And, besides, we have the capability, so why not use it?  Sometimes people get caught up in the routine things and miss the momentous ones.

Susan, Gin, and Amy - thank you and it's much appreciated.

Comment by Ruud Janssen on September 30, 2013 at 5:57am

Hi Carla,

Hope you and you husband get through this. Yes, life has it's strange paths we have to take. We need to make it beautiful and live it.

Ruud

Comment by Susan McAllister on September 30, 2013 at 5:47am
Carla, I am so sorry to hear about Graham's illness. I'll be thinking about you both.
Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on September 29, 2013 at 8:21pm

My thoughts are with you and your husband. I had cancer a while back, but came through the treatment OK. In my experience the best things you can do to survive are keep calm, maintain a sense of balance, don't worry (it will make your husband's worry worse), follow the Dr's advice, and enjoy, really enjoy, life. Bestest, Val

Comment by Amy Irwen on September 29, 2013 at 7:52pm
Glad to hear it was found at a very early stage. Hang in and be diligent...
Hugs to you and the hubby!

Support

Want to support the IUOMA with a financial gift via PayPal?

The money will be used to keep the IUOMA-platform alive. Current donations keep platform online till 1-july-2025. If you want to donate to get IUOMA-publications into archives and museums please mention this with your donation. It will then be used to send some hardcopy books into museums and archives. You can order books yourself too at the IUOMA-Bookshop. That will sponsor the IUOMA as well.

IMPORTANT: please use the friends/family option with donation on Paypal. That makes transaction fee the lowest

This IUOMA platform on NING has no advertisings, so the funding is completely depending on donations.

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

© 2024   Created by Ruud Janssen.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service