Cancer Survivors

Want to know about Cancer Survivors?

Cancer survivors, including myself, are some of the luckiest people on earth not only because we have been given the chance to prove and experience the power within us, but also because after our ordeal, we learn to appreciate life in ways not many people do.

The most difficult part for a cancer patient is to deal with the sickness ALONE.  We have GOD who is the ultimate source of courage and strength, but most of people on this difficult moments forget about GOD.

Of course,  we have families and  friends.

But knowing that there is a whole community of support groups who are willing to make this journey with us, then the battle is half-won.

Every year, there are 72,000 new cancer cases with about 38,000 deaths, each year. With the advance in cancer research, these are obscene figures. Especially in a poor country, people who cannot afford treatments succumb to or die of cancer.

Cancer has a way of altering one's life forever. The life of a cancer patient revolves around Chemotherapy, Radiation, Tamoxifen, Painkillers, Vomit suppressants and countless Needle pinches during treatment. I have had close to 100 needle while doctors and nurses tried to find the right vein to administer Chemotherapy, boost white blood cells daily and check my blood count. For the rest of your life, you depend on your Doctor to tell you if your time is up.

But that's not how it has to be. Cancer patients find empowerment in themselves when they are equipped with knowledge.

Knowledge is power.

Cancer survivors now have a bigger chance of living long and healthy lives compared to 15 years ago, if detected early. Because of lack of information on early detection and prevention, cancer still ranks 5th among the top 10 leading causes of death in the Philippines, with breast and lung cancer accounting for 30% of all cancer cases. Colon cancer comes third. 

People don't know that cancer can be prevented or cured. They don't know that help can be had. They don't know that if they find a deadly lump on their neck or under arm, it's not necessarily a death sentence. They just do not know.

Herein comes the importance of information in our pursuit to raise healthy People, healthy women and children.

All I know is that we have to depend on proper information to empower us in our daily lives as citizens and as consumers. A cancer patient needs no less.

*"So to all of you I ask you to HELP US."*

Help us avail of knowledge so that we may, as cancer patients, beat this deadly disease. We don't want to go down without a fight.

We do not want the stress and the anguish that go with a life threatening disease.

Help us to find courage and inspiration as we take a most unusual journey when we come face to face with cancer.

We want to think that when our hair falls down during Chemotherapy, our world does not go down with it. Help us arm ourselves with the necessary information so that we can realize that cancer doesn't mean our days are numbered. 

We want to wake up knowing that there is life, a beautiful life, after cancer.

"AMEN"