cancer patients,how did u stand strong to fight cancer in ur bodies?

[Fadi]

I'll answer your question with a post I made on Facebook.

"My mother was diagnosed with a late stage of Hodgkin's Lymphoma at age 16. That was almost 40 years ago, and she was cured despite the lack of knowledge in the field at the time. All she ever had to do was have faith. Once she had faith her symptoms would fade, her attitude would improve and her strength would increase.

In 2003, she had a very stressful year and was on the brink of depression. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer that same year. Once she got the news, her attitude changed completely. Incredibly, she was cured within two years and has been in remission ever since.

A couple of years ago, a very close uncle of mine was diagnosed with cancer, only this time it was rare strain of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; his prognosis was no longer than five years. At first, he was very positive, as he had taken the example from his big sister. He had few symptoms but did not take care of his diet or disinfect his hands often, and had frequent fevers and side-effects. I saw his attitude deteriorate into a state of hopelessness, and within a week, he was back in the hospital with numerous complications. Mind you, this was during Canadian winter, and my uncle is an Arab. (we don't like the cold much) The family quickly noticed his state and forced him to stay positive, and keep having faith in himself and his doctors. A couple of weeks ago, against all odds ( in what I call a medical miracle) he was fully cured, with no apparent evidence of malignant cells.

Finally, I'll talk about myself. I was diagnosed earlier last year with the same case of Hodgkin's as my mother. Some people saw this as a curse, I saw it as an opportunity to test this little "attitude" theory. I maintained a positive attitude throughout treatment, promised myself I'd be better in no time, and what do you know. I've been cancer free for two months now (naturally) and am currently getting back into shape.

A few months ago, an aunt of mine passed away. Having heard the news, her father lost all hope in life and, within a week, had passed away as well. This just goes to show how much of a difference the simple act of being positive can affect you. PLEASE consider this little anecdote when you go to treatment. Don't ever lose hope. Eat well, have fun, and maintain good relationships with family and friends. And most importantly, have FAITH. You can pray, you can ask your friends for encouragement and entertainment, you can do anything you damn well please as long as you have FAITH in your outcome. As an individual who relies solely on science and fact, I am the last person who would say this, but I urge you to at least try. That's all I can ask."

As for what cancer changed in me emotionally, as cheesy as this sounds I look at life differently. I'm more positive about everything because I know that it really does explicitly affect my health. Happier people live longer lives. I think everyone should live by that example.