Did it again! It's the 15th of May, that's one month since last I blogged. Sigh! I do try to get a weekly blog going but it's not top of the To Do list. It's more important to get proof copies read and the new novel edited with my colleagues' comments in mind.
It's been a sad week. A close friend is dying of colon cancer. One of the choir has ovarian cancer. A long established member of the congregation suddenly developed cancer, faded out in a few weeks and his funeral is tomorrow. As I've faced cancer and won I do understand some of what they are going through. It's scary facing the unknown. But death is not the end, just a change of state!
It seems to me that despite new knowledge people are still terrified of cancer. When I was diagnosed I couldn't believe how many 'friends' literally crossed the road to avoid me. So many people dropped out of my life I was without anyone to talk to. It was dreadful. Just at the time when I needed lots of cheery people to chat with only strangers, with weird cures rang the door bell. At least they cared enough to offer - for free - their cures, ideas, healing vibes whatever.
And let's not talk of home visits. If people wouldn't visit me I could visit them. Or could I? Some people kept me on the door step. Others wouldn't let me use their lavatory, never mind those who wouldn't open the door. I've never forgotten the feeling, swore, if I survived, I'd make a point of visiting people with cancer, treat them as normal not lepers. Well, I was more than fortunate for I did survive. And I do treat people with cancer as normal. Do they appreciate it? They say they do. And are they finding friends don't visit? Yes!
Perhaps if those people with cancer wore T shirts printed with 'Cancer isn't catching! It isn't a cold!' We might get the message through to everyone. Wouldn't it be good. Perhaps if people had more knowledge, understood that cancer doesn't always equal death, that many cancers are treatable and curable, maybe they'd remember to be friends.
