Archive for November 30, 2006

Chemo Angels

Two things:

(1) I completed NaBloPoMo. Although some of the posts weren’t all that great, I did post every single day, sometimes more than once. Yay!

(2) I urge you to tell as many people about Chemo Angels as possible. Read on to find out why.

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As a cancer patient, you find that you never ever dare to think the future like you did before the diagnosis came. It is very scary and overwhelming to make plans of any sort because you never know where you’d be or how you’ll be tomorrow or next week, let alone next month. The diagnosis takes away the belief that you are invincible, that Nothing Bad Will Happen To Me mentality is forever vanished; it also makes you feel like your body has betrayed you, and you are not in control anymore. But the truth is, you were never really in control. It was just an illusion. An illusion that we all as humans believe, for the purpose of self preservation.

When I was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatment, I had heard about this Chemo Angel program through my online support group. Shortly thereafter I signed up as a patient. It was one of the very few things that kept me looking forward into the future. Try as you might, it is highly unlikely that you will make any sort of plans further than one week away, at least not until treatment has been completed. So really, life revolves around treatments, its schedules, and its side effects. The world becomes colorless and everything smells like the hospital.

Chemo Angels really was an angel to me, during a time when I needed something to remind myself that I’m worthy, that I’m loved, that someone cared, that there’s something positive to look forward to. A few times when I came home after a chemotherapy session, I would find a lovely card in the mail from a total stranger, and it brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. Sometimes it’s a bookmark, a small piece of candy, a drawing done by her toddler child, anything that she thought would help me forget about cancer, even if it’s just for a split second. It didn’t make the side effects more tolerable, it didn’t take away the nausea, and it didn’t stop my hair from falling out, but it did give me that few minutes of tenderness as if someone was hugging me.

Just silently hugging me and not letting go.

So, please. I ask you to consider being an Angel to someone in need of a hug or two. It does take some time and commitment to become an Angel, but the reward of knowing that what you are doing, bringing a smile to someone who’s world completely crashed is truly fulfilling. And if you know of anyone who is undergoing chemotherapy, they probably would love an Angel or two looking over them.

Cancer has touched so many peoples lives. Please please please pass on the link to everyone and anyone you know. Make the world smile a little more.

And this, wraps up my final post for NaBloPoMo. Good night.

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