Cancer, from those physically affected to those who know and love someone stricken, has an unbelievable impact. Some cases can be easily cured, some cannot. No matter how malignant, however, the effects are physical, emotional, and long lasting.
At St. Jude's Hospital, young cancer patients are treated and worked with every day. I recently read a handbook from this hospital**. In this book, there were inspirational stories from survivors, tear-jerking stories from relatives of those not so lucky, advice from the doctors and therapists working with the children each day, and so on.
Although I have never really had a close encounter with cancer (or one diagnosed with cancer), these stories struck me deep. Those who wrote from the hospital seemed to comfort me, and although I know how serious this ailment is, reading this book made me feel a bit more secure about it, even a little less scared. My heart goes out to those who have had or has been stricken with cancer.
However, another thing stuck out in my mind while reading this book. It stated that "younger children tend to have a better and more rapid adjustment back to normal life than their adolescent counterparts." This makes sense to me. Children's minds are more like rubber; Adults minds are more like cement. If a severe mark is made in cement, it stays there with an everlasting effect. Rubber, however, has more of a tendency to bounce back and recover.
With this metaphor in mind, cancer is like the severe mark, and the mind is the material. For children who are stricken with cancer, a tremendous effort is expired while fighting through the ailment. Once they have recovered, traditional routine is brought back into their lives. They adjust quickly and easily, learning as they go. Adults, on the other hand, are concrete (no pun intended) in their way of life. If a change is made, they are thrown off balance and everything is helter-skelter and may never be the same.
Adults can adjust, however. Think like a child. Take life and its changes with an open mind, and try to "go with the flow." A simple mindset is all it takes. Naivete is bliss.
**Steen, Grant R., Ph.D. and Joseph Mirro, M.D., ed. Childhood Cancer: A Handbook from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Perseus Publishing. 2000.
At St. Jude's Hospital, young cancer patients are treated and worked with every day. I recently read a handbook from this hospital**. In this book, there were inspirational stories from survivors, tear-jerking stories from relatives of those not so lucky, advice from the doctors and therapists working with the children each day, and so on.
Although I have never really had a close encounter with cancer (or one diagnosed with cancer), these stories struck me deep. Those who wrote from the hospital seemed to comfort me, and although I know how serious this ailment is, reading this book made me feel a bit more secure about it, even a little less scared. My heart goes out to those who have had or has been stricken with cancer.
However, another thing stuck out in my mind while reading this book. It stated that "younger children tend to have a better and more rapid adjustment back to normal life than their adolescent counterparts." This makes sense to me. Children's minds are more like rubber; Adults minds are more like cement. If a severe mark is made in cement, it stays there with an everlasting effect. Rubber, however, has more of a tendency to bounce back and recover.
With this metaphor in mind, cancer is like the severe mark, and the mind is the material. For children who are stricken with cancer, a tremendous effort is expired while fighting through the ailment. Once they have recovered, traditional routine is brought back into their lives. They adjust quickly and easily, learning as they go. Adults, on the other hand, are concrete (no pun intended) in their way of life. If a change is made, they are thrown off balance and everything is helter-skelter and may never be the same.
Adults can adjust, however. Think like a child. Take life and its changes with an open mind, and try to "go with the flow." A simple mindset is all it takes. Naivete is bliss.
**Steen, Grant R., Ph.D. and Joseph Mirro, M.D., ed. Childhood Cancer: A Handbook from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Perseus Publishing. 2000.
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