Sunday, July 23, 2006

A long & weary battle...

Chemotherapy can be terrible. It's sometimes said that if the cancer doesn't kill you, the chemo may.

Each person reacts to chemo in a different way.

Some bear up well showing little sign of the assault.

Others suffer agonisingly. Each drop of the chemo drug entering the vein acting as soldiers fighting each cancer cell within the body.

It can be a long and weary battle not only for the patient but the care givers too.

A battle where there is no respite, no cease fire. Where each dawn brings with it a new declaration of war. Where each sunset does not bring with it a guarantee of arms laid down for the night.

A battle fought... to death.

2 comments:

Itsfarsh said...

I lost my grandmother to Cancer; by the time we had it diagnosed, the cancer had reached an advance stage. We tried everything medically possible to revert the effects of the disease but all we were probably doing was prolonging her time. I wasn’t old enough to understand the seriousness of the ailment, but I do remember the pain and anguish she felt. Her only joy would be when my brother & me would come near her and she would look at us and smile. She would stretch her hand out and try to gently squeeze my hands as I placed them within hers.

“Will you remember me?” she would ask us.

I never did comprehend why she would keep asking me this, but now after all these years I am beginning to truly appreciate and cherish those moments spent with her in the hospital ward.

widad said...

My grandma died of cancer too. In those days, there wasn't much in the way of medication.

I don't remember her too well. I guess I was young and those were her last days, so us children were pretty much kept away.

I do remember when she died... sounds I'll never forget.