Fear

Fear is probably the emotion that’s first mentioned when talking about cancer. Will I die? Will I be scarred? How long do I have to live? What will my life be like from here forward? The truth is, yes, you will die. Eventually. Whether that’s by cancer, old age, a bus, or saving orphans from a fire, eventually you will die. But we don’t think about it. Getting the news that we are mortal is a jolt. Sure we know it, but it’s one of those things we don’t really think about. How long do I have to live? No one knows, not even the doctors. With the type of cancer I had and how long it’s been since my surgery, I have a less than 5% chance of recurrence. I could live to be in my 80s. But, I do have a 5% chance. I also have a chance to be struck by lightning, of falling down the stairs and breaking my neck, or this or that or whatever. No one knows how long they have, and neither do you. What will my life be like? Well, that’s a tougher one. Will you be lucky like me and have your surgery be curative? Will you need radiation treatment or chemotherapy? Will you have to visit doctors every month for the rest of your life? Or will you decide “screw this”, cash in your 401k and your IRA and take a trip around the world? It’s all scary, but then all change is scary. You have more choices than you think.