A SURVIVOR or A WARRIOR

I Always read, listen, see and use word CANCER WARRIOR.

Is a cancer patient - A SURVIVOR or is he a WARRIOR?

One of my patients who had cancer of pancreas . I operated him around two years back. He is an ex army. Very vocal and very strong. He recovered well from a major surgery.He has recieved chemotherapy after surgery. Distinctly remember he had some complications after chemotherapy for which he was in intensive care for few weeks. Recovered well with intensive care.

It’s always a delight to see your patient standing tall in front of you and surviving two years without disease recurrence. He is same strong, vocal and happy man that he was two years ago. I greeted him and he reciprocated the same. I was going through his reports, which were perfectly fine. Instinctively I told him you are doing good. Please come to our cancer survivor meeting on this date as you will be a big motivation for other patients. Before I could complete my sentence he interrupted and said” Doctor I am not a survivor , I am a warrior. I don’t survive, I win wars and I have won my war against cancer and multiple death scares. Please don’t make the word cancer that big that we are at it’s mercy to survive”.

I was taken a little aback but realised that he is saying the truth.

Theses lines of his are still echoing in my mind.

Yes we have made the word CANCER so big that we are striving for survival. But it is one’s spirit which is at war with this disease and only a warrior spirit conquers. The problems increases in size according to your thoughts. You can make it big or small yourself.

To call a patient survivor is demeaning the spirit of his fight and making the disease bigger. They are the real warriors There is no cancer survivor but there are cancer warriors who conquer the adversary in cancer.