It’s February 4, 2017 and that means that it’s World Cancer Day. As I’ve written about right after my excision and then last year, it’s a weird day for me. I’m never sure if I even should count myself among the cancer survivors since I (so far, knock wood) have only had to deal with getting the excision. I realize how fortunate I am not have the experience of chemo or radiation or any of the other treatments for later stage melanoma.
I hope all of you reading the blog are doing well. And if you are still battling cancer, my heart and positive thoughts go out to you and your loved ones. I know that this process is one filled with a roller coaster of emotions. Whether it’s melanoma or any of the other forms that cancer can take, this day should be a day to celebrate the people who have fought against this disease – whether they managed to triumph or succumbed. I’m thinking of my friends who lost battles to cancers of the breast, brain, colon, and leukemia today. And hoping that despite the anti-science sentiment so strong in the United States, that we still champion the scientists, researchers, and doctors who are looking for innovative ways to combat cancer. We still have a long way to go on some fronts, but some of the advances being made have given me hope that we can find ways to treat and maybe even cure people who wouldn’t have had much hope in years past.
Wouldn’t it be nice if one day, World Cancer Day sounds as antiquated as World Smallpox Day?