Steve: Tonsil Cancer, stage 2, treatment radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Into week 2. At the moment I am feeling chipper and have no side effects that are bothering me. I do wake up very early-at 5- but I use that time to excersise using light weights and bodyweight excersises. I am focussed on good nutrition, maintaining muscle and flexibility, and maintaining my mental health. In the early morning I use that quiet time to meditate and just sit quietly. All that sounds terribly pompous.
I chose this weekend to tell my sister and extended family about it. I was right to delay. The clichés of cancer ran fast. Hysteria, wailing, and so on, it was awful. I am glad I took the time to prepare myself for other people's reactions, beyond my partner. The point is I left the family home at 17 and never looked back. I educated myself and ended up with a PhD and an academic post. If I hadn't I'd be 'in the factory'. I'm the younger brother nobody understands. The clever one. The escapee, perhaps? I had to leave a loving, traditional, but eventually stifling environment.
My point to that is I have noticed that we with the illness are largely practical and stoic about what fate has dealt us. It's the people that surround us who - however well meaning - can only process the word 'cancer' with the clichés of language, 'battle' 'struggling' and so on. I feel this language helps them process and not us. I detest it.
Having said that, I'll let you know how week 2 goes. I'm sure I'll have battle scars soon.
Onwards
Steve
