I happened to read this article about fighting and surviving cancer
How the society tends to position it as patients waging a war against it and if they are determined enough, they win; that positive attitude is everything...
I think this outlook of the society is not just true of cancer. Perhaps cancer gets more limelight given the number of celebrities associated with it. But I have faced this with my kidney disease too. I recall the early days when we started disclosing my diagnosis to close friends and family members, there were many who asked me, why couldn't I take better care of my health?
How could I let myself get something like this...and the closing lines were always, "be positive, it will all be fine."
I realize there is nothing more most people can say and they mean to provide solace. Being the already positive minded person I am, it is very disillusioning to live through days and times when none of the positive attitude or determination actually gets the desired results.
Every time I have a blood work and have to wait for the results its tense because no amount of my positive attitude influences the creatinine levels. It takes its own course, it is beyond me to grasp what all the medications are doing to my body other than the visible side effects...
I am a believer in keeping a positive outlook to life, however I wish it was not over done because there really are moments when life is totally out of my control and I can be nothing but an observer to it (if at all).
As a patient that faces a life long condition, the daily drill of medications, other practices and generally coming to terms with it can already be overwhelming. there are bound to be days when my positivity and energy levels will be down - especially during phases when things are not going as desired.
It's bad enough to live with such conditions, I do wish I am not made to feel like a looser and failure too for not being determined enough/ sincere enough in my efforts/ positive enough bla bla.
Can we base all this positivity on some realism and empathy towards the patient?
How the society tends to position it as patients waging a war against it and if they are determined enough, they win; that positive attitude is everything...
I think this outlook of the society is not just true of cancer. Perhaps cancer gets more limelight given the number of celebrities associated with it. But I have faced this with my kidney disease too. I recall the early days when we started disclosing my diagnosis to close friends and family members, there were many who asked me, why couldn't I take better care of my health?
How could I let myself get something like this...and the closing lines were always, "be positive, it will all be fine."
I realize there is nothing more most people can say and they mean to provide solace. Being the already positive minded person I am, it is very disillusioning to live through days and times when none of the positive attitude or determination actually gets the desired results.
Every time I have a blood work and have to wait for the results its tense because no amount of my positive attitude influences the creatinine levels. It takes its own course, it is beyond me to grasp what all the medications are doing to my body other than the visible side effects...
I am a believer in keeping a positive outlook to life, however I wish it was not over done because there really are moments when life is totally out of my control and I can be nothing but an observer to it (if at all).
As a patient that faces a life long condition, the daily drill of medications, other practices and generally coming to terms with it can already be overwhelming. there are bound to be days when my positivity and energy levels will be down - especially during phases when things are not going as desired.
It's bad enough to live with such conditions, I do wish I am not made to feel like a looser and failure too for not being determined enough/ sincere enough in my efforts/ positive enough bla bla.
Can we base all this positivity on some realism and empathy towards the patient?
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