Pages

Tuesday 16 August 2016

Understanding

There has been a few incidents where I have been completely shocked by people's lack of understanding towards my situation, an incident yesterday shocked me at how insensitive some people can be, before this I didn't realise how uneducated and oblivious people can be but now I do, having cancer isn't just having the horrible disease, there is physical and mental effects that come along with it. Everyone's cancer is different, but from my perspective it is a lot harder physically, and if it wasn't for the cancer, I wouldn't have had to have surgery which then left me with the effects of a stroke and the part of my brain that knows how to walk being damaged, I struggle with this everyday as not being able to walk means being stuck in a hospital bed in my house, or a wheelchair, and annoying stuff like at 17 year old having to have a stairlift Installed (which I can't even use but hoping that will be sorted soon)The effects of my mobility are I find what affects my mental state most, I always say to my mum it's not having the cancer that makes me upset it's what the cancer has done, like if it wasn't for cancer I would still be walking around like a normal teenager and that is what gets to me the most. Also, the treatment needed for cancer affects my physicality, for example, the chemo usually fatigues me, which is really annoying as I can't do as well as I would like to in physio when tired from chemo. 

I feel that no one truly understands the trauma of being a cancer patient, obviously it's hard to understand if you're not in this situation yourself but I feel like people need to be educated more so that they are a little more understanding, no one really gets that sometimes it's not just the awful disease you have, it can affect other things such as mobility, no one realises that you have to put your life on hold  and a lot of what was possible for you to do before isn't possible anymore because of being tired from treatment or because the cancer has changed your  body. I think people get that cancer is one of the most horrible things for someone to ever have to go through but they don't truly understand, they don't understand how tired you are when during a cycle of chemo, how you lose your appetite because things taste different or you feel sick. No one understands how upsetting it is for people with cancer to watch everyone else's lives go on whilst theirs has been put on hold, you can no longer do  that look fun like going to a foreign country for a holiday, especially when you can't even get a sun tan in your own country because of treatment, it really gets to me how many people seem to be completely oblivious to it all, I feel that the media really need to show how bad life as a cancer patient is and teach people, so then when people see others in a wheelchair with a shaved head, they don't just stop and stare or complain that they are getting In the way, they glance and then realise how upsetting it must be to be stared at and think of what that person must be going through.

8 comments:

  1. Well wrote evie,keep smashing everything your doing amazing x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I feel you 110% EVie,I know that it's not that actual tumour, but the affected to is it that changed me. I'm in a wheelchair often and usually feel tired and sick and I feel so limited by it. It's so true what you say - people need to be more aware of what actually affects us as cancer patients, stay strong my love - Millie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. aw Evie, this really hit me in the feels, you always amaze me with your bravery and courage. Please keep staying strong and positive as you deserve all the happiness in the world. I know when i had my tumour that was a major defect on my leg and sometimes still is so i know how you feel in some way but like you said everyone experiences things differently but let me tell you, you're handling it so so well and i'm so proud of you! you go girl xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much I really appreciate it xxx

      Delete