When we were in Omaha, Ne on vacation, we discovered a Cancer Survivor's Park about two blocks from our hotel. Both of us have had family and friends that have either battled the disease or are currently undergoing treatment, we spent some time walking through it. There is a sculpture representing people in different stages of treatment, a positive mental attitude walk, reflection and meditation benches, and instructional plaques explaining what cancer is and steps to fight it.
The park had special significance because Chris will mark her 23rd year
of being cancer free in December. Her personal philosophy is expressed
in the top plaque.
http://blochcancer.org/about/cancer-survivors-parks/
Fighting Cancer with a Positive Mental AttitudeThe above article is reprinted from the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation Website:
by Richard & Annette Bloch
Numerous headlines have been printed lately indicating a “positive mental attitude” has no bearing on the success of cancer treatments. In fact, some of the articles indicate that an optimistic attitude can be a negative factor.
While this article is not about me, I would like to refute these claims. Twenty-six years ago a top physician told me my lung cancer was terminal, there was nothing I could do and I had about 90 days to live. If I would have believed him and followed his advice, I would have been long gone. But I believed I could beat this, I tried my best and I won. My positive mental attitude saved my life because it caused me to seek a second opinion and search out treatments. Who says it couldn’t be the same for you?
Let’s examine the subject a little deeper. What is life? Life is only worth living if it has quality. Sitting, doing nothing constructive, waiting to die must be a horrible existence. Maybe a rare person would enjoy it, but most human beings would not. To have as pleasant day as possible today and hope for tomorrow makes life not only worth living but also happier. Who can say that happiness, pleasant thoughts and optimism could possible shorten one’s life?
Taking cancer treatments often is unpleasant and/or uncomfortable. Certainly if we do not believe we can successfully beat this disease, why put ourselves through this ordeal. We don’t take treatments and we die. To the old statement, “If we do not try, we will not succeed” we must add “If we do not believe it will help, we won’t try.”
Many doctors have an ego problem. They need to maintain their image at all costs. Therefore, they will tell patients that they are terminal. This guarantees that they will be a hero. If the patient dies, they were absolutely correct. If the patient survives, they were a hero because they brought them through it. What a horrible way to maintain a fragile ego. This is one of the reasons we always recommend a second opinion.
There are 3 bronze plaques in each of the Bloch Cancer Survivor Parks around the US stating:
“There is no cancer for which there is no treatment”In spite of these headline-seeking articles, if you love life, make a personal commitment to do everything in your power to fight the disease and do your best to keep a positive mental attitude.
“There is no cancer from which someone has not been cured.”
“Cancer is the most curable of all chronic diseases.”
http://blochcancer.org/
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