Cancer. The very word can make one shudder. The thought of having that demon in your body somewhere is a paralyzing idea. We would be hard pressed to speak to someone who has not been touched by cancer in their lives at some time, and unfortunately many, many people who are experiencing the disease first hand. No matter where the cancer decides to attack, the treatments are difficult at best. Once the patient hears the word “cancer” a whole new life cycle begins. A cycle that consists of doctors, hospitals, consultations, treatments and tests, and tests, and more treatments, and more tests, and hopefully somewhere down the line, success in treatment.

While the medical community is working feverishly to combat cancer, what they have to offer is treatment. It has been said by some cancer patients that the treatment is sometimes worse than the disease. It is very difficult to see an ending, at least a happy ending. We are in an age where our technology is second to none. There are new treatments and new studies coming out daily. These studies are encouraging and give hope to groups of people who desperately need it.

Surviving the treatments is an art form within itself. There is nothing you can do about your hair falling out, or the fact that after a treatment you feel as though you are throwing up your toenail polish. However, there are ways to help you through. Physicians can offer you pain medication, as cancer can sometimes be unbearably painful. The doctors can also help you with the nausea, there are medications for that as well. Getting a lot of rest during treatments and keeping your body as healthy as possible are ways that the patient can help their own bodies on the road to recovery. The strides made in cancer research are amazing, but the true heroes are those just surviving the ride.