You definitely need to be a strong being to beat cancer as James Rhio O’Conner did. Him doing the research and not taking only the doctors words but his own new knowledge on the matter, I believe is what made him beat his cancer. If I were in his shoes I would have to believe inside and out that the only end result would be for me to live. Because I believe that to fight for your life when odds are against you, you need to completely believe in yourself that you will fight and win. Miracles happen everyday, so nothing is impossible.
If I was told by doctors that there was not much I could do and I would only live another year I would not give up. I think I would do just as James Rhio O’Conner did. I would figure some stuff out on my own. I would definitely research and see what else was out there besides the options the doctors gave me. Because if there was anyway I could stay on this earth and live another day with my loved ones I would do it. I could not handle someone telling me my fate without me fighting to change it and prove not to them, but myself that they were wrong. So to start, I would definitely look for a doctor I felt would listen to what I had to say and work with me. Finding the right doctor would be really important to me.
When making a decision on what kind of treatment would be taken I would feel comfortable having my doctors support. I would discuss what I have researched and make that a big part of my decision as well. If I was lucky enough to be given different options I would look at my research and see what I felt would be best for my body and what the risks would be. With cancer I know my body would be more fragile so the decision needs to really be looked into, and a wrong one can possibly cost me my life. In this situation I would have nothing to loose by researching and understanding my own cancer. And informing myself on what kinds of medicines, really anything else out there that could possibly help me.
Having terminal cancer would definitely make me feel like there just had to be a way out. So I would do everything and anything within my reach to fight for my life. I would look beyond chemo, radiation and surgery if need be. I do not believe in “that’s the way it is” or “it is what it is”. You have to fight for what you want and I do believe you control your destiny. Going into all of this I do not know much about cancer but I do know there is a lot of knowledge out there. I would educate myself about my cancer, just like James Rhio O’Conner. There are tons of books, the internet, even peoples own experiences of cancer, and how they overcame it. I personally do not know anyone who has had cancer. But I know if I looked, there would be people who fought and won. I am sure someone would be willing to share their experiences with me and maybe help me by encouragement and by knowledge they have gained being in that situation, that it is possible and that you can survive cancer.
In some cases if that person felt it was there time to go, then maybe it was. But if I was diagnosed now, at the age of nineteen, I would say no. For as scarred as I would be in that situation I know its not my time yet. I still have a life to live, and there is a lot I want to do with it. My goals and plans have already been set and I am determined to now live them and make them come true. Survivors of cancer give the people who are diagnosed hope, and that is so important. If I had terminal cancer I would tell myself everyday that there are people that survived and that one day I would be one of them.
By: Santana, Cindy
