“What would you do if you faced the same challenges that Rhio Faced?”
“Recognize this holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing” this is a small excerpt from the song “Parabola” by the band “Tool”, this song is my favorite song because in this song they talk about how we should celebrate life to the fullest and realize it’s divinity, but can you imagine what would happen if you were told that you have a deadly cancer and only have a short period of time to live, Only a short period to enjoy this beautiful existence. It is hard to imagine what we would do but James “Rhio” O’Connor faced the same question and answered it with such spirit that is unfathomable and miraculous as this world. With his sheer determination, his countless research, his curiosity and an optimistic spirit he persevered and was successful in fighting the cancer and live 6 more years that previously predicted. He is truly a paradigm of hope.
I can only imagine what I would do if I were to face the same challenges that he faced but I am sure that I would surely follow his path and not give up. But for me to do that, the first thing that I would do is that I will establish a positive and optimistic outlook towards like and towards the cancer because instead of creating an enemy out of the cancer, I will view it as an troublesome child of my own because if I were to view it as an enemy, it will only create negative thoughts towards it but if I were to view it as my own troublesome child, I will work with it while maintaining a positive view because if we have a negative descry towards life it will in turn make us more frustrated and make us Give up and giving up is something that does not include in my vocabulary. It is also important for me to keep my emotions in balance because we can sometimes get emotionally burdened by the fear of death and loss of life that is why I would try to be “happy” as I could be and not let the people who are closest to me feel worried because their pain would be more painful than any cancer in the whole world.
Having a cancer is a very serious and delicate issue that is why when tackling this problem we have to be really precise and can’t go half heartedly. That is why we should have a firm resolve in our decisions. And considering that we have to be precise I would look at the facts and the correct data rather than assumptions and incorrect information. In my battle for survival, I would firstly go to a well established doctor and do some check ups about my cancer and after getting the results, I will consult other doctors as well while on the other hand I will consult researchers and specialists as well. Further, I will not only depend upon the doctors only, I will research about the cancer myself by using different kinds of media, may it be Books, Magazines or the internet. I would try to gather as much information as I could about the cancer, it’s history, the treatments, the medicines used in the treatment and its effects and I would definitely research and talk to the patients who previously had the cancer and how they coped with it, this in turn will give me more insight towards the cancer and ways to treat it.
Gathering information about the cancer is a very vital process for me because with precise data I could make cogent decisions on facts. As I will be responsible for my own decisions, I will choose my own doctors, researchers and specialist for my treatment to which I can totally trust. After choosing my clinicians, I will visit them on a weekly basis and view my progress and my condition. I would further discuss with them about the process and the medicines used in the treatment. I will work with the clinicians to see which treatment will work and which will not because while some treatments work, some others can make the process more difficult and that is why gathering information about the treatment is very important.
But depending only on medicine does not guarantee its success that is why I will also concentrate on my mind and body as well, Considering that exercising and eating healthy is very important for a healthier life. To achieve this goal I will create a daily regiment and see that I follow it strictly everyday without any compromises. And as for my mind goes I will start meditating because as I said before negative thoughts can occur at any time and get us feeling depressed at times like these, so keeping our minds calm is a very important step as well. We should understand that thoughts are like fishes in the river, they come and go but instead of thinking of ourselves as fishes, we should think of ourselves as the river, ever flowing and tranquil. Sometimes believing in something more than oneself is a humbling factor that is required for a positive outlook towards life.
After I get all the required information about the cancer and the treatments, I will take the information to my clinicians and discuss with them what will work and what will not work and considering my situation which treatment will be best suited for me and if everything seems fit for me I will start my treatment alongside my clinicians and while I am doing the treatment I will gather more data and information as I go on. I really and truly believe in the advancement of science and while I am going through treatment I will search for new treatments as well rather than the regular Chemo, Radiation and surgery that are used in treatment of cancer patients. I will surely try new options after consulting the possibilities with the specialists and the doctors about the effects of the new treatment on me.
Death is a precarious ocean that few people want to trade and when you are in the midst of the storm there is nothing you can do except to hang on and hope for the best. After choosing the treatment and agreeing upon following the entire steps one cannot do anything except hope and make your determination stronger than before. While battling cancer, James “Rhio” O’Connor taught us a very valuable lesson, that believing in one’s own self is very important than any treatment in the world. With his determination we can see that life is truly a precious gift that has been bestowed upon this world. Even from the smallest of cells to the largest of beings, everything is full of life. So, while we are alive, we must live every moment to its fullest and live everyday at a time because you never know when this moment will seize to exist and as James “Rhio” O’Connor who valued his life so much so that he tackled death itself and lived more than expected, we should admire his effort and make it as a paradigm in our life as well and live every moment positively and “celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing”.
By: Rajbhandary, Shraya
