Men and ‘the big C’
IREMEMBER overhearing two (what I consider) big, tough men talking about their health. One of them said he was afraid of HIV/AIDS, and to be honest, at the time, I silently nodded in agreement.
I mean, it made sense. Back then, it felt like it was a death sentence if your blood work came back HIV-positive.
But the other man scoffed at his friend’s phobia. He said he didn’t fear HIV at all, because he knew what he had to do in order to prevent contracting it.
He said that the illness that scared him the most was cancer because he didn’t know what to do to prevent that.
That’s when it kinda hit me. He was right. You can eat right, exercise a few days a week, and get a lot of rest, but you might still get cancer.
Remember the Spartacus TV series? The original actor who played Spartacus died after Season one from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Now dem man deh did well fit, because they went through a very strict regime as they prepared for the physicality of the show. And yet, 18 months after diagnosis, poof! The young man was gone. Just so!
CANCER DOESN’T CARE
It really seems like cancer just doesn’t give a darn. From the baby to the grandparent, I’ve heard various cancer stories. I’ve seen a few of those stories unfold in my own family and among a few friends, too.
Yep, the big C has robbed me of a few people, who were all doing just fine before it came after them. But you know what? None of them ever begged to die. Nope, they fought to the very end. The way those people met this disease head-on was inspiring.
But what annoys me about the disease is that every time it feels like science is winning, it seems to find new ways to cause pain. I’ve heard of cancer taking residence in parts of the body I didn’t think it could. And it seems like every day, there is another form of it that just appears out of nowhere.
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important for us men to do our part. Since some man love breast so much, this month is the perfect time to start paying attention to such a serious matter.
I’ve heard that some women are reluctant to cut off one breast (or both) even if it may mean increasing their chance of survival, or even better, not getting breast cancer at all.
Why? Because they’re afraid of how they’ll look. We need men to stand up and say, “Honey, we’re not together because of your chest size.”
As for the effects of the chemotherapy on the (for some) long flowing locks? Randy Travis has the perfect statement for that in his song Forever And Ever Amen.
With simple words, he crooned, “Honey I don’t care, I ain’t in love with your hair, if it all fell out, I’d love you anyway.”
Since we all can’t be scientists and doctors to help find a cure, let’s do what we can, with the skills we do possess. Later.