STILL HOLDING ON

What Cancer didn't tell me

04:02:2020

I know it's late writing about yesterday, and might not make sense today. Like they always say, let bye gones be bye gones. But shall I continue to hide this beast that keeps stealing from the archives of my treasury box, the archives of my potrayed joy. How long Cancer?I thought you died the day mama died? Papa said that you would be the last in our kindred. But today Sisi visited the hospital and now the doctor says she has to be extra careful. Because she...

Ada

Six months to live is no time to tell tales, I now know why mama watered the garden. it makes perfect sense now that death is eating a part of me. But Chim, who did I offend? I greeted all the old women in the village, even the one grandma called a witch, I didn't pass a day without saying Nne Dalu. Please o, can you hear me; who did this tiny body of mine offend? Papa always said I took after my mother, is this disease a part of it too, was I born to follow my mother's steps down to her grave as well?

(Ada cries uncontrollably, in her dream and reality)

Fast forward to the day of surgery

We had made sure Ada gave her life to Christ, not like we were not Christians but for her not to suffer after death. Negative thoughts yeah, I couldn't just explain it but I knew fear had a grasp of everybody including my dad who almost didn't know what strength looked like any longer.

He had witnessed this before, we all had but this time around he couldn't just stand it. How could he watch his baby girl who had scrapped her long virgin hair go into the valley of death and life. We tried to hold on to the fact that life would win this war.

My medical wisdom failed me, I couldn't just explain it but I believed strongly that Ada would pull through. She always had the strength of a man and the courage of a lion. She would surely survive. Unfortunately,

Ada didn't make it, she slept with tears in her eyes. This battle was stronger than she could fight, death had it's armour sharpened and had successfully pierced every part of her. 

This day(04:02:2020) I remember mama, Ada and those who combatted with cancer, some won and others didn't. While we mourn, it's our duty to show love to the present survivors.The Hope they hold on to, is the love you offer them.

I started a research on cancer. I had seen hell through mama and Ada's pains. No one deserves to live a cancerous life, not even your worst enemy. This is my 5th year as a surgeon and each cancer case I handle reminds me of the past and gives me reasons to encourage the patients to live and enjoy life.

CAUSES OF CANCER

There are various causes of cancer. The W.H.O classifies these causes based on their causative agents. These classifications are;

*Physical causative agents, e.g. ionizing and ultraviolet radiation

*Chemical causative agents, e.g. tobacco, arsenic, asbestos

*Biological causative agents, e.g. bacteria and viruses

To read more, visit

https://www.elinitiative.org/blog.php

I hope I didn't leave you with teary eyes.

I love you.

Yours Sincerely,

Tamar ✍️