Cancer Is Not The Enemy
Two months ago, I called up my former neighbor in Cityland Pasig to offer my Chocolate products for my Tree Planting project.
Monica now has a family with 2 loving daughters. I get to see her whenever I get around her area in Taguig.
So I called Monx (her nickname) and told her that we are selling our chocolate products and the proceeds will go to planting Cacao trees in the province.
She immediately said Yes and ordered multiple boxes.
Then Monx asked me the one thing I won’t ever forget… “Do your products have sugar on it”? Monica has gone berzerk and has completely become “Sugar-Free”!
If you go visit her place, you won’t find any type of sugar in her house. Open their refrigerator and you won’t find any Coca-Cola in sight.
“Damay-Damay na” (Everyone will be affected) is what Monica said to me.
Even her kids are not permitted to take any sugarly products.
It took her daughters and a great amount of time to adjust to their new diet but now has completely adapted to it knowing the health benefits that they will be getting.
Why the change? I asked Monx.
After her “Ate” (elder sister) passed away due to Cancer that made her change her diet and lifestyle.
Not only she is not taking sugar but now eats a healthy diet and goes out regularly to the gym to exercise.
A complete turnaround from a lady who used to be fond of sweets and cakes.
I also lost a sister (our youngest) not to Cancer but to a different disease (Aneurysm) last December 2017.
During that same month, my other sister (Meryl) and my brother (John) was both rushed to the hospital for Appendectomy surgery and Congestive Heart Failure respectively.
I could not imagine a world losing half of my family in the most celebrated month of the year.
It’s totally unbearable to lose someone you love.
Both my mother and grandmother succumbed to Liver Cirrhosis (which sometimes lead to Liver Cancer).
It’s difficult to see them go through extreme pain then lose them still in the end.
Why does this disease have to take away our family members? A lot of people that I know lost someone that they love with Cancer. Some are fighting the dreaded disease as we speak and soon other people will get hit by it.
In a manner of speaking, Cancer (or any form of disease) is really the enemy!… Or is it?
We need to have an open perspective. Cancer is not the enemy…. it is Us!
Cancer is just the end result of what we people are doing.
It’s the consequence that we get from doing these bad vices and habits during our youth.
Cases like smokers who consume 1 pack a day are known to increase the risk of Lung Cancer.
Those who expose themselves to the sun can increase the risk of Skin Cancer.
Sugar is known to add a lot of calories and can cause weight gain which is linked to Cancer.
There are many forms of “Triggers” that can cause us to accumulate the disease.
But it’s the Triggers that we should be cautious about and not the disease.
Triggers such as Tobacco use, Obesity, Sun Exposure, Alcohol, Lead & Asbestos, etc.
It is true that you can do everything right and still get Cancer.
But.. you can lower the risk with your lifestyle choices.
Taking care of our body is what really matters and not giving in to stress are two important factors that we need to imply.
But here’s what I have to say… “Fuck Cancer”!
I lost loved ones due to sickness in the past. And I will lose more of them in the future. And one day, Kamatayan (Mr. Death) will come and visit me.
You too. You have lost some and will definitely lose some more of them. Your day will come soon too as well.
Death, whether we like it or not, is certain. There is no escaping from it.
So why dread and be afraid?
Live the life that you want. Take care of your body, love some more and have more adventures as much as possible.
It’s not how we die that matters… it is how we lived through those years. How we touch people’s lives and getting love in return.
And if we have that positive mentality, does it really matters how we die anyway?