We've all heard the
phrase ' Mind over Matter'. Basically
it's a 'mental reach' to cope with a challenging circumstance.
Some people are true believers in this.
No matter how you phrase it, it's a matter of convincing yourself your
situation is not as dire as it may seem, or may actually be.
We spoke with
'Yamli' who does not wish to be identifiable in her photo. She is a young woman who recently experienced
breast cancer. She had a breast cancer
that was large enough to be felt. She
had a mastectomy, reconstruction and a prolonged period of treatment.
Prior to her
diagnosis she was working on her PhD and held down three part time jobs.
Her stamina during
treatment and recovery wasn't enough to keep working all the jobs and the work
required to continue to complete her PhD, but she did work on research
papers.
She kept on telling
herself that breast cancer can be cured, so she will be cured. She counted down the treatments like she was
counting down weeks to a vacation. She
didn't tell her family that lives overseas that she was dealing with cancer,
she relied on her boyfriend.
Says Yamli, "I
always put a lot of stress on myself and I always want to do everything perfect
all the time. I don’t think the cancer has caused me to lower my standards.
Everyone always reminds me that I have to put my health first – but it is hard
to change a person’s personality."
Can you 'Mind over
Matter' Cancer? There is no answer to
that. In Yamli's case, she decided to
take chemotherapy. Yamli is well today. Did the chemo alone do the work or did her
'Mind over Matter' attitude allow the chemo to be effective? No one can say. There are cases where the chemo does not
work. There are no full answers on why
that is either.
Yamli experienced
the many and varied side effects of treatment but continued her mantra that
breast cancer can be cured, so she will be cured. Steadfast in her belief, she continued down
the path she knew she had to walk.
Only you can decide
what your approach to cancer will be.
It's a very personal decision.
There is no right or wrong way, there is only 'your way'. A cancer diagnosis feels like the ultimate
loss of control. The only way you will
be able to feel content with the journey is if you can sit back and say, 'I did
it my way'. It was almost 50 years ago
that Frank Sinatra sang those words.
It's a tune still played today because it speaks of empowerment. Everyone likes to feel empowered, there are
so many things in life that challenge your will. Whether you are a cancer patient or simply
someone reading this post, do you have a problem that is challenging your will
at this time? Remember to try and see
all options available to you to cope and move forward. Mind over Matter is just one of the many
tools for you to consider while you figure out a way to deal with your issue,
'your way'.
.JPG)
.JPG)
