936 Mosaic Days

Abalinx 13 March 2018 Peter Adamis

On Friday 21 August 2015 I had been diagnosed with cancer, Nine hundred and thirty six days later, by the grace of God, Doctors, medical science, wife, family, friends and a positive outlook on life I am still here. The question on my mind for a long time was why. Yet my mind went back to Dr Carol Smith who advised me to see psychiatric support Cancer Survivors Course) to get me through the post treatment process. Look carefully at the image and see the mosaic result of 936 days later.  A copy of the article maybe downloaded by clicking on:  A MOSAIC 936 DAYS

On reflection I look back on the post stem cell treatment and I can say without a shadow of doubt that Carol was correct in every sense of the word.   The psychiatric counselling helped me enormously. It was different from the Heart Attack survivors course which I had attend a few years before hand.

Today, one day before my sibling’s birthday, I am finally receiving the last of my childhood vaccinations, Two years post stem cell procedure.  What is it like, is a question many would be asking, yet I find describing this feeling somewhat odd. It is a good feeling with flashbacks of negativity. I feel free every time I jump into the shower knowing that there are no more tubes sticking out of my body and that there is no more chemicals being pumped into me. No more of the excruciating pains as a result of the stem cells being reintroduced into the body, no more anxiety and yes hope has crept back into my life.

Each day is a different day and I make the most of it. I promised that I would complete a number of projects and continue to write on people whom I have been blessed to have had the pleasure of meeting. To write about life in general, about my environment, the people I am surrounded with, the world as we see it and hopefully leave some form of legacy behind for others. Why me, is a question I often ask myself and still the answer eludes me. Maybe this is a normal reaction to post cancer treatment, I don’t know. Whatever the case may be I am truly thankful.

Those who survive are responsible to set the example to others never to give up in the face of adversity, no matter what the odds are and impossible challenges that may appear insurmountable at first. My advice is to take each day as it comes and like a mountaineer who painstakingly takes each measured step until he or she reaches the summit.  Once on the summit, then you can afford to look down upon the scenery below and admire Gods handiwork. Yes there is a God! I say this for all those who don’t believe or refuse to believe that God is a force that we cannot see yet is within us. 

Remember that each cell within us wants to live at all costs as such, those cells that are about to die and be eaten by macrophages who gobble up the dead cells want to live at all costs. Whenever we get an inflection we treat that infection to get better. Whenever there is an inflammation on the body the immune system goes into battle on our behalf. If the injury, inflammation, fever, or illness is prolonged our immune system attack and defence mechanisms are weakened and as a result cancerous cells appear.

These cancer cells lose their ability to drive on normal fuel and as the wish to continue to live they change from their normal protein fuel to glucose to help drive their body around the system. They in turn approach other cells and trick them into thinking that they are healthy and as such the healthy cells become infected. If this is not arrested, the cancer cells overwhelms the lymph gland fortresses and then the whole body is in chaotic confusion. This is my layman’s language of how cancer operates within the body.

Suffice to say, medical science is improving every day and with each day comes something new. Each day somewhere in the world a little bit of the puzzle comes together and voila some bright spark is able to put the final pieces of the mosaic together. The interesting part of the mosaic is that despite it being completed, the overall picture may not be what we expected and the mosaic may require some tinkering at the edges to bring it back to its former glory. It may require some colour, repairing its edges, a new frame, sprayed with a protective covering and possibly treated against minute fungus. All of this may sound ludicrous to some, but if you think about it long enough you will finally get the picture.

I would like to believe that mosaic puzzle is in all of us and a lesson to everyone to look after your own mosaic as each piece is precious and it binds one with the other. Yes one or two pieces may be out of lace, but if you step back and look at the picture, you will see something wonderful. You will see a picture of health and almost in its former glory. That is why we must always take note and listen to our bodies and not shrug it off as if it is nothing and it will go away. This is more so to the young and the elderly who need to be aware of such changes or alterations going on in the body. Laugh if you like, but read the above carefully and it will suddenly dawn upon the reader what I am saying.

As for me, today is that special day when I can look back at the mosaic and see whether the picture is as good as I would hope it to be. It may be a bit frayed at the edges but I will be able to see that it is held tightly together, faded maybe but still strong and vibrant in other areas. My apologies to those who do not understand what I have written as I have been accused on many occasions that I write in code which is true and yet the code is very simple. Look through the foliage my military jungle trainers would say and see what is on the other side. Only then will you realise what you are up against. Life is still beautiful no matter what ails you, no matter what challenges you face and remember, never ever give up in the face of adversity. 

Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Social Media Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum.  He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News.  He holds a Bachelor   of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), and Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline Management. Website: abalinx.com Contact via Email: [email protected] or via Mobile: 0481 342 79

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