Many of us have either experienced the sound of the cancer diagnosis or heard of someone, as with the recent news about former President Joe Biden. I attempted to put these feelings into words a few years ago.
I worked for a pharmaceutical company that developed, manufactured, and sold anticancer drugs for breast, prostate, and bone cancer. I was a sales representative and product manager for our breast cancer franchise. Additionally, I’ve intermittently given motivational talks to a Cancer Support Group at my church for 20 years.
However, I was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer this year, received twenty-eight cycles of radiation treatment, and was given a clean bill of health. I am a motivational speaker, author, and poet who writes about many human experiences. I have added my personal experience with cancer diagnosis and treatment through poetry in a piece entitled, The Doctor Said the Word, Cancer. I encourage personal examination, with regular checkups and a sensible diet with exercise. Early detection continues to be the best protection in identifying and treating cancer.
The Doctor said the Word, Cancer
One day I had a few questions,
I needed a few suggestions,
To calm my mind.
I needed answers,
When the doctor said the word,
Cancer.
Suddenly and immediately,
The shock,
Hit me like a ton of bricks.
My chest was in a headlock.
I was knocked out of orbit,
As my world was rocked;
I felt pressured,
And noticed the clock.
Suspended in a freefall,
The disturbance
Was like turbulence.
I was not asleep, but this wake-up call,
Caused the earth to shake;
I questioned, “Was this a cruel trick?
Was this a mistake?”
Mortality and invincibility
Began to quake;
The news struck and I was stuck
In a moment of doubt;
As I struggled in a bubble
To figure it out.
What happened to others
Was happening to me;
Worst-case scenario thinking
Was entrapping me.
Life is not only about me.
I must be free to act,
Courageously.
I wrestled with my primary fear
Of doubting how long, I would be here.
The inevitable became near.
My instinct was not to be succinct,
But the goal of survival was clear.
Don’t let cancer hyphenate my name,
I pray it’s a disease I can tame.
I pondered the consequences;
My body’s natural defenses;
Which treatment options would be severe,
Which therapies would extend my years?
As I watched, my priorities changed,
Elements of my life were arranged
From the small to the significant;
To be bold, scared, and magnificent.
Copyright © 2022 Orlando Ceaser
Leadership for the Soul 