Getting Our Priorities Straight

            Cancer runs in my family and is a health concern I can’t ignore without risking my life. My father passed away from colon cancer and my mother suffered from ovarian. I get checked every five years even though the procedure is one that leaves me feeling abused and dirty, if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, I have it done and have even had polyps removed before they became malignant.

            Cancer scares everyone, and rightfully so. It’s a killer that doesn’t care who you are or how old you may be at the time. It doesn’t choose between good or bad, useful or useless. No one can predict when it will come or what type it will be. It’s often like a giant sword of Damocles hanging over us, waiting to fall.

            As I’ve studied and learned about cancer, I’ve run across many stories of people who beat it without the usual treatments of radiation and chemotherapy. Not everyone will benefit from these alternative methods, but they may be an option for some of us if the time ever comes when we need to fight. As I watched my father die, I realized that the traditional treatments are often worse than the disease itself. His radiation burns were not pleasant. Remember, that’s just my opinion and doesn’t apply to everyone.

            The first alternative treatment I want to talk about is diet. Not ‘going on a diet’, but what we actually eat each and every day. There is no doubt that the standard American diet is the unhealthiest in the world. The types of “food” we eat have led to an obesity epidemic, increased rates of type II diabetes, and yes, increased rates of cancer. There are other problems caused by the food we eat, but I think that should get the point across. You can always read my post on sugar addiction to get a better feel of how I think.

            There are clinics around the world that offer cancer treatment just by changing your diet. Unfortunately, the government of the US has made it illegal for these types of clinics to treat cancer victims in this country. The incredible results achieved by these places takes a back seat to the money given by the big chemical companies that supply the chemo drugs. One excellent source of information on this can be found by checking out Gerson therapy. It’s one of the oldest and most well-known of this type of treatment. You can actually watch a video called The Gerson Miracle online or on Netflix if you’re interested.

            The second type of treatment is fairly new to me, but fits right along with what I’m trying to accomplish with this blog. It involves the change in people’s lives when they first learn they have cancer. Most people suddenly realize that everything changes and what was once very important isn’t nearly as critical as they thought. Family becomes number one and all the things they wished they had done with their lives are now close seconds. Meetings and deadlines now take the back seat as they focus on what really matters.

            Those people who decide to focus on what is now most important change their lives and as a result, sometimes the cancer goes away. More studies need to be done, but I’m really excited about this and look forward to learning more. As people begin to chase their dreams, knowing that they only have a limited time, the stress goes away and they find that inner joy that was missing. Doing what makes them happy somehow alters what is going on inside their bodies and the results are amazing.

            The reason I bring all this up is because it shouldn’t take something as horrible as cancer to make us prioritize our lives the way they were meant to be. Spending time with our family should be number one and will make the biggest impact on our health. I could never have quit my terrible job without the support and love of my wife and our youngest son. The time I have with them is precious and I long to have more.

            Our second priority should focus around our dreams. Doing the things we always wanted provides a motivation to keep living. Midlife isn’t cancer, but it is a time when we should look at our lives and make some changes. If you don’t need to make any changes, you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place. As Gandhi once said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”