When illness becomes a reason for a better change

By Manal Mandour

Illnesses hit people in no time without regards to their differences or similarities. When a serious illness becomes a reality in somebody’s life, only two choices are there; either to hold up or to give up on survival. The question is why to give up when you can fight back? Why to think that you are not for it? And why to ignore the fact that others, who might have less chances of survival, have managed to rule out illnesses from taking over their lives. Unfortunately, some people might think that these are nothing but mere theoretical beliefs that don’t match the reality to our world. However, real-life experiences have managed to prove that serious illnesses can be beaten by means of strong will and persistence.

keeping the psychological balance is the secret key to recovery:

It has been confirmed that patients with similar diagnosis who receive the same kind of treatment are believed to have different chances of survival according to their psychological strength. Accordingly, being psychologically sane tones up the patient’s ability of resisting illness and reinforces his chances of recovery.

Scientifically speaking, although the physical treatment of is a must, it’s believed that the psychological status contributes a great deal to recovery since it helps strengthen the immunity system to fight illness back.

With distress comes relief:

Stories of serious illnesses survivors give tangible experiences and serve as true examples of inspiration and hope to others… such stories are meant to focus on the way those people have managed to cope with the changes they’ve had in their lives and how they have become much stronger and more appreciating to every breath they take after their recovery..

* Evan Ross – brain tumor survivor

Let’s start with a 25-year-old man named “Evan Ross “. Ross has been told by his doctor that his chances of surviving brain cancer are only 2 percent!! The moment he has heard this, Ross has realized that his life will get overhauled .However, he has chosen to haunt his chances of survival… later, Ross has followed a plan he has made himself. The plan is based on two axes of resistance; a physical and a psychological one .As for the physical resistance, Ross has decided to read much about his case .This , by its turn, has helped him adopt a new methodology to keep his body healthier. As a result, Ross has quitted the undesirable habits as smoking, followed a food diet, and worked out daily. At the same time , Ross has gone through hard times especially when he has been made to consider carrying out several brain surgeries for removing the tumor entirely, go through high doses of chemotherapy, and stay most of his time between at hospitals …and here, the role played by the second means of resistance is shown clearly. As a matter of fact, Ross has managed to strengthen his psychological status realizing that it has a great effect on his recovery process. Consequently, Ross has always tended to remind himself that this is a temporal experience from which he must learn to become stronger. Moreover, Ross has been able to keep his fear at bay and keep his mind clear by practising meditation regularly, having consultation from different specialists to help him get an accurate picture of his prognosis, and deepening his relation to his family , friends and people who care for him. Ross is now in remission and not a day goes by unless he remembers those precious lessons or feels a deep appreciation for his second chance at life. Verily, Evan comes next to many other cancer survivors who represent a great source of hope and inspiration to cancer patients allover the world. It’s worth mentioning that many of the celebrity cancer survivors have contributed greatly to the processes of early diagnosis and recovery of many people from cancer. For instance, the Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue is known to have suffered an early-stage breast cancer at the age of 37. Kylie has managed to beat cancer by chemo and radiation treatments after a struggle of 18 month. It is said that Kylie’s story has caused lots of women to have early detection of cancer. also Robert De Niro, Colin Powell, Christina Applegate, Olivia Newton-John, Nelson Mandela and many other celebrities come in the endless list of celeb cancer survivors who have had their lives changed and have helped others change their lives for the better.

* Tom Whittaker- amputation survivor

Tom Whittaker has managed to create a world first by becoming the first disabled person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. In 1979, Whittaker’s right foot needed to be amputated after a car accident. However, Whittaker has decided to resist and never to let go of his dreams concerning reaching the Mount Everest. In fact, Whittaker’s life has realized that his life has changed forever and only he is capable of making this change to the better. Thus, he has trained a lot that his prosthetic foot became an advantage to climbing rather than a disadvantage. In 1998, on his third attempt, Whittaker has managed to bring his dream into reality by conquering Mount Everest. Whittaker’s current quest is to break a new world record by becoming the first amputee to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. When reaching the Mount Everest, Whittaker has said “”When I say I climbed Everest what I really mean is … my team climbed Mount Everest.”

Thanks to science, great developments are being made each day in the field of prosthetics where artificial limbs are becoming increasingly similar to real limbs. Surprisingly, these limbs can itch, ache, and feel as if they are moving. What’s more astonishing is that such prosthetics can now be made to mimic the appearance of real hands, complete with freckles, veins, hair, fingerprints and even tattoos. So, it’s not only about being able to restore the function of the amputated limb but also about how to psychologically feel that you’re normal and sound as many other people.

* A magical potion to help create a positive change after having a serious illness:

- Accept the fact that illness has become a reality which you have to deal with.

- Make a plan to fight back relying on both physical and psychological resistance.

- Haunt hope wherever it is and never let nothing deter you from believing that you can beat this all.

- Most important, learn how to value each day you survive at present and consider that the future can never be taken for granted “ no one appreciates the life he has until he almost kisses the face of death “.

My words are stunned when trying to depict people like these. These people who have been able to survive against all odds by altering their lives for the better. These people who have managed to prove, not only to themselves, that illness is conquerable. These people who have precluded illnesses from seizing their lives, no matter how bad their illnesses have seemed to be. Such people have proven that one’s self is the real muse which can help him adjust with any changes in a positive manner … so, deep down you must realize that “ it is you who can make a change! “