Cancer, my Voldemort.
It is strange being healthy your entire life and then realize you are on the verge of being diagnosed with a disease that frightens so many. A disease that I soon noticed people, and even doctors, whispered when saying it aloud. Many preferred to just not say it at all simply because of the sheer stigma the disease held. Perhaps I’ve read the Harry Potter books too much, or I have seen the movies too often, either way, all I could think of metaphorically was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Voldemort. This character of fantasy is the entity of all that is evil, and is so feared in the series that no one dare say his name. No one except Harry of course. Is this disease so evil that people shy away from saying it’s name too? In theory, does the sheer avoidance of a specific word in conversation give it more power? Perhaps, I don’t know. What I do know is that This-Thing-That-Should-Not-Be-Named is very real. It is very scary. And it is hiding in the shadows within me. However, I am not afraid to say it... Cancer. Otherwise, cancer wins and in my reality, that is simply not an option.
So this is my story, my journey, my cancer. This is where it all begins…
