James “Rhio” O’Connor was truly an inspiration, demonstrating what one person is capable of when they decide to fight. After being told by his doctor that he only had a few months to live, he not only outlived his dreadful prognosis, he took control of his health. By doing so, he became an inspiration to all those who are willing to fight and believe in themselves. I heard the saying “the brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.’’ Not only did he live with a rare malignant cancer, he made liars out of those who undermined the power of the human spirit.
What I found most inspiring the most was the way he handled his prognosis. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of sixty-one from prolonged exposure to asbestos as a child. Not only did he make different lifestyle choices, such as his eating habits, he used all the resources available to him such as the internet to determine his best course of action. He took control of his own destiny.
What can one do when receiving such dire diagnoses? In my experience, cancer affected me on a deeper personal level. It was eight years ago in May, when my sister went to the hospital from having a flu-like symptoms. She had been sick for about a week. All the way to the hospital, she was laughing. I remembered how sunny it was outside. When we got there, I had to wait in the waiting area. The doctor tested her blood. One day later the physician had made an urgent phone call to her and told her to come back. She went that very day. The doctor told her there was an abnormality in her blood and they had to run more test to be sure. It was two day later, when the doctor called again and told her that they had the results. They discovered she was suffering from an advance stage of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. An excessive amount of white blood cells had built in her blood; as a result, some of her organ was damaged. Her diagnosis had been known too late. She only survived for nine months. Throughout her ordeal, I witnessed a vibrant young woman getting weaker and weaker by the day. There were days when I would go to visit her at the hospital and I did not recognize her. The vibrant and exuberant young woman has withered away; the light on her eyes was gone. Watching her deteriorate in front of me like that without being able to help her inspire me more to get into the medical field. I hope one day to become an Oncology nurse.
If I ever were in Mr. O’Connor’s shoes or my sister for that matter, would I be inspired to fight like he did or just accept my fate? After receiving such devastating diagnoses, the first thing I would probably go to a stage of denial, and tell the doctor that it is not true. I would seek a second opinion. If a second physician confirmed my diagnoses, I would let my loved ones knows my condition so that I can have a rally of supporters behind me. Sometimes a painful situation is not as hard if you have people rallying to fight with you. I would use the internet as a research tools in order to familiarize myself with what stage my diagnoses is in. I would read medical journal in order to educate myself about the fight ahead of me.
In knowing the stage of my cancer, I could make an informed decision about the best course of treatment. Some cancers can go into remission with the aid of chemotherapy or surgery. I would surround myself with healthcare professionals who are determined to help me fight. I would spend more time with my loved ones and since my faith in god is an essential part of my life, I would pray as a means to overcome any hurdles along the way. I would also make lifestyles changes such as eating healthier, traveling more, sleeping more so that my body can rejuvenate, and living without regret. I would not want to look back on my life with regrets. Mr. Rhio taught me the meaning of persistence by illustrating how one can triumph against all odds.
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