A vibrant Italian woman knows much about the world and its entailments- but men are a weakness that all women eventually become mesmerized with. For C, she met hers immediately after the end of the second world war when she encountered a youthful American soldier. There seemed to be no other choice than to fall graciously in love with such an individual. And with this passion came a drastic change- the move to America.
And yet the seemingly impossible challenges of life often simmer into normalcy. C’s husband began a real estate business but that was not where the lengths of his business ended unfortunately. Money dissipated into thin air as he became immersed in the perilous quest of gambling. Soon their house was lost in the shambles of his filthy habit.
But obstacles don’t seem to travel alone. C became fatally ill and made her way helplessly to the hospital doors, only to discover her troubles had only commenced. Colon cancer was her next issue. And she would tackle it eventually, but not before more dilemmas spurted in her direction. Alcohol accompanies
Alcohol often serves as a coping mechanism in stressful situations such as these, and it did indeed serve as such to C’s husband. His physical and verbal abuse spiked to a high during his drunken spouts causing more turmoil to C’s life when you add in the cancer aspect of it all. Soon her cancer had spread into her lungs and liver and C was forced to visit the doctor as often as possible. But one person refused to visit her during her times in the hospital- her husband.
Chemotherapy does fit easily into one’s daily lifestyle. It causes weariness and literally
drains the human body of all energy that it possesses. But C’s duties included not only her own, but her husband and childrens’ as well, and her husband did not allow her to forget about them. When C would return home from a rather enervating day inundated with hours of chemotherapy, her husband would expect a home-cooked meal accompanied by a drink. Life dealing with cancer is difficult enough without perpetual demands barking in the background.
C had one true love at this point in her life- her dog. But dogs have a very limited life span and hers died, as they often do. She immediately went into a deep and abysmal depression that could not be cured by anything in her immediate lifetime. She wanted to die, suicide seemed a plausible and opportunistic route to take. She was so contemplative of this option that on a routine visit with Dr. Islam, she spilled her entire home life struggles. She allowed the words to cascade into the empty air as she never had to an outsider before. Dr. Islam in return gave her unusual advice: get out of that house. C communicated with her two grown sons and they agreed with Dr. Islam enthusiastically.
C currently has a granddaughter that serves as an immense source of jubilance for her days that had previously been filled with misery.
It has been 10 years since she has been cancer-free, much more long lasting than Dr. Islam’s initial 1 year prediction. One day, during a typical chemotherapy visit, C said to Dr. Islam,
“You need not make an extra effort. If god wants to take me, he will when it’s time.” But Dr. Islam continued his diligent efforts nevertheless, and to this day C has been labeled the one word that truly defines her- a survivor.
lifeofcancer 