Cancer Sucks, Period.

Cancer sucks.

Literally, cancer sucks the life right out of those diagnosed. When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it is usually a shock, and usually tends to throw us into fear and other emotions we find ourselves in when we think about that person dying. I don't know why, there are cancer survivors all around us, but death is typically the first place our minds run to. Maybe it's because it takes so many lives each year, worldwide it takes upwards or 7-8 million lives a year. Maybe it is because it is the leading cause of death worldwide.


Maybe it is because no matter what kind or stage, the doctors still have no idea how your particular cancer cells may react to the recommended treatment. Maybe it is because we all know someone who has died from this disease.

I had a best friend lose a grandparent to cancer last year. Have had multiple people who I knew or who are loved ones of people I know receive a diagnosis of one form of cancer or another. Have lost loved ones to cancer. Just had a friend's parent get diagnosed. Have a very active member in our church struggling with the after-effects of a brain tumor, and still receiving treatment for it. I follow a couple pages of some really cute and extremely brave children on Facebook battling cancer.  Cancer is everywhere, affecting everyone in it's path.

And it sucks.

They fight, they give it all they have, literally. Enduring chemotherapy can be treacherous. It is like a vacuum cleaner, sucking all of the health out of a person, while undergoing treatments, to make them healthier?  A person undergoing chemotherapy treatment will experience fatigue, they may feel exhausted most or all of the time. They may feel pain, in the form of headaches, muscle pain, stomach pain, and pain from nerve damage such as burning, numbness, or shooting pains in the fingers and toes. They may develop mouth and throat sores because chemo can damage the cells in those areas. Chemo may cause diarrhea, or constipation, what? This may also be a result of the pain medications deemed necessary to control that side effect, it can become a vicious cycle. Nausea and vomiting are also common, depending on the drug and dose. Can cause blood disorders such as low red blood cells (anemia), low white blood cells (leukopenia), and low platelets (thrombocytopenia).

Other nervous system effects may include weakness or numbing of hands and/or feet, weak, sore, tired, or achy muscles, loss of balance, and shaking or trembling. It may change their ability to think clearly or concentrate on things after chemotherapy. Cancer survivors have called this 'chemo brain.' Chemotherapy can affect fertility as well, this comes as especially shocking news to young people, or their parents. And should a woman be undergoing chemo treatments and become pregnant, they should let their doctor know as soon as possible. Treatment for cancer if a woman is already pregnant when diagnosed will vary on the term of pregnancy, the mother's wishes, and the type, size, location, and stage of the cancer. And then the most widely known side effects of loss of appetite and loss of hair (depending on the chemo drug used). A person's experience of side effects usually goes away when treatment is completed, but some may continue, come back, or develop later.

And radiation, not so much fun either. When radiation is used, it is usually in high doses, to kill the cancer cells in any given location in the body. One plus is that these side effects are localized, as radiation is a local treatment, so side effects are only experienced in the part of the body where the radiation treatment is being given. Hair is generally not lost in radiation therapy, unless the treatment is on a part of the body where hair is, such as the scalp. A person may experience some skin issues in the localized area, dryness, itching, blistering or peeling. They may experience some fatigue, more or less depending on if they are also undergoing chemo treatments as well, as both together will combine their fatiguing effects. Regardless most of these side effects go away after treatment is completed.

There will be good days, there will be bad days. It will be a roller coaster ride, with blood counts going up and down, and staying level, whether at normal levels, or abnormal.


There will be many emotions: sadness, fear, anger, maybe at God maybe not, more than likely at their situation.

Being a nurse, I had to study up on cancer in nursing school, but there are so many different kinds of cancer, and stages, there is no way one could ever know everything about it. But that's okay, because each case is a learning experience anyway.





When you or someone you know is diagnosed with this, it is scary, right off the bat. Everyone knows or loved someone who has died from this disease, so that is an easy thing to be. But even before the diagnosis is made, even before that person may start getting sick and losing hair due to the chemo treatments, even before all hope in the family members' eyes is lost even though that person is still fighting like a champ;  we need to remember that no matter what--this moment, this moment is all you are guaranteed. No matter what, cancer or not, you're not guaranteed the next minute, you're not guaranteed the next Christmas, you're not guaranteed your daughter's next birthday. Live in the moment, not fearing the future, not fearing what cancer may or may not do to you or your loved one, but rest in the assurance that God has it. God is holding you and/or your loved one right now, and He has it all under control. He knows.

You may still be thinking, who is this lady? That I have no idea! I have not lost a family member to cancer, I have not been by someone's side while they underwent these treatments and witnessed the side effects firsthand. I haven't watched them suffer day in and day out, some or all of the side effects I mentioned, not including trying to manage my time spent by their side, my time spent with family at home, paying the bills, trying to fit a job into the chaos.

But I have. Maybe they weren't a family member. I was a nurse's aide in an oncology unit in college, and I saw the side effects, almost all of the ones listed, both for patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. And it sucked. But what I noticed in all of the patients I cared for, they all had hope. They all had smiles, not at all times, but every single one that I worked with smiled. They smiled through the pain, they smiled through the chemo, they smiled through the hair loss. They were stronger men and women than I will ever be. They may have frowned upon the lunch tray I just brought in for them, full of food they couldn't find within themselves to want to consume, but then they would say something funny, or a family would.

I have been the listening ear and shoulder to cry on for loved ones who had lost their loved one to cancer.

Cancer sucks, but there are things it can't suck out of a child of God. Including the joy in their spirit and their beautiful smile. Cancer can't cripple love, it can't shatter hope. Cancer can't take your faith or kill friendships. Cancer can't silence your courage. Cancer may radically change your life, your appearance, your health, but cancer doesn't have to change you. Remain strong, become a survivor! I posted a video link at the bottom of this page, to a song that may bring you some more encouragement and more leaning on our Savior's helping hand to guide you through your or your loved ones illness and recovery.

It took cancer to bring my best friend's grandfather's heart to Jesus. It took cancer for him to realize that there is a God, and He is the only hope for life after death. It took cancer to bring him to Jesus.

Cast My Cares-by Finding Favor watch it here!!