Mike Dishman’s Blog

Tonight Geri and I were asked to leave the Cancer Relay for Life event because we brought our new puppy. No dogs allowed. I don’t blame or hold any grudge against anyone that decided that dogs were not welcome. We were good with that and we left. I’m sure there is a very good reason.

We want to train our dog to be a therapy dog so we try and take it everywhere we can. What I didn’t understand until recently is she is already my therapy dog. She makes me walk which is good for me and she gives me something to think about other than cancer. She brings joy into my life. She also steals my underwear and socks.

So Alli, Geri and I had our own survivor lap at the off leash park. There was no one there to applaud us. There was no one there that knew that at one time we had come from the depths of hell and survived it all. And there was no one there that knew we were still struggling with everything that comes with cancer. We were just another couple with our dog.

I struggle with the whole survivor thing anyway. The word “survivor” to me implies that you fight. During my treatment I just laid there and took it. Yes Geri and I survived what they did to me. Yes Geri and I struggled and yes I am still alive, so I guess Geri and I are survivors. But for some strange reason I personally struggle with that label. I’m not sure why, I just do. I guess I just want to punch cancer out, but I don’t know where to show up. I detest what it is doing to Geri. Caregivers have it much worse than the person with cancer. They shoulder all the responsibility. If I could get my hands on cancer, I would kill it. I would carry it to hell myself and stay there with it if necessary.

In my opinion if you are unfortunate enough to get cancer, you pretty much do what you are told. That doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t say “I’ve had enough” nor at some point look for different options. But, the majority of us just do what we are told, at least in the beginning. I am very much past the beginning. I don’t know where I will elect to go from here, if cancer returns.

You might want to learn everything you can about cancer if you haven’t already done so because you have a 1 in 3 chance of getting some kind of cancer during your lifetime. I know it sucks, but those are the odds as of today. With that in mind, we should all donate some cash or invest some of our thought process into figuring out what causes it. Of course some things are obvious…. smoking, chewing tobacco, too much sun, If you’re still doing any of those things, go hang out in a cancer center and see what your future may hold for you. I guarantee, you will not find it appealing. We all must die of something, but no one should die of cancer, it is not a nice way to go.

Cancer does do one thing; it makes it very easy to determine what is important and what is not. If you are “my cup is half full” type of person (I am) this part is a wonderful gift. It may sound strange, but there are gifts around us always — you just simply need to look for them. Cancer puts life into a crystal clear perspective, Ask anyone that has had cancer and I am sure they will agree.

I don’t wish this disease on anyone of course, but I do wish everyone could see life from the cancer side of things (minus the disease). Putting priorities in perspective and living life in the moment makes almost all things (maybe everything) better.

Now, I need to retrieve my underwear…… Alli drop it…..drop it…..drop it. Good grief dog!