Nose (NPC) Cancer: Eleven Plus Years on Herbs Part 4: Lessons From My Cancer Experience

• Does this cancer bring you any meaning at all?
• It is my wake-up call. This is my experience. I now recognize that I am mortal. I recognize that I have done something wrong to my body or it may also mean that we are living in a wrong place. This is God telling us.
• Before you had cancer, you never realize all these?  No.
• What was your impression about life then? Life is forever! You are forever young. Invincible. Solve the whole world’s problem – you are young and you are reckless. That is why I realized that this wake-up call is so important. Without cancer I would not be able to recognize this.
• Wake up to reality – my body has changed, why haven’t I recognized that too?
• After this wake-up call – what changes followed? Everything changed. Priority of life changed. In the past it was always work fist, now no more.
• I am now more attached to walking with God. For every small thing, I talked to God. Everything that happened, I asked God and thank Him for it. Before I took too many things for granted. God probably would have told me, “I was with you all the time but you did not open your eyes to see Me.”
• My commitment to society is stronger now. I cannot imagine the degree of corruption, the pollution to the environment – we are supposed to nurture them not creating problems.
• In the past, I was compromising for the sake of “food security” – but that cannot be more of a fake statement.
• I have cancer but I have hope. Yet there are others who lack hope or have no hope at all – why? This is because there are not empowered.
• So cancer has changed my whole perspective of how I view my work. Also my family. Before work came first, family second. Now it has changed – family first. My family, I treasure them more.

My Comments

There are two kinds of people living in this world. One kind are those who believe there is no God – no divine purpose. We live in a world where things “just happen” randomly – perhaps just a coincidence. In contrast, another kind of people are those who believe that everything that happens for a reason.  This is a part of the Grand Design.

I don’t know which group you belong to. Certainly we in CA Care and Peter are in the same group. We believe in God – our Heavenly Father.

Mira Kirshenbaum wrote a wonderful book, Everything Happens for a Reason.  These are what she wrote,

• My entire life now has been embraced by people struggling to find meaning for the events in their lives.
• It’s taken me a long time, but I now see that even in the worst disaster, there are wonderful gifts, hidden opportunities or life-enhancing lessons. We see it in little ways or in not-so-little ways.
• I want to assure you – When you discover the true meaning of the events in your life, everything changes.
• You feel stronger because your sense that everything has meaning gives you great confidence.
• You feel wiser because you see how everything connects.
• You’re more in touch with who you are because you know that you’re living the life you were meant to lead.
• And you’re happier because you’re able to put your loss behind you and have a sense of a future filled with good things.
• Until you get to this place, nothing is going to feel right.

Dr. Bernie Siegel, M.D. (in Faith, Hope and Healing) said, “So-called curses can become blessings and an illness can help us come alive as human beings. Many people see their disease as a wake-up call that inspired them to literally begin their life anew.”

Admission of Our Own Mistakes

Indeed I feel sorry for those who lead a “blind” life – rushing through their journeys on earth, but not being able to learn anything from their experiences.  If we are not prepared to look into ourselves we are not going to be able to go forward.

Scott Berkun (http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/44-how-to-learn-from-your-mistakes/) pointed out “if you courageously stand up and honestly say “This is my mistake and I am responsible” the possibilities for learning will move towards you. Admission of a mistake makes learning possible by moving the focus away from blame assignment and towards understanding. Wise people admit their mistakes easily. They know progress accelerates when they do.”

Read the full story of Peter’s experience

Part 1: My Radio-chemotherapy Experience 

Part 2: An Angel Led Me to CA Care 

Part 3: I Want Healing Not Cure 

Part 4: Lessons From My Cancer Experience 

Part 5: My Advice to Cancer Patients