Mamma and the meaning of life

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foroughsh
foroughsh Member Posts: 779 Member

It's holiday season and some might have free time to read, so why not this book by Irvin D.Yalom?

It's a book consist of 6 short tales of psychotherapy, fist four ones are based on real people's stories

 The second story is named meeting with Paula, a metastasized breast cancer patient who has found her own version of meaningful life, I'm reading this part now and can't help myself not to cry , every single word I read is meaningful for me although I'm not stage four but since the diagnosis day I'm always thinking about the real meaning of life, what I expect and what can offer, ....

I love how he explain all the thing he(the writer, a psychotherapist) has learned from Paula and I think I'm learning from Paula too. So thought you might be interested too.

Happy holidays

Forough

 

Comments

  • Allochka
    Allochka Member Posts: 1,062 Member
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    Never heard of this book, but

    Never heard of this book, but would like to check it out...

    However, I find it very hard to read cancer patient stories or watch them in the movies now. I also cry all the time, because now I know what they feel, now it goes straight into my heart and breaks it.

    Last summer I've read an article by a journalist whose wife was diagnosed with late stage lymphoma ( she is in remission now, great!). He was donating blood for her, because she was in terrible condition after heavy chemo. And he wrote that now he understands the meaning of love. The possibility to give all blood he had for her seemed like a gift for him. Not a sacrifice, not a duty, but the greatest happiness - to spill all until the last drop, for her to live... This is how love feels...

    I wept when I've read it. Meaning of love, meaning of life. It is crazy to think like this, but maybe it is a positive side of our cancer stories -  to be able to at least touch the top of understanding how precious life is or what true love is? Of course, it can be said only about those who are and will remain NED... Those who are not - the price is too high, there is no positive side in this damn disease when it goes wild...

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
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    Allochka said:

    Never heard of this book, but

    Never heard of this book, but would like to check it out...

    However, I find it very hard to read cancer patient stories or watch them in the movies now. I also cry all the time, because now I know what they feel, now it goes straight into my heart and breaks it.

    Last summer I've read an article by a journalist whose wife was diagnosed with late stage lymphoma ( she is in remission now, great!). He was donating blood for her, because she was in terrible condition after heavy chemo. And he wrote that now he understands the meaning of love. The possibility to give all blood he had for her seemed like a gift for him. Not a sacrifice, not a duty, but the greatest happiness - to spill all until the last drop, for her to live... This is how love feels...

    I wept when I've read it. Meaning of love, meaning of life. It is crazy to think like this, but maybe it is a positive side of our cancer stories -  to be able to at least touch the top of understanding how precious life is or what true love is? Of course, it can be said only about those who are and will remain NED... Those who are not - the price is too high, there is no positive side in this damn disease when it goes wild...

    Did you ever..

    Did you ever get a song stuck in your head?........I intend to avoid all things cancer except our medical care, and my friends here. I for one am hitting my tolerance level of others being diagnosed with cancer. I'm just short of 5 years @ stage 4. I've had enough. I do understand and remember the feeling of being initially diagnosed and being told there was nothing that they could do. But good things have happened for some of us. Then the journey is about who is the next one who isn't going to make it. I think I have known way too many stories of awesome men and women and their cancer. This all sounds negative but I'd rather read the newspaper or technical articles. Anything to get that damn tune out of my noggin'.

    But I'll add that for many without a solid support system and the fortitude to move forward, the book proves that living with cancer can be done with grace and dignity. There are many similar published stories. Usually when I see a book with a bald woman on the cover, I turn and shake my head. I wish I could just take everyones cancer then explode, or be sent into space.

  • brea588
    brea588 Member Posts: 240
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    foxhd said:

    Did you ever..

    Did you ever get a song stuck in your head?........I intend to avoid all things cancer except our medical care, and my friends here. I for one am hitting my tolerance level of others being diagnosed with cancer. I'm just short of 5 years @ stage 4. I've had enough. I do understand and remember the feeling of being initially diagnosed and being told there was nothing that they could do. But good things have happened for some of us. Then the journey is about who is the next one who isn't going to make it. I think I have known way too many stories of awesome men and women and their cancer. This all sounds negative but I'd rather read the newspaper or technical articles. Anything to get that damn tune out of my noggin'.

    But I'll add that for many without a solid support system and the fortitude to move forward, the book proves that living with cancer can be done with grace and dignity. There are many similar published stories. Usually when I see a book with a bald woman on the cover, I turn and shake my head. I wish I could just take everyones cancer then explode, or be sent into space.

    Hi Fox

    Merry Christmas,  I am a little late, but better late than never huh???  LOL  Hope you have been doing stable or better and had a good time with the holidays.  I am checking back in to let you all know that I am still doing about the same.  See an Endocrinologist for thyroid tumors jan 6.  I can see and feel that they are getting bigger.  Had EGD done and stomach looked ok no tumors seen.  However,  I fell the night before Thanksgiving putting a blind up in the garage, my neice was with me but I fell getting down oiut of chair and hurt my leg.  Finally done MRI dec 17 and I have complete tear of acl in knee and partial tear in mcl, fluid under knee cap and guess what ?? another cyst in back of leg.  Not real big i think close to 2 cm.  So just today started therapy, and to be fitted for hinged knee brace wed and hope for the best.  No surgery doc says.  Lots of pain though.  Been on pain meds for awhile now.  But I do believe I can come off them with no problem.  I am strong in that area.  I dont take them a often as doc says too and then i get to hurting pretty bad and I behave and take them like supposed to and pain is a lot better..  Just dont like the pain meds though.  Wish everyone A Happy New Year!!!!  love you, Fox and praying for you.