The following
post is a guest post by my niece Sarah Edwards. The essay, as a blog post, is a
requirement for the Rhio O'Conner Memorial Scholarship application.
Sarah G Edwards
Iowa State University
Rhio O’Conner was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer and
given one year to live. With extensive research and educating himself, Rhio
created his own therapeutic protocol and lived more than six years after his
diagnose. He spoke with doctors, researchers and patients. Rhio spent countless
hours in libraries, learning about different treatments, theories and
philosophies. He beat the timeline odds of this ‘incurable’ cancer and in his
search of survival, he has inspired hope and is a testimony and inspiration to
others searching for options and making decisions in their treatment.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. Malignant cells are
found in the protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs.
Standard treatment is generally not curative. The progress is poor and most
studies report survival of less than a year. You can gain more knowledge about Mesothelioma by going to www.survivingmesothelioma.com. Cancer Monthly is a
very informative website on different types of cancer and their treatments.
Rhio’s story on how he handled his prognoses is very
inspiring to me. He took a dire situation in his life and gained knowledge in
order to help make important decisions about his own treatment and the options.
I would mirror how Rhio handled his diagnosis and the challenge to save his
life. Knowledge is the key to make informed decisions. I would research thru
reading and the scientific expertise of doctors, scientist and researchers.
Speaking to patients and learning from their experience would be an inspiring
journey and an eye witness to those living with cancer. Looking beyond the
traditional treatments of chemo, radiation and surgery would give me knowledge
of options for my own personal treatment as well as being a witness to others
in search of saving or extending their life. I believe in doing this, it’s an
extra hand for researchers on the outcome of cancer patients and their
treatments.
My experience with cancer has hit very close to home. I
would like to share stories of two different women who are very close to my
heart. Breast cancer was the diagnosis for my Great Aunt and a very close
friend of our family. Each women chose different treatment methods.
My Great Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.At
the time, she was the caregiver of my Great Granny. Her treatment included many
chemo treatments, radiation and surgery. During those years, we learned a lot
as a family. We shared tears of sadness and laughter of the past and present.
Wigs have many styles to them and she looked great in every color. She was a
very strong woman and to watch her care for my Granny, you would of never of
known how much of a struggle she was actually going thru. Taking care of my
Granny became too much for her and eventually we all took care of both of them.
Up to the day she passed, she continued to have a smile on her face and still remained
very strong. Her passing was very heartbreaking and fully opened my eyes to the
challenges one faces with the diagnosis. I have to thank Hospice in this essay,
as they are a wonderful organization and was there thru everything. Their group
of caregivers was very special and we were blessed to have them. They shared
the tears and laughter right alongside us. Their professionalism and skills
were so much a part of my aunt’s care, as well as their concern for our whole
families well being.
Our close friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in
1998.Her only surgery was the biopsy to determine the diagnosis. She is 78
years old and has educated herself with the treatments available and made her
decision on how to handle her diagnosis. She is content with her choice and we
are blessed everyday with her life.
Rhio, my aunt and close friend are all inspiring to me.
Different decisions were made with all three on how they handled their
diagnosis. One does not know how they would handle a situation until faced with
it. I believe gaining knowledge on the subject at hand, is always the best
approach. Educating yourself in every area of the subject is a must in making
important decisions, especially when your life and the life of others depend
upon it. Making decisions at times, is like walking down an unknown dirt road
with a fork in it. You might not always choose the right path, but educating
oneself about an unknown, puts you more in control of what could be ahead. It
gives you an advantage you would not have otherwise.
