Some insightful thoughts from a doctor with stage 4 lung cancer, on having to face cancer along with the prospect of possibly contracting coronavirus as well.
Highlights:
"It's like being in prison inside a prison. Having advanced cancer while being wary of the COVID-19 virus"
"COVID-19 is another reminder of the fragility of our lives. And even if a person with cancer manages to look away from the idea of mortality, the virus will bring it back into view."
" ... your mind has very little bandwidth to decide, if the question arises, which enemy is more dangerous: the cancer cells or the virus."He reminds us that the virus is complicating an already complicated situation. For example, the threat of the virus makes it harder to get help from others when people are themselves isolating; insurance issues become more complex with the possibility of two serious ailments to deal with simultaneously; and it becomes harder to get all kinds of services, with the virus causing lockdowns.
He also raises the possibility of cancer patients having to compete for services with a sudden and fast-growing number of coronavirus patients in a potentially overwhelmed medical environment.
But he also notes
"Yet people with cancer are perhaps better prepared than many to face an existential threat. We've developed resilience and learned to live in the here and now." He closes by saying that we should reach out to people being isolated by illness:
"We can stand in solidarity with those who suffer ... (by offering) ... grocery shopping, transportation or a cooked meal."
"As our society faces an illness that is serious and devastating, we, cancer patients, can share a few lessons from dealing with our infirmities. With support and care, you can find the strength to carry on."https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/22/818863524/when-cancer-and-coronavirus-collide-fear-and-resilience