Since I was a child, Uncle Jack and I have been close. He was around more often than my father, in my memory. I was therefore surprised to learn from him that he had cancer for a while. Despite our near proximity, I chose to interview him because I was confident in his sincerity. I thought Uncle Jack's interview was exceptional because, despite receiving cancer therapy for more than a year, he showed a lot of vigor, joy, and optimism. One could have been excused for believing that Uncle Jack was completely healthy at one time. Although he did not disclose how he came to be so optimistic and full of energy, it was evident that his attitude was a positive step toward overcoming the negative impact of his terminal illness. It is the positive energy that Uncle Jack showed that made the interview experience comfortable and more of a learning experience rather than a sad one.
I had informed Uncle Jack that I would be interviewing him three days before the day of the interview. Therefore, when the day came, I went to his place with the interview questions. We sat on the verandah of his house before apple juice was brought. He asked me about my mother as usual, and I told him that she was fine. I asked him if he was comfortable with the interview and he said he was before we began.
Uncle Jack is my mother’s elder brother. He is the eldest of three siblings. Therefore, he always felt the sense of responsibility for his sisters. He had worked with the military early in his life before he retired and came back to stay with his family more than ten years ago. During the interview, he explained how he smoked and drank lots of cigarettes and alcohol to pass the time because of the dull days in the deserts. He also admits that his cancer was because of his smoking habits in his youth and time in the army.
He revealed that the intention to quit had been there from the moment he began smoking in his high school days back in the 1970s. He also stated that stopping is usually a personal decision, which occurs gradually in the cause of a person’s life.. He said, “As I started, I smoked because it was fun. I did it while hiding. Then I started taking alcohol. However, after some time, I smoked because I felt like I had to. I tried quitting for many years but failed.” He joked, “I remember a time when I smoked so much that your mother called a chimney.” However, he only stopped smoking when he discovered that he had cancer.
I asked him how he discovered that he had cancer and his initial response. Uncle Jack smiled as though the question wasn’t so hard and said, “Well, I had just finished my cigarette when I coughed blood. The event caught my attention because it was the first time I had experienced it.” He says that he remained quiet about the event even though it scared him a bit. Uncle continued his habit of drinking and smoking several cigarettes per day. However, after a few weeks, he began feeling shortness in breath and feeling weak. A bloody cough recurred and became persistent for several days. His wife was very concerned and requested him to visit a doctor. He decided to visit a general practitioner who ordered some tests to be done, and a few days later, he was notified that he had terminal lung cancer. Uncle Jack was obviously shocked, but his wife could not bear the bad news. Worse still, he was informed by the attending cancer specialist that he could only live for a few years.
The doctor told uncle Jack that he was unlucky because his cancer was detected too late when it had already metastasized. Cancer is manageable if only it is detected and treated at an early stage before it spreads throughout the body. This approach to cancer management is favored because it helps to stop or even interrupt the progression of cancer. The physician also told uncle Jack that even though there are usually several methods of treating cancer, in this case, the best option would be chemotherapy. It was not possible to undergo surgery because the cancer was not resectable; hence, it could not be completely removed. As a result, chemotherapy served as the better treatment option considering that his cancer had metastasized. Indeed, considering Uncle Jack’s progress, it is true that chemo has helped him to control the cancer symptoms and prolong his life.
When asked about the response of family members when he announced to them that he had cancer, he looked down and said, “Well, it’s like I brought their worst nightmare. It broke people hearts, especially your mother. Nevertheless, they supported me a lot.” He reckoned that his sisters were affected adversely by the news. At first, they almost lost hope. However, after they had digested the news, Uncle Jack said that his sisters were his source of strength. He enjoyed the time they spent with him and appreciates all the things they did to make him cope with the news.
Uncle Jack admitted that after diagnosis, it took him several weeks to gain the courage to share the news with the family. Although he had always been an open person, he had seemed out of sorts in the weeks before he announced the news to us. He had appeared sad and preoccupied although he always refused to say what the matter was. He seemed to struggle to be himself. However, as time passed, he changed back to his previous self. He became jovial and at times, energetic. He said that he had sought solace in God and was ready for whatever life had to offer. As a Christian, he had come to believe that only God had the definitive answer with regards to how long he could still live. It has been three long years since he was diagnosed with cancer, and he still does not show any signs of deterioration. He continues with regular treatment and screening, which seems to work very well for him. For some patients with terminal lung cancer, the disease progression may be associated with shortness of breath due to the build-up of fluids in the lungs. Furthermore, the patient may cough blood due to obstruction and bleeding in the airways. However, in Uncle Jack’s case, there are no observable physical symptoms because his condition has been controlled well by chemotherapy and other medications.
Before Uncle Jack was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he was not a very religious person. However, during the interview, he seemed to have been influenced a lot by Christian teachings. Therefore, it was clear that my uncle had sought consolation in church. I asked him how his view of cancer had changed over time. He said that at the beginning he was hopeless. However, after he started attending a cancer support group sponsored by his wife’s church, he has developed a strong connection with God. Therefore, it was clear that despite the fact that he had always been a happy person, he had developed faith as a means of coping with the news and the disease.
Uncle Jack did not show self-blame and pity. He said that since he accepted his fate, he stopped feeling bitter. He says that he now focuses on his faith and making peace. According to him, he has learned that cancer is not the end of life. One can still accomplish their goals in life with the disorder as long as they take their treatment seriously. He said that cancer or no cancer, life still ends. Therefore, cancer is just one way of life ending. Thus, people with cancer should live positively. This is an excellent coping strategy on Uncle Jack’s part because many cancer patients have died not as a result of the disease itself, but due to psychological causes such as stress and depression.
Uncle Jack admits that taking cancer medication is challenging. He also says that at times, early after diagnosis, the cancer drugs caused him nausea and weakness. He says that the many drugs made it hard for him to eat. However, as time passed, the side effects reduced. He said that even though his life had changed and he no longer did what he used to enjoy doing like drinking and smoking, things were improving after the continuous use of chemotherapy medication. He no longer coughed up blood and that his lungs worked better. He said that he hardly felt the shortness in breath although he avoided straining a lot. He said that he is used to the drugs and has hope in them. He believes that even though cancer may tear his body organs apart, he will not let it rip his soul. Therefore, only God will decide when he will die and not cancer. His optimism seemed to be working well because apart from the signs of rapid aging that I think resulted from the chemotherapy, he looked fine.
Uncle Jack said that even his wife was very important to him as she dedicated a lot of her time to ensure that he took his medications well. Nevertheless, he was still able to perform his routine tasks without the need for help. He said that he only needs assistance when doing strenuous tasks. He also admitted that he could not walk very long distances or ride his bike as he used to. The strenuous activities make him feel nausea and shortness in breath. Therefore, he was considerably fit and looked like he had a significantly a long life ahead of him if he keeps taking the medications properly.
From the interview, I learned from uncle Jack’s experience that the psychological aspects of cancer are critical when living with the disease. I learned that hope is important in adherence to medication. It was clear that even though therapy may initially cause the patients discomfort, the moment they accept their conditions and decide to live positively, they are more likely to adhere to treatment. Also, cancer patients should join support groups so that they can share the experience with other people with the disease and find purpose in life. Also, family and friends are essential in helping patients cope with cancer. Therefore, the society should not just leave the treatment of cancer to medications, but also offer social and emotional support.
