http://lentaing.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/irrational-pessimism/ Living with Acute Mylogenous Leukemia Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:58:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://lentaing.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/irrational-pessimism/#comment-75 liveweak « Blood Work Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:05:36 +0000 http://lentaing.wordpress.com/?p=29#comment-75 [...] understand that, as cancer patients, there is an allure to being a “cancer fighter”. as victims of improbabilities, it gives us back our sense of [...] [...] understand that, as cancer patients, there is an allure to being a “cancer fighter”. as victims of improbabilities, it gives us back our sense of [...]

]]> http://lentaing.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/irrational-pessimism/#comment-49 Charlene Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:34:45 +0000 http://lentaing.wordpress.com/?p=29#comment-49 Bravo. Bravo.

]]> http://lentaing.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/irrational-pessimism/#comment-40 Imran Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:59:26 +0000 http://lentaing.wordpress.com/?p=29#comment-40 Well said my friend. You've hit upon what might be the great catch-22 of your life (or any life for that matter) -- live for today or live for tomorrow. For you, living with leukemia today may indeed rob you of a leukemia-free future; but leukemia may win regardless of your best efforts. So you could be fighting for a future that can never be. I think it all falls on the idea of hope -- sure you can live now but it wouldn't be much of a life at all. You're no where near the Len I've known for the better part of my life (the best part). You're a shell of yourself. I rather you take every precaution to put yourself in the most advantageous position to survive in order to return to your former self. In fact, not your former self, but someone greater. Better you go down in the heat of battle than through defiant negligence. You make a very good point about irrational fears and how they can consume you despite your rational mind, but to ere on the side of caution sounds wise to me. Fear is a healthy thing in my mind. Without fear there would be nothing to conquer. Maybe not living in fear is a baseless heroic proclamation to galvanize one's self, but I think it more poetic for one to live DESPITE fear. Fear is like a pill -- you swallow it whole, let it cycle through your body, cycle until it does its job, until it has no more effect on you... then you take another one. You and you alone know what you're fighting for. Who you're fighting for. Why you're fighting for. Whatever those reasons are, you man up and do it -- hygiene be damned! Well said my friend. You’ve hit upon what might be the great catch-22 of your life (or any life for that matter) — live for today or live for tomorrow. For you, living with leukemia today may indeed rob you of a leukemia-free future; but leukemia may win regardless of your best efforts. So you could be fighting for a future that can never be. I think it all falls on the idea of hope — sure you can live now but it wouldn’t be much of a life at all. You’re no where near the Len I’ve known for the better part of my life (the best part). You’re a shell of yourself. I rather you take every precaution to put yourself in the most advantageous position to survive in order to return to your former self. In fact, not your former self, but someone greater. Better you go down in the heat of battle than through defiant negligence. You make a very good point about irrational fears and how they can consume you despite your rational mind, but to ere on the side of caution sounds wise to me. Fear is a healthy thing in my mind. Without fear there would be nothing to conquer. Maybe not living in fear is a baseless heroic proclamation to galvanize one’s self, but I think it more poetic for one to live DESPITE fear. Fear is like a pill — you swallow it whole, let it cycle through your body, cycle until it does its job, until it has no more effect on you… then you take another one. You and you alone know what you’re fighting for. Who you’re fighting for. Why you’re fighting for. Whatever those reasons are, you man up and do it — hygiene be damned!

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