Misconceptions

Ok, I'm going to get on my soap box for a minute or two here...The other day I was talking to a man at the gym (that knew about my struggle with cancer) and he told me that in his opinion, "95% of cancers could be avoided if people just paid attention to their nutrition and didn't eat crap!" So, what are you saying here Mister? That I got cancer because I ate badly? I think not! Sure, I don't eat perfectly, but I guarantee that I have always eaten better than the majority of the American population! On top of that, I have always been super healthy--no major sickness other than the occasional cold, never been overweight, always perfect blood pressure and cholesterol, etc.

You're probably wondering what I said to him? Well, first I told him that I didn't agree with his statement whole-heartedly. I informed him that I got my melanoma from all the sun exposure and damage that I had growing up as a lifeguard and such, laying out, and all the outdoor sports and activities that I engaged in. I then asked him, "So, you attribute poor nutrition being the cause of cancer in young babies that have only ingested breast milk?" Lets just say that after that, he didn't really have a good response... :)

Ok, so here's the thing--do I think that poor nutrition can eventually cause cancer? Of course I do! I think that the rise of cancer in our country--the epidemic we are facing--is largely due to lifestyle and environmental causes like poor nutrition, toxins in the air and water, stress, smoking, sedentary activity, etc. With that said though, there are a lot of other factors that influence our risk of cancer like genetics and our bodies are complex! But then again, cancer isn't a respector of persons. Lots of very healthy people get cancer all the time and many unhealthy people don't. Sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason.

The bottom line is that there are things we can do to HELP prevent cancer, but there is NO 100% guarantee that we won't get it either. Even if we ate perfectly, had perfect genes, and lived in a bubble, there is no way to predict with full certainty that we will get cancer or not. And anybody that thinks differently is ignorant in my opinion. We can't fear cancer though. We just have to live our lives the best we can, doing all that we can to prevent it (as well as other diseases), but most importantly trusting in God. And if we do get cancer, it doesn't mean our lives are going to end! Lots of people beat the odds and survive and I will be one of those!

And there you go. That is my soap box and I feel better now. ;)