Suleika's Life: Life, Interrupted

935 Words4 Pages
Life, Interrupted Cancer, a word one never wants to hear from a doctor’s mouth whether you are gray haired or just starting to walk, it is a disease that changes the life of the patient and everyone around them. In the words of Suleika Jaouad, “Cancer does not discriminate.” People do not get cancer because of certain things they have exposed themselves to or ate too much of something unhealthy (P 6/14/12). One cannot help but to think, “Why me?” Cancer can change the course of one’s life in a matter of months especially for young adults just getting ready at the starting line of their life. From going to class everyday to going to doctor visits everyday, exercising to eat whatever you want to being so tired and sick that you cannot even…show more content…
In the case of Suleika, she had to give up her own apartment and move back in with her parents, but this is only the physical aspect. Mentally, as a young adult it is like putting your life on pause for an indiscriminate amount of time. While you wait in doctor’s offices, your friends are taking their first steps in to adulthood (P 4/15/12). Just because your life is on pause does not guarantee that your friends are also on hold. This gradually puts a distance between you and your friends. One reason behind the weakening of relationships, is because people do not know how to approach comfort their friend with cancer (V 5/17/12). Once you start to lose contact with people, you gradually lose friends and this was the case for Suleika, she had lost a number of friendships because they did not know how to treat her. She explains that even though she lost a number of friends, she learned which friends she can really rely on and not only that but made stronger friendships during her chemotherapy (V 5/17/12). Cancer causes a young adult to lose many friendship but at the same time build stronger relationships with the people that sticks by…show more content…
When one is in their twenties, their priority is not having a child but first finding a significant other to have a child with. For young cancer patients, the concerns are flipped, they must first decide if they may want to have a child even before they find significant other (V 4/19/13). This is where it can arise issues with a significant other in the future. The fact that one is infertile could break the relationship. For example in South Korea, there are relationships that end when because a person is infertile because they see no future for them. Infertility is not the only issue that can break an intimate relationship. The time that one spends apart during chemotherapy is also a barrier to overcome. Not being able to spend time and converse with each, weakens a relationship if it is not strong enough to begin with. Not only that but there is no set amount of time when your significant other will be cured. For both the patient and the loved it is a game of waiting. This time of waiting could be poison to some relationships. For Suleika, she has met a person that has been through everything with her and has worked to strengthen the relationship through this

More about Suleika's Life: Life, Interrupted

Open Document