As I sat waiting in the oncology ward today, a man sat in front of me wearing a hat that said “THIS IS YOUR EVEREST.”
Interesting, I thought. I suppose cancer treatment is the toughest endurance test many of us will face. It does seem right to compare it to summiting Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
When I got home, I Googled what it takes to climb Everest. Here’s what I found:
- The planning for the expedition is meticulous
- It can be attempted only in a very specific window of the year
- Climbers must train extensively to be physically and mentally prepared
- The training involves specific conditioning, which progressively ramps up their hike time, distance, and elevation gain over time.
I finished reading and realised that cancer is a hell of a lot harder than climbing Everest. Let me explain.
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An Everest expedition is planned for months, if not years. Climbers often have an experienced support team, state-of-the-art equipment, rigorous training, and sponsorship. They do not wake up at base camp one day and get told their survival depends on them facing the toughest climb in the world, unprepared.
Many cancer patients were going about their life quite happily – working, socialising, raising families, planning holidays, dealing with everyday stresses – when one day, without warning, BOOM! They got cancer.
They are then plonked blindfolded onto the cancer rollercoaster, whooshing off before seatbelts are buckled or their loved ones know their whereabouts. But no matter, the cancer rollercoaster is open 24/7, 365 days a year! The ride will come and take you and you don’t get to choose when. There is no consideration given to prior engagements such as weddings, new jobs, family commitments or holidays. Nor is there rigorous preparation or specific conditioning instructing you how to simultaneously lose your hair, deal with the drugs, maintain your life, administer injections, plan your appointments or deal with steroid craziness.
All cancer patients know is that to continue living their life, they must now climb Everest.
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I kept Googling and found that:
- Mountaineers often experience fatigue, nausea and vomiting
- A lot of things can go wrong and attempting to summit several times before succeeding is common
- It can take months
- If climbers reach Everest’s ‘death zone,’ body cells start to die, and judgment becomes impaired
- Many climbers who succeed come back with both physical and psychological problems from the climb.
Hmm, I thought – that all sounds familiar.
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When we hear of everything people must endure to climb Everest, we think wow! They are so strong and brave and amazing. We also think, well that’s a totally crazy thing to do, I don’t fancy that much, rather you than me.
I bet the Everest conquerors didn’t feel strong and brave and amazing mid-climb though. I bet they felt cold and lonely and suffered from frostbite. I bet they thought of their families and their warm beds. I bet they had a moment of elation at the summit before the long climb down to recovery. I bet they enjoyed having summitted, rather than the climb itself. I bet they got back to base camp and crumpled in a heap on the floor.
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Don’t get me wrong, people who chose to climb Everest are impressive: it’s a feat of endurance like no other. They chose to do it though. You didn’t choose to endure cancer. When people tell you that you’re strong and brave and amazing, inside you’re probably thinking but I have no choice, I feel weak and tired and sad.
In these moments, remind yourself that here you are, keeping going anyway. The mountain you’re climbing is so high, yet look at how far you’ve come. Remember that people doing strong and brave and amazing things are often weak and fearful and ordinary in the moment. They just keep showing up.
If the cancer rollercoaster has you feeling overwhelmed, take heart. You’re doing something harder than climbing Everest right now after all.
Laura writes... 