Lesson 35
Never Give upHopeLiving
Text A
In this recorded conversation withfriend, Alison Willson described her reactionsthe news that she was goingdiecancer. The conversation took place five months before her death.
Firstly,told myself, "The thing has happened. However much you fuss ,scream ,yell , it's not goingchange "realised I'd gotdiscipline myself. Another thing was,rememberedvicara churchusedgosaying that this kindthing was often much harderthe relatives thanthe patient. So here there was scopemedo something positive.
Thirdly, just beforelefthospital,came across two young womentheir thirties, both with small childrenboth with cancer.thought , well , what amworrying about , because my children are grown upindependent. Ifcan get this rightmyselfmake some sortpeace with, thenpeople who love me will also acceptand this needn't be too 6adtime.
Of course,wasn't as simple as that. Whencame outhospitalfoundwas gettingwrong with quitelotpeople , because they didn't look atthe same way asdid. And again,think if you're goingdie aroundage50, far more people are involved than if you're dying when you're really old. You know, it's fairly threateningpeopleyour own age, they see youthe middlea fairly busy life suddenly stopping-and they findunacceptable. This busincss againgetting themgivc me pcrmissiondie. . .
Severalme friends still feel very angrybitter abouiand just won't accept it. In consequence they tell meshouldn't accept it.get all these stories about these heroic people who have organ after organ rcmovedsay, I'm not goingdie; I'm goinglive;they go on, year after year. It makes me fecl I'm be.ing terribly fecble.feel rather guilty , as if what they're saying, wcll . you're not trying hard enough.
can't really see what elsecould be doing. I'm very confused about all this.don't quite understand whatoughtdo. Well ,suppose one could beChichesterrush acrossAtl.antica boat. But you know. really , I'm too tiredthat.think whatwantsaypeoplethat if you'rethis situationisn't nearly as bad as people who tryput themselvesyour position thinkis.
For one thing . other people comcit cold , whereas I've been doingAmy homeworkitthe last two years. I've got usedthe ideahave comethe pointacceptance gradually. The other thingthat they're feeling wellvigorous, with lotsthings they'rethe middledoing. Butam actually getting very tireddon't fecl vcry well.
The fact thatcan't drive my caram generally havingcut down my activitics isn't as badme as they?thinkis.tryget this throughpeople, andseemsrelease their anxietybit. My friends are beginningaccept whathappeningcome along with me.
It's beentimethinking about relationships and' sorting out those which weren't very satisfactory. Also,a large extent,pressureoffyou're goingdie, you don't really havedo much. It's ratherrclief if you're not feeling well. I've been very happy these last six months.
usedthink that if you knew you were dying there would begreat black pall over everything,nothing could beany value. Butisn't like that. In some ways, even, you get increased appreciationthings. Colours are brighterlittlc pleasures mean more. You almost get another dimension.
feel that if.hadn't understood what was happening,cometerms with, this would have been lost. So if you asked me whetherwould rather havecoronary or what I've got .would rather have this because I've had all this good time. Andfeel sad because other people might have, but miss-because they aren't allowedcometerms with what's goinghappen, or don't feel able to,thissuchwaste.
Text B
Wang Jinghuia lecturerChina Textile UniversityShanghai. Now, atagefifty-three, heaboutleave this world. In July last year, he was diagnosed asbe suffering from cancerthe esophagus. The doctor told him that there might still beslight chancehim if he got operatedat once, ascancer was alreadyan advanced stage. The news greatly alarmed Wang anddaughter who had accompanied himthe hospital. Naturally they wantedhave an operation at once as there was notmomentbe lost.
"But all our wards are full atmoment,"doctor told them. "How long do we havewait then?"daughter asked. "At least two months. We havelong waiting list. " Back at home,daughter was at her wit's end. Five years earlier, her mother had diedcancer. It was her father then who had looked after everything - her mother's operation, thenfuneral. And after her mother's death,was her father who looked after herher younger sister,had seen them through school,then collegeher. She had just graduatedher younger sister was still at school. How could they do without their father? No, their father must not die.
She lost no timespared no effortsfindinghospitalher father. She went everywhereasked everybody friends , relatives , acquaintances , anyone who might knowa way, or have connections withhospital. A few days later oneher former schoolmates came withheartening news that oneher friends hadrelative who could pull strings withcertain big hopital.
And so this friend's friend's relative madeappearance. He provedbe very helpfulenthusiastic,promisedseewhole thing through. But he constantly dropped hintsWang's daughter about"going price" for"road-paving"a hospital.
Athospital things went as smoothly as he had promised. Wang's daughter had handed him three hundred yuan,soon he had everything arranged - consultationWangregistrationliving in. He informed them that there would bevacant bedfollowing Monday.
They went home fullhope. He,man who had arranged everythingthem, beganlay downcards. "The going pricetwo thousandfive hundred yuan. But don't worry," he hastenedadd when he sawalarmfatherdaughter's faces. "I've managedbringddwnthe bottom line-- one thousand two hundred. But you havegetready soon.havesatisfyregistration office,surgeon-in-charge,operating doctor andassistant,two anaes thetists- notsingle one could be left out. "
What else could they do? In ordercure her father,daughter went aboutmanagedscrape together 500 yuan which she handedthe man just before her father wentlive As arranged Wang enteredhospitalMonday, July 6. But more thanweek went bynobody seemedbother about him,nothing was 'mentioned aboutoperation. Both fatherdaughter were worried about this endless waitingshe approachedman again,see if he could speed things up. "An operating doctor has yetbe found. " She understood what that meant ,as she was almost worrieddeath, she gritted her teethproduced another four hundred yuan. Apparentlyman meant what he said when he mentioned one thousand two hundred asbottom line.
On July 28, Wang finally was wheeled intooperation theatre. But he was not kept therelong. The doctor opened upchestfound that cancer had reached suchstage asmake an operation impossible. So merciless washandfate! Whenreporter from Xinmin Evening wentsee Wang early this year, she found an emaciated man lyingbed, obviously nearinglast. He could hardly producecoherent sentence, but he kept repeating ; "We've been robbedone thousand two hundred yuan . .. Now we are penniless . . . whatgoinghappenmy two girls?. . . "
The daughter said: "What happenedus was far from unique. It has become quitecommon practicepatientspay through their nosesorderlive in. Allsamewant our storybe told, not thathave any illusions about getting our money back"
Additional Information
Not long ago , an unusual wedding was heldBcijing's Yuyuantan Park. Bothbridebridegroom suffered from cancer but had made surprising improvement withaidqigong.traditional C.hinese healing system that relies heavilybreathing exercises. Italso through qigong thatyoung couple metfelllove.
The 28-year-old Guo Chengpei was formerlytop playerthe Beijing table tennis team. But after participatingthe First Pyongyang lnternational Table Tennis Invitational TournamentSepember 98 , he felthealth declininghe could hardly talk. After an examination he was diagnosed as having lung cancer, whichusually fatal. He hadstop trainingundergo treatment.
Because Guo's cancer had spreadhis lymph nodes,was inoperable. The radiation treatment he received helped little. His doctor predicted that despiteyouth, Guo had only three monthslive. However, being trained astable tennis player2 years, he had an unyielding willan optimistic attitude.he did not give up hope. Onehis friends suggested that he practise qigong, whichcredited with prolonging many cancer patients' lives. This strengthenedwillsurmountdisease.
He tookfriend's advicepractise Guo Lin qigong (a combinationmovingbreathing) every day. Getting up at 2:45 a. m. he tooknight shuttle busDitan Parkstartedroutine at 3:40 a. m. He practisedmore than five hours. His fatheruncles took turns accompanying him. Withstrong willindomitable perseverance, he has kept practising qigongseven andhalf years,all kindsweather.
A check-up987 showed thatlung cancer's spreadthe lymph nodes had disappearedthe tumour was reducedsize. His weight has increased from 6085 kilograms. He has become fitter andgeneral health has improved.His 26-year-old bride, Chen Yamei, became ill with thymomaSeptember 985. "Whenwas told thathad cancer,feltfuture looked so darkmiserable thatwasdespair," she said.
In December that year, she had an operation. Afterwards she received chemicalradioactive treatments, but little effect could be seen. The cancer beganspreadthe lymph nodesbones. While she was hospitalized she often saw patients around her die. She was terribly frightenedshe feltthe brinkdeath herself.
In June 986, she heard that qigong could help cure cancer. Though she didn't completely believe it, she sawglimmerhopedecidedtry It. She also wentDitan Parklearn qigongwas assignedthe class that was instructed by Guo Chengpei. "Everyonemy qigong class looks vigorousenergetic,"Chen said. "Thereno sign that they have haddeadly disease. It gives me confidence and couragelive on. "
She often sought advice from Guohe always helped her patientlyenthusiastically. They shared experiencesencouraged each other. At last love blossomedthe young couple's hearts. After three yearsconstant qigong practice, Chen's conditionstable. Now she says she hasbetter appetitesleeps more soundly.
"Curing cancer through qigong hadscientific basis," Guo said. "The growthcancer cellsrestrained when one breathes plentyoxygen. After one properly practises qigongquitelong time, heablegreatly enlargerespiratory capacity. Thisgoodcancer patients. "
Drawinghis own experience, Guo thinks that combinationsqigong, Western medicinetraditional Chinese medicine arebest wayconquer cancer. And he saidwholesome psychological outlookthe most important thing. "Everyone suffering from cancer should think like this; Even ifsurvival ratecanceronly 0. per cent ,am0. per cent , " Guo said. "Those who can get betterfastest are those who are strongspirit. " The couple hope that all cancer patients love lifenever lose their hopeliving.
Never Give upHopeLiving
Text A
In this recorded conversation withfriend, Alison Willson described her reactionsthe news that she was goingdiecancer. The conversation took place five months before her death.
Firstly,told myself, "The thing has happened. However much you fuss ,scream ,yell , it's not goingchange "realised I'd gotdiscipline myself. Another thing was,rememberedvicara churchusedgosaying that this kindthing was often much harderthe relatives thanthe patient. So here there was scopemedo something positive.
Thirdly, just beforelefthospital,came across two young womentheir thirties, both with small childrenboth with cancer.thought , well , what amworrying about , because my children are grown upindependent. Ifcan get this rightmyselfmake some sortpeace with, thenpeople who love me will also acceptand this needn't be too 6adtime.
Of course,wasn't as simple as that. Whencame outhospitalfoundwas gettingwrong with quitelotpeople , because they didn't look atthe same way asdid. And again,think if you're goingdie aroundage50, far more people are involved than if you're dying when you're really old. You know, it's fairly threateningpeopleyour own age, they see youthe middlea fairly busy life suddenly stopping-and they findunacceptable. This busincss againgetting themgivc me pcrmissiondie. . .
Severalme friends still feel very angrybitter abouiand just won't accept it. In consequence they tell meshouldn't accept it.get all these stories about these heroic people who have organ after organ rcmovedsay, I'm not goingdie; I'm goinglive;they go on, year after year. It makes me fecl I'm be.ing terribly fecble.feel rather guilty , as if what they're saying, wcll . you're not trying hard enough.
can't really see what elsecould be doing. I'm very confused about all this.don't quite understand whatoughtdo. Well ,suppose one could beChichesterrush acrossAtl.antica boat. But you know. really , I'm too tiredthat.think whatwantsaypeoplethat if you'rethis situationisn't nearly as bad as people who tryput themselvesyour position thinkis.
For one thing . other people comcit cold , whereas I've been doingAmy homeworkitthe last two years. I've got usedthe ideahave comethe pointacceptance gradually. The other thingthat they're feeling wellvigorous, with lotsthings they'rethe middledoing. Butam actually getting very tireddon't fecl vcry well.
The fact thatcan't drive my caram generally havingcut down my activitics isn't as badme as they?thinkis.tryget this throughpeople, andseemsrelease their anxietybit. My friends are beginningaccept whathappeningcome along with me.
It's beentimethinking about relationships and' sorting out those which weren't very satisfactory. Also,a large extent,pressureoffyou're goingdie, you don't really havedo much. It's ratherrclief if you're not feeling well. I've been very happy these last six months.
usedthink that if you knew you were dying there would begreat black pall over everything,nothing could beany value. Butisn't like that. In some ways, even, you get increased appreciationthings. Colours are brighterlittlc pleasures mean more. You almost get another dimension.
feel that if.hadn't understood what was happening,cometerms with, this would have been lost. So if you asked me whetherwould rather havecoronary or what I've got .would rather have this because I've had all this good time. Andfeel sad because other people might have, but miss-because they aren't allowedcometerms with what's goinghappen, or don't feel able to,thissuchwaste.
Text B
Wang Jinghuia lecturerChina Textile UniversityShanghai. Now, atagefifty-three, heaboutleave this world. In July last year, he was diagnosed asbe suffering from cancerthe esophagus. The doctor told him that there might still beslight chancehim if he got operatedat once, ascancer was alreadyan advanced stage. The news greatly alarmed Wang anddaughter who had accompanied himthe hospital. Naturally they wantedhave an operation at once as there was notmomentbe lost.
"But all our wards are full atmoment,"doctor told them. "How long do we havewait then?"daughter asked. "At least two months. We havelong waiting list. " Back at home,daughter was at her wit's end. Five years earlier, her mother had diedcancer. It was her father then who had looked after everything - her mother's operation, thenfuneral. And after her mother's death,was her father who looked after herher younger sister,had seen them through school,then collegeher. She had just graduatedher younger sister was still at school. How could they do without their father? No, their father must not die.
She lost no timespared no effortsfindinghospitalher father. She went everywhereasked everybody friends , relatives , acquaintances , anyone who might knowa way, or have connections withhospital. A few days later oneher former schoolmates came withheartening news that oneher friends hadrelative who could pull strings withcertain big hopital.
And so this friend's friend's relative madeappearance. He provedbe very helpfulenthusiastic,promisedseewhole thing through. But he constantly dropped hintsWang's daughter about"going price" for"road-paving"a hospital.
Athospital things went as smoothly as he had promised. Wang's daughter had handed him three hundred yuan,soon he had everything arranged - consultationWangregistrationliving in. He informed them that there would bevacant bedfollowing Monday.
They went home fullhope. He,man who had arranged everythingthem, beganlay downcards. "The going pricetwo thousandfive hundred yuan. But don't worry," he hastenedadd when he sawalarmfatherdaughter's faces. "I've managedbringddwnthe bottom line-- one thousand two hundred. But you havegetready soon.havesatisfyregistration office,surgeon-in-charge,operating doctor andassistant,two anaes thetists- notsingle one could be left out. "
What else could they do? In ordercure her father,daughter went aboutmanagedscrape together 500 yuan which she handedthe man just before her father wentlive As arranged Wang enteredhospitalMonday, July 6. But more thanweek went bynobody seemedbother about him,nothing was 'mentioned aboutoperation. Both fatherdaughter were worried about this endless waitingshe approachedman again,see if he could speed things up. "An operating doctor has yetbe found. " She understood what that meant ,as she was almost worrieddeath, she gritted her teethproduced another four hundred yuan. Apparentlyman meant what he said when he mentioned one thousand two hundred asbottom line.
On July 28, Wang finally was wheeled intooperation theatre. But he was not kept therelong. The doctor opened upchestfound that cancer had reached suchstage asmake an operation impossible. So merciless washandfate! Whenreporter from Xinmin Evening wentsee Wang early this year, she found an emaciated man lyingbed, obviously nearinglast. He could hardly producecoherent sentence, but he kept repeating ; "We've been robbedone thousand two hundred yuan . .. Now we are penniless . . . whatgoinghappenmy two girls?. . . "
The daughter said: "What happenedus was far from unique. It has become quitecommon practicepatientspay through their nosesorderlive in. Allsamewant our storybe told, not thathave any illusions about getting our money back"
Additional Information
Not long ago , an unusual wedding was heldBcijing's Yuyuantan Park. Bothbridebridegroom suffered from cancer but had made surprising improvement withaidqigong.traditional C.hinese healing system that relies heavilybreathing exercises. Italso through qigong thatyoung couple metfelllove.
The 28-year-old Guo Chengpei was formerlytop playerthe Beijing table tennis team. But after participatingthe First Pyongyang lnternational Table Tennis Invitational TournamentSepember 98 , he felthealth declininghe could hardly talk. After an examination he was diagnosed as having lung cancer, whichusually fatal. He hadstop trainingundergo treatment.
Because Guo's cancer had spreadhis lymph nodes,was inoperable. The radiation treatment he received helped little. His doctor predicted that despiteyouth, Guo had only three monthslive. However, being trained astable tennis player2 years, he had an unyielding willan optimistic attitude.he did not give up hope. Onehis friends suggested that he practise qigong, whichcredited with prolonging many cancer patients' lives. This strengthenedwillsurmountdisease.
He tookfriend's advicepractise Guo Lin qigong (a combinationmovingbreathing) every day. Getting up at 2:45 a. m. he tooknight shuttle busDitan Parkstartedroutine at 3:40 a. m. He practisedmore than five hours. His fatheruncles took turns accompanying him. Withstrong willindomitable perseverance, he has kept practising qigongseven andhalf years,all kindsweather.
A check-up987 showed thatlung cancer's spreadthe lymph nodes had disappearedthe tumour was reducedsize. His weight has increased from 6085 kilograms. He has become fitter andgeneral health has improved.His 26-year-old bride, Chen Yamei, became ill with thymomaSeptember 985. "Whenwas told thathad cancer,feltfuture looked so darkmiserable thatwasdespair," she said.
In December that year, she had an operation. Afterwards she received chemicalradioactive treatments, but little effect could be seen. The cancer beganspreadthe lymph nodesbones. While she was hospitalized she often saw patients around her die. She was terribly frightenedshe feltthe brinkdeath herself.
In June 986, she heard that qigong could help cure cancer. Though she didn't completely believe it, she sawglimmerhopedecidedtry It. She also wentDitan Parklearn qigongwas assignedthe class that was instructed by Guo Chengpei. "Everyonemy qigong class looks vigorousenergetic,"Chen said. "Thereno sign that they have haddeadly disease. It gives me confidence and couragelive on. "
She often sought advice from Guohe always helped her patientlyenthusiastically. They shared experiencesencouraged each other. At last love blossomedthe young couple's hearts. After three yearsconstant qigong practice, Chen's conditionstable. Now she says she hasbetter appetitesleeps more soundly.
"Curing cancer through qigong hadscientific basis," Guo said. "The growthcancer cellsrestrained when one breathes plentyoxygen. After one properly practises qigongquitelong time, heablegreatly enlargerespiratory capacity. Thisgoodcancer patients. "
Drawinghis own experience, Guo thinks that combinationsqigong, Western medicinetraditional Chinese medicine arebest wayconquer cancer. And he saidwholesome psychological outlookthe most important thing. "Everyone suffering from cancer should think like this; Even ifsurvival ratecanceronly 0. per cent ,am0. per cent , " Guo said. "Those who can get betterfastest are those who are strongspirit. " The couple hope that all cancer patients love lifenever lose their hopeliving.