Heads in the Sand

What do you envisage when you hear or read the expression, “Bury your head in the sand?” Do you mull over the myth of the ostrich that supposedly hides its head in the sand when faced with a predator attack? Although only a myth, the logic behind this legend is that a supposedly stupid ostrich believes if it sticks its head in the sand and cannot see its predator, then the predator cannot see it (or his large body above sand level)!

Such is the conjecture of many cancer patients. While I am the unusual “bird” who maintains my head held far above the sand or anything else that tries to conceal the truth of the predator leukemia’s attack on my body, many cancer patients simply want to force their heads deep into the sand, buried from bad reports, prognosis, and attacks of cancer on their bodies. I would venture to estimate that most cancer patients I encounter do not even know the name of the chemotherapy agents they are infusing into their bodies. I cannot fathom having this type of blind trust in the recommendations of others.

Personally, I cannot imagine not knowing everything I can about this foe. My decisiveness early on to confront leukemia head-on has proven to be a successful scheme to battling cancer. Although, at times, it would have been mentally more tolerable to know less about my health challenges, I believe with my whole heart, that my involvement in every decision, situation, and treatment has contributed to my longevity.

No matter how deep in the sand a cancer patient “buries” her head, cancer is still going to be on the attack. We cannot run from cancer. We cannot hide from cancer. Burying my head in the sand and avoiding face-to-face confrontation with the written words of negative reports will not make them improve. Burying my head in the sand and pretending that cancer does not exist, will not make it go away. Burying my head in the sands of denial, will not make life with cancer easier to endure. I am thankful I am not an ostrich!