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| www.doctorschannel.com |
By Adejoh Idoko Momoh.
‘The hardest part… the most difficult part of anything really
is the wait’ It makes you see things, think things you have no business
thinking. For me it was a lump in the back, slightly beneath my right shoulder
blade that disappeared and appeared at will.
As I sat at the radiologist’s awaiting confirmation of
ailment my mind wandered: cancer; typically associated with lumps. It made the
most sense.
If it’s true what they say and cancers have life, wouldn’t
the cancer cells in me be constantly struggling to stay alive? Isn’t my body
the most conducive environment within which they can grow? Will taking the lump
out not amount to killing it? Killing a living, growing thing?
And then the thought hit me, as much as I will try to fight
this if it was diagnosed as cancer, wouldn’t it also fight back? Wouldn’t it
want to continually survive in an environment that is conducive for its
survival?
I quickly think to activism: we fight for fetuses and animals
and plants, all living things. Perhaps we should fight for diseases like cancer
or bacterial infections which live as well. Shouldn’t they have rights as well?
After all they are smart enough to grow and adapt. To manifest in lumps and
tumors that can disappear and reappear at will.
‘Momoh’…
‘Is there an Adejoh Momoh here?’ It wasn’t until he called a
second time that I slowly walked up from my seat.
‘Take off your shirt and lie there on your stomach’ I do not
quite remember but a question came to mind. I didn’t ask it though.
He spewed a really cold gel on the lump site and ran
something that felt like a mouse pad over it. It didn’t take thirty seconds
before he wiped the gel off and instructed that I get up. As I stood, he looked
at me very weirdly, almost with disappointment in his eyes.
‘It’s just fatty tissue. Lipoma… there’s a store of fat
underneath the skin, yours is simply an unusual gathering of this fat. Not
harmful’
‘Do you advise I have it removed?’ …. ‘Only for the
aesthetics’ I ran my hand over it, felt it and decided I didn’t like the
feeling. I thanked him as I turned to leave
if you've found this interesting, please feel free to share as widely as you can. Join in the conversation as well: share in the comments stories of thoughts you had no business thinking. Adejoh Momoh (momoh.adejoh@gmail.com) can be followed on twitter @adejoh.
