其言也善：一年前我身患绝症至今仍活着 [美国媒体]

原文作者：Melinda Welsh

The enormity of the news didn't sink in fully, not at first, even after my doctor uttered the words: “I'm sorry, we did find cancer.” My husband, Dave, and I had only the faintest sense that evening that our lives had been hijacked forever.

当时我觉得事情还不是很糟糕，然而，我的医生语出惊人：“我很抱歉，我们在你身体里发现了癌细胞。”那天晚上，我的丈夫戴夫和我都有那么一种被生活绑架了的微弱错觉。



作者的丈夫，戴夫

Early 2014 brought major surgery, then six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. Eight months later they found cancer again, so it was Christmas surgery and more of the same. When a scan in June showed new tumors, the outlook turned bleak. The cancer, a rare type — metastatic squamous cell head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary — had gone systemic.

早在2014年，我们请来了主治医师，因此我经历了六周的化疗与放疗。8个月后，他们又在我体内发现癌细胞，于是圣诞节我是在手术室度过的。次年6月份我体内又有新的肿瘤出现，前景不容乐观。我患的这个癌症，比较少见，是头颈转移性鳞状细胞癌，还是全身性的。

Like all doctors, oncologists want to offer patients hope — who can blame them? But with a little prodding, I was able to learn the approximate truth. A Stanford specialist gave me six to nine months to live. “But there are people who do a lot better,” he said. My surgeon told me “Months to a year.” My UC San Francisco oncologist said, “The average is a yearish, but nobody's average.”

医者仁心，我的肿瘤专家想给我一个希望泡影——谁能因此责怪他们呢？不过那时的我被激起了一些求生欲望，我居然无限接近真理。一位斯坦福专家说我还有6到9月可以活。“不过还有人活了更久，”他补充道。我的外科医生说我还能“活个一年半载”。我的加州大学专家说，“平均能活一年，然而平均数没有什么意义。

So there it is. I'm 59. I have terminal cancer. And I'm dying in a yearish.

以上就这些了。我59岁了，一年前我身患绝症，但我至今仍活得好好的。

I feel perversely well right now. I have recovered from the worst side effects of treatment, and I am not yet experiencing the corporeal failure that is to come. I am working part time. And I have turned my attention to the question How do I best spend the time I have left?

如今我顽强地挺了过来。我已经从治疗副作用的阴影中走了出来，并且我也不再饱受肉体上的折磨。目前我有了一份兼职，这时我开始思考：对于我剩余的时光，我该怎么精打细算？

My answer is writing, family and friends, the pleasures of small things.

我的答案便是写写文章，陪伴亲朋好友，在小事中寻找快乐。

My sister and brothers and the rest of our clan gathered for a reunion on the Monterey coast this summer. My niece came over from France, bringing her young daughter and new baby. We sobbed quietly in each other's arms as farewells were said, both knowing we'd likely never see each other again.

这个夏天，我们一家人在蒙特利聚会。我的侄女，带着她小女儿和小婴儿从法国千里迢迢赶来。我们相拥而泣，倾诉离肠，我们都知道，相见很有可能变成怀念。

Dave booked us a cruise to Alaska, and we're planning a few other special trips. But mostly we read and laugh. We work. We walk and watch movies. I was told “Don't skip dessert” — so we don't. We play the Neville Brothers and dance around the living room.

戴夫为我们订了游艇去阿拉斯加，除此之外我们还有一些特殊的旅行。不过大多数我们都在奇文共赏，谈笑风生。我们团结协作，我们闲庭信步，我们欣赏电影，我们享受甜点。甚至我们在Neville Brothers的歌声中翩翩起舞。

We've taken to getting up early a few mornings a week and driving out to see the sunrise over the flatlands of our mostly rural county. Our dog Scout thrusts her head out the window from the back seat, passionate on behalf of the here and now. I am suddenly aware of how differently the sun announces itself into the world each day.

我们有一周天蒙蒙亮就起床了，驱车去乡下看日出。我们的狗儿斯科特从后座探出狗头，一直猛吠个不停。突然我意识到世上的每一天都那么不同凡响。



作者拍摄的日出

I sometimes worry about my ability to exit life with grace and humor. What if I'm bad at suffering? I admit I can fill up with fear, but what's the point? For counsel, I turn to my favorite philosopher, Lao Tzu: Be content with what you have/rejoice in the way things are/When you realize there is nothing lacking/the whole world belongs to you.

我有时会担心与世长辞时脸上是否挂着优雅和幽默。如果我痛入骨髓该如何是好？我承认我害怕过，但那又如何？我最爱的哲学家帮我回答了这个问题，他就是老子，老子曰：吾所患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾又何患哉。（活人担心生死，是因为他挂念自己的身体，如果身体消亡了，他还有什么好担心的呢）

I understand that my infinitesimally tiny piece in all this is coming to a close. Letting go will be difficult, but death has its own clock. So I will take solace in the idea that, once gone, I may come to occupy a small space in the hearts of the people who loved me most. And perhaps from there, I will be a source of a few simple reminders: Time is limited. Life is miraculous. And we are beautiful.

我明白我的生命弱不可堪，或许死就是生另一个开始。所以我会这样想，我魂归上帝，但我的挚爱心中仍给我留了个位置。也许有机会，我会请人帮我刻墓志铭：时光有限，活得精彩，我们如此多娇。

Melinda Welsh was founding editor of the Sacramento News & Review. She is leading a national writing project about climate change

梅琳达 威尔逊（作者）是萨克拉门托的新闻及评论撰稿人。她还带领一个团队研究当地气候变化。


mandyinseattle
Melinda, thank you for sharing your story and your grace, courage, and humor with us. I wish you a smooth transition. When the time comes, is death with dignity an option? I had a friend who opted for that a little over a year ago. No need to suffer more than we have to. Thank you again. 
I will save the words of Lao Tzu: "Be content with what you have/rejoice in the way things are/When you realize there is nothing lacking/the whole world belongs to you."

梅琳达，感谢你分享你的故事及那份淡然、勇气、幽默。我希望你的病转为良性。当时辰到了，该选择有尊严的死吗？一年前我的一个朋友就选择有尊严的走了，走时没有多少痛苦。再次感谢你。
我也会记住老子的话：吾所患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾又何患哉。

armando22
Melinda, thank you for sharing, get ready for your next adventure, peace.

梅琳达，感谢你的故事，希望你能平静的进入人生下一个阶段。

leebirdx
Thank You, Thank YOU Melinda for sharing all of this with us. I can somewhat understand. I too am on the long/short journey through cancer. We do not know where it shall take us, who we will meet along the way or how it will end. I finally realized in this last 2 years, that doctors cannot always CURE us, they can only TREAT us. I value each day. I value the moments. I value the Te-nows. One great thing cancer did for me, it opened my eyes to all that I see. I aked for 2 years, I reached that. Now all the days I have are GIFT days, Bonus days. The other good thing, once you know your life will end sooner, you get to say goodbyes and tell those near you how much you love them. Little things seem to mean so muc more.……

谢谢，谢谢你，梅琳达。我能产生些共鸣。我也是癌症患者，我也曾度日如年。在生命这条长河中，我们不知道流向哪里，不知道会遇见谁，也不知道怎样结束。直到两年前我才意识到，医生无法治愈我们，只能治疗我们。现在我珍惜每一天每一秒。癌症用了2年教会我如何睁开双眼，细细观察我之所见，细细品味生活。每一天都是我的礼物，都是我的福利。另一件事，就是我知道我命不久矣，我得准备跟我周围的人告别。小事情，我总能看到很多意义……

SnuffyFeathermerchant
Melinda, Thank you for this. I am traveling with you, I have survived death three times while in the service of my country all gunshots. Only to be laid to waste by the slow deadly cancer. I wake each day at 0300 to make sure I get the best of each day, sunrise over the San Gabriel Mountains then I to read and laugh with my wife. I have seen my two Grandchildren marry and was there when my great grand child was born. I am a lucky man and will fight to see the sunset this evening and try to stay awake as long as I can only hope I wake tomorrow. Just want one more day! Life is good！

梅琳达，感谢你。我与你同在，因为我历经三次枪战幸存下来。但癌症却缓慢吞噬我的生命。我每天凌晨3点起来，只想活得更久，活得更好，爬圣盖博山看日出，读些书，与妻子说说笑笑。我参与了家里两个小辈的婚礼，我的曾孙子也谋面了。我很幸运又看到了今天的日落，我希望明天我还能睁开眼。我真想向天再借500年啊！

witzem
To be clear, western medicine and oncologists have no idea how to treat cancer.  Please read the story of our experience and the responses then go to an alternative cancer treatment center in Mexico or Germany and get the truth. 
https://medium.com/@jeffwitzeman/so-it-turns-out-cancer-can-be-killed-after-all-32764ac8d6db#.ob8gj4xu56db#.  
17 hours ago

我先说清楚，欧洲的药物和医生对如何治疗癌症束手无策。请看看我的经历看法，再去墨西哥或者德国癌症治疗中心看看，你会发现真相的。