I’ve always been Pro Choice….not anymore.

I’m a guy who believes in choices. I like making my own decisions, managing my life and having some sense of control.

Imagine my world when a diagnosis of cancer came along and my control and my choice, disappeared.

Some of you will jump on this quickly and say but Rick you still have choices Rick. The Truth is, you are wrong.

I can’t go back and be the Rick Dancer I was prior to having the cancer diagnosis nor do I want to.

If it were up to me I’d make the choice to never have pain, always be successful and live my life the easy way, the American way, the way the world tells me I deserve to live.

But thankfully, I don’t get that choice. I have learned more about life in the past month, since my diagnosis, than I ever have in such a short time and I’m not willing to trade that for anything. That’s right, my limited choices have brought me to the edge and beyond and by going there, I’ve found life and a closeness to God I wouldn’t trade for anything.

So that is why I am no longer Pro-Choice…..Oh, I just thought of something. Some of you got on this blog thinking I was talking about Pro-Choice in terms of abortion. I’m sorry; this thought has nothing to do with that subject. I hope I didn’t mislead anyone and get you all excited.

2 Comments

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  vikkismith March 7, 2010 at 9:32 am

  HA! You totally did 'mislead' me, but I am glad you didn't say so until the end because it really made the whole post more powerful! But I also believe the actual meaning of the whole “you always have a choice” reflects the idea that although you can't choose to make the cancer go away and have it just be gone, you can do as you are doing and choose to take care of yourself. You COULD have chosen to make the diagnosis a death sentence. So the whole “Choice” idea still applies, even if you don't like any of the alternatives, there is always at least one, ya know? I have taken a class called Dialectical Behavorial Therapy once a week for the last coulple years at Laural Hill Center here in Eugene, and it has taught me so much about the whole 'emotional mind vs. wise mind' concept. I didn't even know there was a difference before I started, but now I understand that although I have been diagnosed with a mental illness (ADHD- PTSD) I am NOT stupid or doomed to be crazy like I thought. Quite the contrary! So now I choose to embrace my uniqueness and individuality and have come to actually find true happiness within myself!!! Anyhow, Thanks for you posts and positive attitude. You are a light to us all!
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  vikkismith March 7, 2010 at 11:32 am

  HA! You totally did 'mislead' me, but I am glad you didn't say so until the end because it really made the whole post more powerful! But I also believe the actual meaning of the whole “you always have a choice” reflects the idea that although you can't choose to make the cancer go away and have it just be gone, you can do as you are doing and choose to take care of yourself. You COULD have chosen to make the diagnosis a death sentence. So the whole “Choice” idea still applies, even if you don't like any of the alternatives, there is always at least one, ya know? I have taken a class called Dialectical Behavorial Therapy once a week for the last coulple years at Laural Hill Center here in Eugene, and it has taught me so much about the whole 'emotional mind vs. wise mind' concept. I didn't even know there was a difference before I started, but now I understand that although I have been diagnosed with a mental illness (ADHD- PTSD) I am NOT stupid or doomed to be crazy like I thought. Quite the contrary! So now I choose to embrace my uniqueness and individuality and have come to actually find true happiness within myself!!! Anyhow, Thanks for you posts and positive attitude. You are a light to us all!