The attacks in Mumbai, India last month claiming hundreds of lives including two Canadians is a reminder that global terrorism still penetrates the fabric of our humanity. Images of helicopters hovering dropping rappelling Black Cat commandos onto a rooftop of a Jewish centre is an unforgettable site. Having traveled to India once in my lifetime I felt the pain and agony of a country I hardly know. My mother, who just recently came home from a successful six-week stay, was not effected by the attacks. As a Canadian first and foremost, I still have many curiosities to a land I have yet to set foot in my adult life. India the largest democracy in the world is rising quickly in many sectors and foreigners are establishing business links.
The attacks caught the attention of South Asians across Canada and around the globe. Centre for Indo Canadians Studies at University of the Fraser Valley, Director Satwinder Bains said, " About six months ago, I stood in the lobby of the Taj Hotel and sat by the pool and when the images of this grand icon came on the TV with fire and smoke billowing out of the dome, I stood transfixed looking at the TV images." "As a Canadian of Indian origin, it saddens me to see that the potential of one of the world's greatest economies is under threat by terrorists whose main goal is to undermine just such a free will", said Bains
Kusum Soni said, " I have visited this beautiful city twice, and both times visited the Hotels Taj Mahal and Oberoi. It is part of my cultural heritage and I saw it burning into flames in front of the whole world. My heart is still in the state of syncope and lips are stitched."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Last month, I had the opportunity to visit our new beautiful Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. I had this ongoing pain on the left side of my stomach that just wouldn't go away. I went to my doctor and he recommended that I have a colonoscopy checking for any abnormalities or cancer in the colon. A colonoscopy test is when they stick a long tube with a light in your butt extending all the way around your colon to the cecum. The procedure was on my mind constantly for several weeks, " I told myself was too young to have cancer." I almost cancelled the initial appointment for the test with local Surgeon Damien Byrne. After meeting with him he noticed my left side was a bit sore with no obvious lumps.
Six weeks later, I went in for the test with a brave face. The hardest part of the test was sticking the needle into my right arm for the IV and starving yourself the day before. I was wheeled into a room and a few minutes later and passed out. An hour later, I woke up in the recovery room and Dr. Byrne came out and said he couldn't complete the test because he had noticed I had eaten something through the imaging. There is no short cuts for the colonoscopy to work effectively it has to be done on an empty stomach.
I went in for second try with no food in me and the results came back negative. The procedure takes a quick fifteen minutes and you're walking out of the hospital approximately two hours later. Colorectal cancer, also called Colon cancer with 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. If you are over the age of 50 and have a family history of colon cancer make that call.
I have been given a second chance and gained a whole new perspective on life and understand the journey people go through mentally when they have cancer. If you feel there is something wrong with your health see your doctor you'll be glad you did. This Christmas season appreciate your health and spend time with those who are sick and in need of encouragement through the holidays.
KenHerar@gmail.com
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