CANCER DIAGNOSIS IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE

          I am writing a true story, the bitter sweetness of which I plead should be ignored by anyone who chooses an interpretation that may differ with my main focus. The only person with a real and critical identity in this book is I, Kafain Emmanuel Mbeng, Sr. and I alone. Any other character directly or indirectly linked to any part or all of this story has been used mainly to enhance and illustrate aspects of the story, and his or her subjectivity has been based solely on my objective opinion, which may or may not differ absolutely where there is need to disagree with my prejudices.

          My cancer story that could also be yours is a personal story meant to cheer and inspire you, especially if you or someone close to you have also had to deal with some aspects of this dreadful disease; but I have decided to make this memoir public because I strongly believe that it is expedient for people to know that they are usually not alone when an ailment of this magnitude becomes a cause for concern and panic in their lives. Cancer attacks have strangely become relatively rampant and common in recent days, most probably because of the new detection techniques; and early detection like in my case and many other cases that I know has proven to be a bearable advantage, particularly when the tumors and cells are quickly eliminated. One of my desires in this story is to get many more people, especially mid-aged men, aware of the need for regular PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen) tests, since there is a general consensus that all males (1 in 6men in the U.S.) have a potential to get prostate cancer at some point in time in their lifespan. The later the better, but who can tell how late it may come?

          It is important too to indicate that this book is not a medical reference book, and therefore shouldn’t be perceived as one. The medical experiences and references are purely personal even in cases where some amount of research has been demonstrated, but medical expertise is still very much a requirement to deal with each and every individual cancer case, which therefore projects this piece as a firsthand cancer discussion that may ease your pain and/or perspective on the disease and give you a better understanding of it, if you didn’t know any better. While I strive in this prolific work not to embellish any facts, I wish to beg anyone’s pardon that finds my openness and objectivity incredibly graphic or less than sentimental. My primary desire remains to tell my cancer story explicitly, so that it serves as a practical example to my readers – particularly those who have been affected by similar experiences. Join me therefore in this proclamation and make cancer bearable, tolerable, and not as demoralizing as the case often seems.