The Life changer by: Ayesha Ally

There are many different types of news that can change lives in an instant, an accident, a death in the family, anything.

But there is one news that can kill you moment by moment... The news of a terminal sickness in a loved one or in oneself.

Imagine, living your life normally, healthily and happily then suddenly you contract a slight cold that refuses to leave you or you are feeling lethargic all the time... The concern you didn't have a few days ago looms over you as you wait in the doctor's surgery for test results. 'Why test results?!' you wonder, as you always put down your symptoms to a passing flu or low blood pressure.

The doctor sits you down and he looks uncertain, making your insides jumpy and tensed.

But his next three words freezes your entire body, mind and soul...

"You have Cancer."

The dread disease that you never thought of contracting yourself has finally caught you. 'What do I do now?' You ask yourself. The thought of having chemotherapy rushes through your mind and add to it all the side effects... the loss of hair, tiredness, weakness. These thoughts are already sending a negative vibe through your veins, causing you to lose hope without giving yourself a chance to think about the severity of the sickness or the ways you can fight it off.

The effect the news of the sickness had on you compares to nothing else that ever happened to you in your entire life. Your life changed in an instant.

You try to hear the rest of the doctor's words but you can't, it's like your body is blocking out everything else and only trying to find the reason it was infected in the first place.

You walk out of the surgery, your legs buckling at the knee, your head spinning and your tears filled with hot, unshed tears (if it didn't already pour down your cheeks). If you went alone, you know you're not not going to be able to drive back without causing an accident, but if you went with company, the effect of your news will spread to the loved ones beside you... Feelings of hopeless fills them because they can't help ease your pain and fear. They try to hide their own emotions, trying to be strong for you, but they fail miserably.

You go home, you look around you and the flood gates open. How much longer will this sickness take to end your life? You now feel like a visitor in the world because the news is fresh and it is cutting through you like a sharp edged knife.

You run to your room, you find yourself in despair and you just want to be left alone. To think. To understand. To control the dreadful feeling.

At the dining room table, the family is hushed, they don't know what to say to comfort you, they are afraid they might say a wrong thing... But the meal is eaten, tasting like sawdust, but nonetheless eaten.

Days pass in this way, nights pass in wet pillows and sniffling through the night. The only comfort you get is from your partner as they pull you into their arms and allow you to unreel.

When the news is old, so is the sickness. You start living with it because you realise that there's nothing much you can do and you accept that sickness comes from the Almighty just as good health does. Whereas you questioned His Divine Plan at the beginning, you now understand that it is because He loves you that He gave you that sickness. You now turn to Him more often, you pray everyday and you now turn more to Him and not to people and that is what He wanted.

Your children look at you and they feel your pain but they too are afraid to show you their fear. But having them as support and the reason for you to get well... You will be strong for them and thus helps you fight off the demons inside you.

Treatment begins and you feel the pressure of the sickness tenfold but with faith and patience you fight for your recovery. The Negativity is now replaced with full blown hope and that is what was needed from the beginning.

Any sickness begins to get worse if you feel sorry for yourself and you give up hope. Trust in Allah and you will see miracles unfold. If He brings you to it, He is the Only one who can pull you through it.

Alhumdulillah at the end of treatment, you feel weak but you know it's the beginning of your recovery so you smile. The real smile returns, the one your loved ones were missing.

Alhumdulillah for some, they fight Cancer with patience. Others aren't so fortunate to make it through. But at the end of the day...weve got to remember the following important points...

- Everything happens with the Will of Allah.
- It is Taqdeer. We can't fight it.
- If we lose a loved one through this sickness or any other sickness, it is not the sickness that killed him/her, it is the way Allah called them home. Just as accidents call some and murders call others.

May Allah grant shifa to all who are suffering with Cancer. May Allah grant you sabrun jameelun to be strong in this difficult time. Aameen thumma Aameen.

All those that fought it and survived the sickness, Alhumdulillah... Thank Allah.

To the families of the inflicted persons, may Allah grant you sabrun jameelun and the ability to be strong for your loved one. Aameen thumma Aameen.

May Allah save us all from these dread diseases Aameen thumma Aameen. And may we all be thankful for the good health we have been given, the good health we take for granted until sickness afflicts us. Aameen thumma Aameen.

Dedicated to all Cancer patients. We love you.

"Never let a sickness dictate how you will live the rest of your days!"