Tuesdays with Morrie

TAYYEBA SIDDIQUI
MS DZOLGANOVSKI
ENG3CO
28th May 2013

Pancreatic Cancer: its physical, emotional and social effects

Mitch Albom is the author who wrote the novel Tuesdays with Morrie. The story deals with a non fictional character Morrie Schwartz, who is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) a disease where he is hit by paralysis and is unable to perform even his normal and simple chores. Mitch Albom presents the reality of death in this novel to communicate the message that death is a universal truth that will eventually afflict every living thing on earth. Death will come to every person one day, as our body is not ours and it has been given to us for a limited period of time and will be taken away when the specified period expires. He conveys this message through his main character who is on the verge of death, struck by a fatal disease, and how he surrenders himself to the fact that a disease can be mentally and physically agonizing. On the other hand he even believes that an illness can make a person more dependent on family and relatives and they require more assistance from their close ones. During his suffering he realizes the true purpose and meaning of life. He makes us believe that once we are capable and ready to embrace death, our lives will turn out to be more simpler and meaningful.

Tuesdays with Morrie, deals with life 's most crucial issue, which is death and the illnesses that cause death .Mitch Albom presents this social issue that diseases that cause death can be physically and mentally agonizing, as the person going through it only realizes the extremely tormenting pain every single moment in life, and being conscious about the fact that death can strike anytime can be a harsh reality to accept for most people. One of the most excruciating terminal illnesses is Pancreatitis, also known as Pancreatic Cancer. This disease is caused due to malignant cancerous cells formed in the tissues of the pancreas. According to Cancer association it is said that” Pancreatic cancer, and its treatment, may also create certain physical symptoms such as pain, digestive difficulties, and fatigue”. The reality of this disease can be physically devastating for people affected by it. On the other hand, in the book “Tuesdays with Morrie”, the character Morrie could not carry his ordinary duties as usual. He was hit by the adverse effects of ALS in such a way that he could not swim, drive, walk and perform activities that are considered normal for people. His appetite was seriously affected and he became dependent on the oxygen machine to breathe wherever he went. On one instance Morrie says, “Take my condition. The things I am supposed to be embarrassed about now, not being able to walk, not being able to wipe my ass, waking up some mornings wanting to cry, there is nothing innately embarrassing about them”(Albom 56).

In addition to physical side effects, there may be psychosocial (emotional) effects related to people affected by a terminal disease. People are affected physically by disease and illness mainly because of the changes the body has to go through. Emotionally a person will probably feel a range of emotions, such as being upset, confused, depressed, lonely etc. They may feel cut off from the world and other people close to them, because of what they have to deal with. They may feel that others don 't understand their problems, and this could lead to depression. In most cases having an illness or disease is very difficult to deal with. Pancreatic Cancer can devastate the emotional and psychological condition of a person. According to Columbia University Department of cancer Association,” At times during the course of the disease, a patient may feel anxious and lonely, shocked and angry, or settled and in control. It is important to recognize that this roller coaster of emotions is natural. If poorly controlled, these symptoms can cause distress and may lead to a poorer quality of life”. The emotional symptoms of this disease can be deteriorating. But on the other hand the character Morrie from the novel “Tuesdays with Morrie”, avoids to fall under extreme emotional imbalance due to the atrocious disease, instead chooses to live life happily without anyone giving him remorse .On one instance he says, “Dying is only one thing to be sad over. Living happily is something else”. (Albom 45).This shows that Morrie decides to stay happy even after the extreme sufferings.

The long term effects of a disease are not only physical and emotional instead it can affect a person’s life socially as well. Socially, a person may feel that they cannot go out and socialize with their friends because of particular medication they need to take, or because they feel isolated. People may fuss over about the disease, but this could make the person feel abnormal, like the illness or disease is affecting their personality. They may not be comfortable going out in public, because of their appearance or behaviour, they may become withdrawn, and will not feel like seeing their friends or family anymore - they try to deal with the illness or disease alone. According to Columbia University Department of cancer Association,” A strong support system, including family, friends, clergy, and a good medical team, will help a patient deal with these different aspects of pancreatic cancer. If the social life of the victim is poorly controlled, the symptoms can cause distress and may lead to a poorer quality of life”. Similarly Morrie believed that a strong family support system would help him pass his crucial stages in life easily and that is the reason he believed that it was better to perish than to live a life without any love, as he was quoted to have said "If you don 't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don 't have much at all. Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden said "Love each other or perish""(Albom 91). This quote illustrates Morrie 's views of love and is of the opinion that it is better to die than to live a life devoid of love and support of his loved ones.. Although Morrie grew up without much love in his life, it was for this reason why he emphasized the importance of love and family.

Thus, individuals experiencing terminal illness deal with many social, physical, and emotional issues that have an impact on the individual and the family. An underlying assumption on terminal illness is the belief that facing a life threatening illness is a life crisis that intensifies the individual’s search for the meaning of life.

Works Cited:-
"What is the emotional impact of pancreatic cancer?" Sharecare. 31 May 2013 .

Cited: - "What is the emotional impact of pancreatic cancer?" Sharecare. 31 May 2013 .