"If I
think of it my life is full of words beginning with C. I was born in
Chandigarh, I became a cricketer, and through my decade as an international
cricketer all I craved, along with the rest of the India team, was the Cup…This
story, though, is about the new C in my life. It is the story of my
cancer.”
"It was a depressing phase, but I couldn’t run
away from it. You’ve got to fight for your life."
"There
will be a lot of changes in your life. You come back to life, you appreciate
life a lot more."
- Yuvraj Singh, cricketer, in his book 'The Test of My
Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back'
(source: www.espncricinfo.com)
Last week in
Madras, I watched a cricket match
after a long time - the India vs Australia twenty 20, that too, the last few
overs. Yuvraj Singh was potting around. Back in the team after a long time and.
There had been criticism over is inability to win a couple of matches for India
in the one day series and that he was in the team after a lot of push from his
skipper M S Dhoni. He was displaying the same inability to see ball-hit ball in
this match also. Due to his potting around, the asking rate came to 17 runs an
over. Plus, he was on strike as against Suresh Raina, who was in form. When I
was thinking that he would take a single and give strike for the other man to
have a go at the bowling, he produced two magical shots that have made him what
he was. A legside flick for four and a an amazing hoist for six, and the match
was in the bag. This, from a man who had won two world cups for India. Hit six
sixes in an over in an international match. What happened later? Public memory
is short and public, unforgiving.
In 2011, When
India won the world cup, Yuvraj Singh was the Player of the series. He had
fought through the series on a difficult health problem. He had a lot of
coughing fits and used to vomit blood. He was then diagnosed with lung cancer
and had to undergo chemotherapy treatment abroad. While undergoing
chemotherapy, he lost his appetite, hated people, felt very lonely, was
confused and scared that he would die. He was even unsure of what he was
fighting. The biggest fear was the fear of death.
This, from a man
who was a livewire on the cricket field and a magician with the bat. But he had
one quality - the willpower that he will live, which made him conquer the pain.
This willpower alone made him overcome the life threatening disease and fear
and sadness that came with it. The willpower enabled him rediscover his willow power.
What is this
mysterious willpower? The ability to keep a calm head, to hope for the best,
think that you can do it, manage stress, the hunger to conquer the fear/
negativity, desire to achieve, override impulses etc. All these are constituents
of willpower. Just keep thinking that you can. There is a general theory that
women have better willpower than men. Man or woman, people with willpower can
achieve things and they will because they believe they can - they struggle, but
don't surrender and in the end, become strong.
But yes, the
people around the persons who are suffering have a responsibility. They need to
make them feel that they are normal. Perhaps not talk about the disease at all.
Bring as much mirth and joy as possible. A burst of laughter perhaps. A change
of topic. There are hundreds of things under the sun to talk about.
There used to be
a point of time when I used to be very confident of my willpower and the strengths
it would take me to. I draw inspiration from everyday people around me more
than icons since they help me believe. However, of late, I seem to have hit a
trough. It is just not happening. I can't even look at myself in the mirror. I
just grin and bear it. I tell myself that this is just a passing phase. I will
regain it and will move ahead.
After all what
is the worst that could happen?
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