Articles by G van Londen, MD
Dr. van Londen is a cancer provider/medical oncologist and a cancer survivor. Born and raised in The Netherlands, she has migrated to the USA where she completed a medical residency, as well as fellowships in medical oncology and geriatric medicine. She has practiced medicine in the USA for nearly 20 years at a large health care system in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Her background has prepared her to handle diverse and complicated cases. She specializes in:
1) Treating newly diagnosed, older breast cancer patients by performing a geriatric assessment and creating a personalized, multidisciplinary treatment plan that aims to respect patient’s preferences and desire for independence.
2) Cancer survivorship care to prevent/support the late/long-term post-treatment needs of cancer survivors of any gender and tumor type (and their caregivers). Together with a village of various supportive care providers, she performs clinical, research, and educational activities to empower cancer survivors (and their caregivers and providers) to support the post-treatment emotional, physical, and functional needs of cancer survivors.
The content of this domain is protected. Entries and replies are not endorsements. Views are mine. No COI.
Cancer and the Meaning of Life
The meaning of life. Such a loaded term. It means different things to different people at different times and phases of their lives.
You can look at it from many angles — psychological, spiritual, religious, existential.
Do you take it, find it, give it, create it, pay it forward? Is it the same or different from having a purpose in life or leaving a legacy?
Such an important yet indefinable concept, a moving target
You may not think about the meaning of life until you are confronted with your own mortality. Most people don’t. Then you may not have enough time, energy, stamina, or resources to accomplish and realize your hopes and expectations. You may need to modify your expectations which can lead to frustration or even despair.
Should the meaning of life be about making yourself or someone else happy? Helping yourself or helping another? Making change on a small scale or a large scale?
Unless you live on a deserted island the ripple effect makes it hard to not have an effect on the world. Your small actions and gestures touch other people who touch other people, and so on. We are all connected.
Finding meaning helps you to stay on a path, but don’t let the pursuit of meaning become your purpose in life. You’ll be doomed to fail. Humans like to try to understand everything, but the more you think about life’s meaning, the more lost you may become.
Show up. Be yourself. Do what you can. That’s good enough! Sometimes there are no answers as to why we got sick and there is no guidance for finding life’s deeper meaning and purpose. All we can do is be kind, go with the flow, and focus on the small and simple things.
