One of the main characters in the 1984 classic children's fantasy movie "Never Ending Story" is a granite giant who seems so sad... so depressed ...because he sensed that "the end" was near... and that there was nothing (...he thought) absolutely nothing that he could do about it. This huge monster, composed completely of stone, was known as the "Rock Biter". So deep was his depression that the Rock Biter had simply sat down and was waiting for "the end" to envelop him. He had given up all hope. Whenever the formerly frightening monster was greeted, the now downtrodden Rock Biter responds to his visitor by first intensely examining his gigantic hands and then mournfully verbalizing, "They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they? ... I always thought that's what they were." The Rock Biter had come to the realization that he had lost the strength that he once had... and, in fact, he could not even defend himself from the "Nothingness".
It is no secret that the chemotherapy and radiation therapy that is called upon to help fight a deadly cancer has the tendency to drain the strength from the strongest of beings. Granted... not all cancer patients physically respond to treatment in the same way.
It can be a most humbling realization to wake up one day to discover that one no longer has the same strength, the same energy or the same stamina that they had... just one day B.C. (i.e. Before Cancer).
Thankfully, this sense of helplessness and enfeeblement turned out to be only a temporary condition for this particular soul writing this to you. Though the full "vim and vigor" has not been completely restored at this time... the energy and strength levels have slowly (and inconsistently) improved.
It seems that the two main "keys" to overcoming fears of the impending "nothingness" lies with personal attitude and support of others.
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