Because You Cheated

 

Well, I don't know her other than she's John Mellencamp's daughter and she has cancer, but reading this article about an interview she had gives me some insight. 

According to her own words she was in a lot of pain for a very long time but avoided going to a doctor. I get that. I've put off a recent bi annual visit because I absolutely hate going, but I go.

A few years ago I found a sore right under my eyebrow that wouldn't go away. Fortunately, I went to a dermatologist who determined it was skin cancer. I got the necessary surgery and all is well.

Same with feeling pain in my stomach and again having surgery because I didn't wait. I didn't hope it away or ignore it. In many instances, we can tell when there is something off regarding our health, our bodies. To have the wait and see mentality is the difference between life and death sometimes.

Mellencamp had an affair and thinks now she is being punished for her misdeeds by getting cancer.

This is 2025 where great strides have been achieved regarding how to fight cancer. There is still is no cure, but it's not the death sentence it once was. People with stage four cancer can still have many good years ahead, or even go into remission.

And yet, in her mind she believes she is being punished by some entity, or that her great remorse and grief somehow morphed into cancer, instead of the fact she waited and waited before seeking medical help.

I'm truly sorry she is dealing with this. She has children who are going through so much. But this way of thinking is straight out of the 1500's. I can imagine Americans putting off seeing a medical professional only getting worse when we have ignorant conspiracy theorists heading our healthcare. The belief that an entity is out there watching and waiting for us to screw up so they can curse us with some painful disease is an assumption just too difficult for me to comprehend, yet here we are, were we have the knowledge, we have the scientific reasons as to why our bodies seem to betray us. And yes, there are scientific studies which prove mental health is connected to our physical well being. In Mellencamp's situation she was in a bad place mentally, therefore she ignored her pain. That's understandable, but she's not being cursed because she made a decision she regrets. 

If what she believes was actually true, the orange man would be a walking festering boil. The whole GOP would be a pot of melting skin and cancerous bones. 

So here's the harsh bitter truth. Cancer is a disease of the body. Babies get cancer. Children get cancer. People who were the kindest humans on the planet get cancer. It's terribly sad and frustrating to see this woman get the air time she gets because she's a beautiful waif who is sick. Instead of learning a valuable lesson, that you should see a doctor as soon as you realize there is something wrong, you spew some ridiculous archaic beliefs.

So I will tell you. Go to a doctor the minute you feel your body is hurting. Hurray if there is nothing but gas in your tummy. You won't be Teddi Mellencamp making the rounds, asking what ifs.