Laughing Matter-Woman Resorts to Comedy to Confront the Trauma of Cancer (2002) To cope with the trauma of chemotherapy, Bonnie Southcott has posed for a series of humorous cards and calendars. Cancer is no laughing matter, but a woman suffering through chemotherapy is rethinking that.
Bonnie Southcott, of Ferndale, Wash., is teaching people that even though cancer isn't fun, it can be funny.
She was seven months pregnant with her second child Nate when doctors found the tumor. "In a flash moment, I went from being a happy expectant mother, to being someone afraid for her life," she told reporters. Minutes after doctors delivered Nate by emergency C-section, Southcott went into surgery. The diagnosis was ovarian cancer. Suddenly tears and chemotherapy overtook her life. But the lowest moment came after she lost all her hair and a free wig arrived. She tried it on as her older son Kyler watched. "I thought I can cry about this bad wig and he'll remember it, or I can laugh about it and he will remember that," Southcott said. That was when she started laughing a lot, and found it was the perfect medicine. "I spent a lot time looking for anything humor based for cancer patients," she said. "And I'll tell you what: There isn't much out there." Using herself as a bald model, Bonnie started her own line of greeting cards and a calendar. Each pose pokes fun at the tribulations of chemo. "We desperately need to laugh," she said. "It's vital to our joy." Even though Southcott's ovarian cancer is in remission, the diagnosis is no laughing matter - a 25-percent chance she will live for another two-years. She plans to appreciate every moment of motherhood. And she plans to laugh. 伴隨癌症的從來都不會是歡笑，但是一位正在因患癌症而接受化療的婦女卻重新審視了癌症--這個可怕的病魔。 美國華盛頓州芬代爾的癌症女患者邦尼·索恩科特正在向人們傳播這樣的理念：儘管癌症不會是什麼樂趣，但是我們可以讓它變得充滿樂趣。 當她從醫生那裏得知自己身患癌症這個噩耗的時候，她的第二個孩子納特即將出世，她當時已經有了七個月的身孕。 索恩科特告訴記者說："在那一瞬間，我從一個快樂的準媽媽變成了一個時刻要擔心自己生命的人。" 就在索恩科特剖腹產生下納特短短几分鐘後，她又被推進了外科手術室。診斷結果她患的是卵巢癌。 頃刻之間，淚水和化療淹沒了她的生活。在滿頭秀髮完全脫落並得到了一副免費假髮的時候，她感到自己走到了人生的最低谷。 在大兒子凱勒的注視下，她試戴了她的假髮。 索恩科特說："我想如果我因爲這頂糟糕的假髮痛哭他就能記住這種東西，或者我還可以對着它大笑，這樣他也能記住它。" 於是索恩科特開始哈哈大笑，並且發現這居然是最有效的藥物。 她說："我花了很多時間在癌症患者身上搜尋各種幽默元素。但是我不得不告訴你：這樣的幽默實在太少了。" 邦尼以自己的禿頭形象爲模特，開始設計問候卡片，此外還有一種日曆。儘管化療時要經歷種種苦痛，但是卡片上她的每個姿勢都十分有趣，她用自己的表達方式傳播歡笑。 她說："我們非常需要歡笑。我們需要歡笑帶來的快樂。" 雖然索恩科特的卵巢癌病情正在好轉，但是目前的診斷結果仍舊不容樂觀--她的生命只剩下兩年的時間，而且這種機率也只有25％。 索恩科特准備要細細品味作母親的點滴時刻。此外，她準備要笑對人生。
