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. 伴随癌症的从来都不会是欢笑，但是一位正在因患癌症而接受化疗的妇女却重新审视了癌症--这个可怕的病魔。 美国华盛顿州芬代尔的癌症女患者邦尼·索恩科特正在向人们传播这样的理念：尽管癌症不会是什么乐趣，但是我们可以让它变得充满乐趣。 当她从医生那里得知自己身患癌症这个噩耗的时候，她的第二个孩子纳特即将出世，她当时已经有了七个月的身孕。 索恩科特告诉记者说："在那一瞬间，我从一个快乐的准妈妈变成了一个时刻要担心自己生命的人。" 就在索恩科特剖腹产生下纳特短短几分钟后，她又被推进了外科手术室。诊断结果她患的是卵巢癌。 顷刻之间，泪水和化疗淹没了她的生活。在满头秀发完全脱落并得到了一副免费假发的时候，她感到自己走到了人生的最低谷。 在大儿子凯勒的注视下，她试戴了她的假发。 索恩科特说："我想如果我因为这顶糟糕的假发痛哭他就能记住这种东西，或者我还可以对着它大笑，这样他也能记住它。" 于是索恩科特开始哈哈大笑，并且发现这居然是最有效的药物。 她说："我花了很多时间在癌症患者身上搜寻各种幽默元素。但是我不得不告诉你：这样的幽默实在太少了。" 邦尼以自己的秃头形象为模特，开始设计问候卡片，此外还有一种日历。尽管化疗时要经历种种苦痛，但是卡片上她的每个姿势都十分有趣，她用自己的表达方式传播欢笑。 她说："我们非常需要欢笑。我们需要欢笑带来的快乐。" 虽然索恩科特的卵巢癌病情正在好转，但是目前的诊断结果仍旧不容乐观--她的生命只剩下两年的时间，而且这种几率也只有25％。 索恩科特准备要细细品味作母亲的点滴时刻。此外，她准备要笑对人生。
