No one is perfect, if they think they are, they have a fundamental flaw which ,therefore, makes them imperfect. We all make mistakes and learn our lessons along the way, we accept truths that life is tough, the world is now more inter-connected than ever and if you truly wish, you can affect the outcome of a situation.
My name is Bradley Woodhouse, I am 25 years old and I have been given a second chance at life. In December 2011 I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in my 3rd ventricle, since then I have undergone 4 brain surgeries, and have 5 very unique scars etched into my skull. I traveled the world in search of a cure and found it in Palo Alto in January 2012 and in London in October 2012. I wear those scars from the surgeries with pride because many better people were not as fortunate as I, and didnt make it out of their ordeal with cancer.
Cancer, any form, changes ones perspective. You realise that you are not invincible, and that at any stage your world can be turned upside down, and that we all have a very limited amount of time to effect a change. I have made many mistakes in my life, I have perhaps treated people not as well as I should have, not performed obligations to the full of my ability, and didnt full apply myself.
All of that changes after cancer, you realise that there are wrongs that were made that need to be made right, not only to clear your slate but also to fully realise and comprehend the full opportunities that life gives us. I am fortunate that I come from an awesome family, and have incredible friends and I have been in relationships with unbelievable girls. I now find myself half way around the world from my birth place, Durban, South Africa. I am living in London which is my new home for the foreseeable future, away from all 3 of the things I deemed the most important in my life, that was no menial task and required me to reflect on why I was doing it and to what end would it not only benefit me, but those involved in my future.
I have lost many things through my fight with cancer, I lost dignity, pride, physical ability (temporarily), but the one thing I never lost was my desire and need to fight and fully recognise the potential of life. I moved away from someone I cared deeply about in order to find myself, and to find my true potential but even to this day it still hurts to think about that person. Decisions, inherently, are not easy things to make as they all have ramifications whether it be to ourselves or to those around us. We have to make decisions and live with them, even if it means we are unhappy for a little while.
Being alone for the last 7 months has made me look into myself and determine who I am, and to learn to be happy with myself first and foremost. Never be afraid of being alone, that's how you learn who you really are.
This blog is a means of taking unique moments in life and taking a lesson from it. The biggest lesson I ever had was cancer, but there are many more lessons to be learned, good times ahead and appreciating that I have made it to where I am today, alive, healthy and more positive than ever.
In life I truly believe that we are given what we can handle, and if you can find the positives amongst a heap of negatives, you have a unique gift that is too lacking in today's society.
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