How To Cope With Loss Amid Cancer
- Roger Waters, an 80-year-old English musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965, knows all too well what it’s like to lose a loved one to cancer and paid tribute to his late friend by adding a monologue in a song his “Dark Side of The Moon” remake.
- The monologue features Waters remembering his friend Don Paul, who passed away from cancer, reportedly talking about his bale hooks and twine when he thinks about him and how the items have been placed on his shelves as “treasured, forever catching the rays of the dying sun.”
- The reimagined “Dark Side of the Moon” is Waters’ seventh studio album, set for release on October 6, 2023. It is a rerecording of The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album, previously released on March 1, 1973 by Harvest Records.
- Grief is defined as the devastation that occurs when we lose someone. The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These labels help us frame and identify what we may be feeling.
- Coping with the loss of a loved one amid cancer is an emotional time for family and friends.
Waters chose to replace the vocals in one of the songs on the album with a monologue about a friend who passed away from cancer. It’s great to see the artist making time to cherish the memories he has while creating new music.
“These spoken passages make you realize how much of the original album was wordless. There was the ticking clock on ‘Time,’ the vocalizations on ‘The Great Gig in the Sky,’ and the saxophone solo on ‘Money,'” the magazine adds. “They also make you realize how, sometimes, you can say a lot more without using any words at all.”
Speaking about why he chose to do a remake of the famed album, Waters stated in a video posted on YouTube announcing the redux, “It is the 50th anniversary of the release of the original record and you know what? This record actually deserves a reimagining of this. We could do a redux.
“Simply because the message has stood the test of time, the contest has stood the test of time and it’s really an important thing. It needed to be re-expressed and it seemed like a really good way to celebrate the 50 years that the originally recorded version has survived.
“By making a different version of it, not to supersede it or to replace it, but to remember it and as an adjunct to it. And to progress the work of the original concept of the original record, all those original songs.”
The reimagined “Dark Side of the Moon” is Waters’ seventh studio album, set for release on October 6, 2023.
It is a rerecording of The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album, previously released on March 1, 1973 by Harvest Records.
Waters continued, “I love the original recording, by the way, and I love what Nicky (Mason) did and what Rick (Wright) did and what Dave did on the original recording. The new recording is more reflective, I think, and it’s more indicative of what the concept of the record was.
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“It is a reinterpretation and I hope that we can gain more from it than we did back in 1973 when it first came out because it’s been part of all of our lives for 50 years …yet we are still not breathing in the air.”
Waters admitted he hopes the new album will be a “rallying point for people, not just people who like music, people who like love and life.”
Using Art to Express Yourself Amid Cancer or Loss of a Loved One
Many cancer patients and their loved ones wrestle with their emotions while adjusting to cancer treatment. During times like these, turning to different forms of therapy such as music, dancing, painting, and other forms of art can be quite helpful.
“Just listening to music activates more brain regions simultaneously than any other human activity,” Dr. Alexander Pantelyat, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, previously told SurvivorNet.
In 2020, researchers studied the outcomes of therapeutic artmaking in patients undergoing radiation oncology treatment.
Although the research was limited in scope, it found patients reported “decreased depression, anxiety, drowsiness, and tiredness” after mindfulness-based art therapy intervention.
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Health, told SurvivorNet that emotional health and good quality of life are associated with better survival and better outcomes. Forms of art therapy, including music, can influence a cancer patient and their loved one’s overall emotional health.
WATCH: Ovarian cancer survivor Bianca Muniz used music therapy to cope with her diagnosis.
Two-time cancer survivor, Bianca Muniz, found solace in creating music while she was undergoing cancer treatment for ovarian cancer.
“This experience has had two different effects on my creativity and my music, so I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from it,” Muniz said.
“But also the side effects of treatment, of chemo, and surgery have definitely had a little bit of a negative effect on my voice, but then again, I love performing. I always feel happy after I’ve performed.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you find yourself struggling with a diagnosis or helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:
- How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
- Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
- When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
- How can seeking these connections help me in my day-to-day life?
How to Cope After Losing a Loved One to Cancer
Roger Waters is choosing to continue cherishing the memory of his friend through his music. Perhaps, this is how he is coping with the loss of his friend. SurvivorNet wants you to know, everyone grieves differently.
Grief is defined as the devastation that occurs when we lose someone. Grieving comes in five stages, commonly referred to as the “five stages of grief.”
The stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These labels help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. These stages can occur in any order.
As you find yourself experiencing some of these stages, remember that the emotions you are feeling are meaningful but also temporary.
If you approach them with compassion, kindness, and eventual acceptance, you will come away from this period with a renewed sense of resilience and purpose.
WATCH: Managing the stages of grief.
“Grief comes in waves,” says Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist, and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
“They’re grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different.”
Some days can be tougher than others, but Dr. Irwin says talk therapy can be helpful. It’s important to reach out to your doctor, to a therapist, or to support groups in your community for the help you need.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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