Back on Track

As expected, my blood levels came back up and I started cycle 3 this week.  I am still a little anemic but it seems not to be an issue.  I think having two weeks off, even though one was unplanned, has helped with the fatigue because so far today I feel in good shape, and usually Saturday is a bit of a tough day having no steroids.  Usually I have found I had to sit down and rest frequently over the weekend.  And I was out at a concert last evening -a free one of course- untill midnight and slept OK.  

With no other unusual symptoms to report my blog was rather boring this week, so I thought I would add another perspective about making each day count.

Cancer affects our physical state and our mental condition. That mental condition changes us which in turn affects our significant other, who gets the brunt of our changing personality.

We lose site of our future -we really don't know that we have much of one.  And if we do have one, what will it look like compared to the past?  How will our lifestyle change in those years to come, and just how many years might there be?

As soon as the news of cancer breaks, doom and gloom immediately set-in and fear consumes us.  Fear of the unknown has a way of doing that.   Most of us never really think of our future in any fixed number, at least not a set number of years that is...  Now, it's quite different.  

For those of us with the cancer, the fear is not really of death itself, but the dying -will we suffer much and for how long.  And then there are those who are helplessly watching this play out on the sidelines.  Seeing the suffering, coupled with the fear of loss, consumes them too.  And we, the patients, being consumed with our own mortality, often forget about re-assuring our loved ones of their value to us during this time.

To get control over this situation, we need to re-evaluate and shorten our perspective.  We need to focus on today because the quality of the time is NOW.  And therefore NOW counts.

We hope the doctors work their magic by removing the bad and getting us into remission, and we hope that some years later that remission turns us into a survivor.  We know there will be more than a few tough times ahead, but we have to deal with them as they come and make each day count as best we can -one step at a time.  

That isn't the easiest of tasks, but mental attitude must prevail to make NOW count.

I take no credit for the Ode below, I came across it and thought it apropos.

Be well you All,
Chris


 
Yesterday is gone and
Today is almost over.
Tomorrow will soon be Today and
that may be all we have.
So I vow to
try and make today count!