having had cancer twice, i have often wondered " why me?". not why did i get cancer twice, but why did i survive when others i have known have not? i suppose that you could call this survivors guilt. i have read a little about this lately, and i really did not think about it that much until recently. having a serious disease, like cancer, is somewhat like peeling an onion. the first layers are the early days- diagnosis, treatment, aftercare. i call them the mechanical part of the process. while this part does require some thought and study, it seems to occupy a different part of one's brain. one can make these decisions rather unemotionally or rationally, without a great deal of self reflection.
the next part of "peeling the onion" is realizing that in having had this disease, one's life has changed forever. there is no going back to what was a more innocent and carefree time. of course, i did not realize this until later on. some of the things that i dealt with before cancer seemed so important, so earth shattering, but in comparison to cancer, they were pretty inconsequential.
after a period of self reflection, and trying to answer the question of "where do i go from here?" i came to the heart of the "onion". why did i survive? not that i am complaining in any way, but so many others- wonderful, kind, productive, intelligent, important, young,etc, people have not survived cancer. i do not think that anyone can really answer this question. i am very grateful for still being here. i am grateful for the time that i get to spend with my family and friends.
nature is very important to me. i seek solace in being outside. the mountains where i live are as important to me as the air that i breathe. i especially like the part of the above quote from john muir, -"we all flow from one fountain Soul". i believe that everything in this world is connected. i was fortunate enough to be able to see the orionid meteor shower last week. i awoke at 5am and decided to go stand on our front steps to see if i could spot any meteors. i really did not expect to be that lucky , but i was fortunate to see about a dozen or so.the orinoid meteor shower is caused by the earth passing through little bits of debris from halley's comet. i remember seeing halley's comet back in the 1980's. my husband and i took our daughter, who was only a baby, up to the parkway to get a better view. i see this as a connection between the major event of over 30 years ago, one that i will never forget, and the smaller celestial event that i witnessed last week.
for whatever reason, i am still here. nothing in life is certain, but i am thankful, if puzzled, as to "why me." i almost feel like i should accomplish great things now, but i can not imagine what that would be. i am, as i feel a lot of cancer patients are, more aware of my life. i am grateful and will try to make the best of my time here on this wonderful and beautiful earth.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Sunday, October 15, 2017
"so comes snow after fire. and even dragons have their endings." from the hobbit by j.r.r. tolkein
do dragons really have their endings? this quote from the hobbit has been my mantra during the past two years as a breast cancer survivor. ( since this is breast cancer awareness month, i will focus on this rather than my thyroid cancer.) i have talked about my body being on auto pilot during the diagnosis, testing, surgeries, and chemotherapy that i have had to endure. really, now comes the challenging part. how to deal with the side effects of the treatment phase along with the anxiety that is partially caused by the every six month testing.
i have tried to be honest about the PTSD, especially the anxiety, that i am having to deal with. along with this, i have had severe muscle and joint pain from the chemotherapy drug that i will have to take for another two and one-half years. there have been other side effects from this drug- an estrogen blocking drug- that i will not expound upon. my physician assures me that taking this drug is a necessary part of the treatment for breast cancer. being a pharmacist, i am familiar with the side effects- of course it is very different when you are the patient. it is a struggle sometimes figuring out ways to deal with the numerous side effects left over from the chemotherapy as well. "chemo brain" is very real, folks. i have definitely noticed a difference in my ability to remember names, certain places, and probably the most disconcerting thing is to be in the middle of a sentence and forget a simple word. sometimes i wonder if this is what some people who have had a stroke feel like.
so, this firestorm of events happened to me. i have had to deal with several side effects that i thought i would never have to deal with. i have had to be creative in facing many challenges. as i see it though, every dark cloud has a silver lining, so to speak. i have been able to retire from work a couple of years earlier than i had previously planned on. i decided to enjoy my life and do some things that i have always wanted to do. actually, i am pretty proud of myself for putting myself out there- making new friends, doing my crafts, spending more time with my grandchildren and my children. sometimes i think that i am being selfish. it has been almost 10 months since i retired, and basically, i have just been taking care of myself and trying to get better. i would like to be able to do some public service, and i hope to at some point. fatigue is a big issue for me now as well. i went back to work ( after 8 months medical leave) a few weeks after my last surgery for breast reconstruction. i found that while i could do my job competently, it took every bit of energy that i had to do it. i went home and felt like a wet noodle. for every day i worked, it took at least two days to recover. i also find that now, just a day outing with friends, or an all day grocery,etc. shopping day wears me out. that tells me that i am not quite up to myself as yet. of course that brings me to the subject of that somewhat overused, but very true, phrase " your new normal".
yes, i have a new normal now. i have side effects that i have to manage. i have made a concerted effort to have a better diet, and to get more rest. those are two simple, but huge things when it comes to improving one's physical and mental health. i am working on getting more exercise. one thing that i have been doing more of is expressing gratitude. i am truly grateful for my family, friends, and for every good thing that comes my way. even the simplest things in life can bring joy and gratitude. i think that by having this mind set, i am showing appreciation for my world and changing my attitude to a more positive one. honestly, if you think happy, you can be happy. i promise that i am not going all "Pollyanna" on you, but the mind is like a computer- it can be reprogrammed.
so some snow came after my firestorm. what keeps me going, my mantra, is that " even dragons have their endings." i am hoping one day that will be the case for me.
i have tried to be honest about the PTSD, especially the anxiety, that i am having to deal with. along with this, i have had severe muscle and joint pain from the chemotherapy drug that i will have to take for another two and one-half years. there have been other side effects from this drug- an estrogen blocking drug- that i will not expound upon. my physician assures me that taking this drug is a necessary part of the treatment for breast cancer. being a pharmacist, i am familiar with the side effects- of course it is very different when you are the patient. it is a struggle sometimes figuring out ways to deal with the numerous side effects left over from the chemotherapy as well. "chemo brain" is very real, folks. i have definitely noticed a difference in my ability to remember names, certain places, and probably the most disconcerting thing is to be in the middle of a sentence and forget a simple word. sometimes i wonder if this is what some people who have had a stroke feel like.
so, this firestorm of events happened to me. i have had to deal with several side effects that i thought i would never have to deal with. i have had to be creative in facing many challenges. as i see it though, every dark cloud has a silver lining, so to speak. i have been able to retire from work a couple of years earlier than i had previously planned on. i decided to enjoy my life and do some things that i have always wanted to do. actually, i am pretty proud of myself for putting myself out there- making new friends, doing my crafts, spending more time with my grandchildren and my children. sometimes i think that i am being selfish. it has been almost 10 months since i retired, and basically, i have just been taking care of myself and trying to get better. i would like to be able to do some public service, and i hope to at some point. fatigue is a big issue for me now as well. i went back to work ( after 8 months medical leave) a few weeks after my last surgery for breast reconstruction. i found that while i could do my job competently, it took every bit of energy that i had to do it. i went home and felt like a wet noodle. for every day i worked, it took at least two days to recover. i also find that now, just a day outing with friends, or an all day grocery,etc. shopping day wears me out. that tells me that i am not quite up to myself as yet. of course that brings me to the subject of that somewhat overused, but very true, phrase " your new normal".
yes, i have a new normal now. i have side effects that i have to manage. i have made a concerted effort to have a better diet, and to get more rest. those are two simple, but huge things when it comes to improving one's physical and mental health. i am working on getting more exercise. one thing that i have been doing more of is expressing gratitude. i am truly grateful for my family, friends, and for every good thing that comes my way. even the simplest things in life can bring joy and gratitude. i think that by having this mind set, i am showing appreciation for my world and changing my attitude to a more positive one. honestly, if you think happy, you can be happy. i promise that i am not going all "Pollyanna" on you, but the mind is like a computer- it can be reprogrammed.
so some snow came after my firestorm. what keeps me going, my mantra, is that " even dragons have their endings." i am hoping one day that will be the case for me.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
"living for tomorrow, only takes away today. can we be happy like children, they're not afraid to lose their way; and if they walk in the wrong direction, they will never go astray;...cause when i sing with a heart of a lion, nothing can stand in my way. ... it takes my fears away." lyrics from heart of a lion, by alex boye
first of all i would like to thank my son dylan, for introducing me to the music of alex boye. if you have never listened to his song " lemonade" you should. it was my theme song during my treatment for breast cancer. i still listen to the song fairly often, and i always get teary eyed when i come to the part in the song when he sings " you were saved for a reason". i will admit that i write this blog partly as therapy for myself. but a major motivating factor in writing about my treatment, my travails, experiences,etc. is to hopefully help others.
in my last blog, i talked about PTSD and other issues that we cancer patients deal with after our diagnosis and treatment phases are completed. there is that " i want to be happy" issue that we all deal with. cancer took my joy, and i want it back, to paraphrase lucinda williams. happiness does not just drop from the sky, unfortunately; we have to actively seek happiness. one thing that came with my cancer diagnosis, was a deeper appreciation of my family and friends. i received a lot of love and support from a lot of people. i am eternally grateful for this. even considering this, sometimes happiness is like an elusive bird in the sky. sometimes i can spot it in the sky flying high above me, and sometimes, just sometimes, the bird will come sit on my shoulder.
last night, for instance, that bird of happiness was sitting on my shoulder. my husband and i attended my grandson's soccer game. my grandson is 5 years old. watching a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds play soccer is just plain joyful. sure, they stick to the soccer ball like velcro, but there is lots of bouncing, gymnastics( 3 or 4 players inevitably end up in the soccer net whenever someone scores), hand holding, hugging, shoe tying, laughing, playing outside of the lines, just to name a few things that happen during a game. i am happy to say that everyone, no matter what side you are pulling for, claps for the player(s) when a goal is miraculously made. no one keeps score, at least not officially, and both team members feel like winners.
what made me the happiest last night, though, was when my grandson, without being prompted by his parents or coach, saw a little boy from the other team standing alone on the field. he went over to him, put his arm around his shoulders, gave him a big hug, and walked off the field with him. the kindness of children always amazes me. they help each other up when someone falls, no matter if they happen to be their teammate or someone from the other team.
so everyone came away a winner last night. the children were happy, and the parents and grandparents enjoyed a game that while was not played exactly by the rules, was joyful. i am trying to catch that elusive bird of happiness. it takes some practice. it takes having the heart of a lion- not being afraid to go after it. living every day to the fullest and being present in the moment- because tomorrow is never promised.
in my last blog, i talked about PTSD and other issues that we cancer patients deal with after our diagnosis and treatment phases are completed. there is that " i want to be happy" issue that we all deal with. cancer took my joy, and i want it back, to paraphrase lucinda williams. happiness does not just drop from the sky, unfortunately; we have to actively seek happiness. one thing that came with my cancer diagnosis, was a deeper appreciation of my family and friends. i received a lot of love and support from a lot of people. i am eternally grateful for this. even considering this, sometimes happiness is like an elusive bird in the sky. sometimes i can spot it in the sky flying high above me, and sometimes, just sometimes, the bird will come sit on my shoulder.
last night, for instance, that bird of happiness was sitting on my shoulder. my husband and i attended my grandson's soccer game. my grandson is 5 years old. watching a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds play soccer is just plain joyful. sure, they stick to the soccer ball like velcro, but there is lots of bouncing, gymnastics( 3 or 4 players inevitably end up in the soccer net whenever someone scores), hand holding, hugging, shoe tying, laughing, playing outside of the lines, just to name a few things that happen during a game. i am happy to say that everyone, no matter what side you are pulling for, claps for the player(s) when a goal is miraculously made. no one keeps score, at least not officially, and both team members feel like winners.
what made me the happiest last night, though, was when my grandson, without being prompted by his parents or coach, saw a little boy from the other team standing alone on the field. he went over to him, put his arm around his shoulders, gave him a big hug, and walked off the field with him. the kindness of children always amazes me. they help each other up when someone falls, no matter if they happen to be their teammate or someone from the other team.
so everyone came away a winner last night. the children were happy, and the parents and grandparents enjoyed a game that while was not played exactly by the rules, was joyful. i am trying to catch that elusive bird of happiness. it takes some practice. it takes having the heart of a lion- not being afraid to go after it. living every day to the fullest and being present in the moment- because tomorrow is never promised.
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