There is never a good time in anyone’s life to get cancer.
I’m only now just able to say the word out loud properly. It’s such a soft, rounded, plump word, yet what it portrays is a vile, spiky, life-taking threat. I’m super sensitive to the word. The news is focusing on those who have not presented with symptoms or are having their treatment delayed due to the COVID outbreak. I reflect on how this may have felt for these people. Treatment delayed. Does that mean the pandemic has indirectly taken more lives than it should have? Will the figures represent that in a few months? Next year?
When cancer invades your body you do a number of things. Remember these are my opinions and not assumptions. So what I share here is what I have done to live with my cancer. I hope some of what I say does help you but if it doesn’t and you’ve tried something different then please share with me. I’m keen to listen to as much as others want to tell me.
But I am tuned in to locating the positives to aid my journey through this abis. So getting cancer during a pandemic has actually meant a big deal to me.
- My husband traveled a lot with work. Now he’s home and he’s close by all the time if I need him to be.
- My kids are home – they’re helping – they’re amazing company.
- I’m not alone.
- We had no holiday planned – no weekend’s away – no big celebrations. So I don’t feel I’m missing out too much on life. Lock down has prepared me well.
- I’m used to not seeing my friends and not getting and receiving hugs. Although that’s hard now. I’m having to keep a distance so cannot really receive a hug. Hugs come through words now.
- My work commitments with college have all but concluded. So, I’m not letting my students down as much as if I’d have had to left work earlier in the academic year.
- I’ve got the summer break to devote to my treatment, rest and healing.
- The kids can’t go out to school or work at the moment, so the risk of bringing back germs and infections are minimal.
So a BIG THANK YOU to TIMING – you did well this time.
I’m hit with tiredness and lethargy at dinner time. Wow. That’s not feeling too good. I can feel my arms heavy and my head lolls on the sofa. It’s Friday night. This is the first Friday night in lock down I’ve not had any wine.
In therapy in 2017 I learnt to make choices…….
This has been powerful in promoting personal responsibility and control. So tonight I am choosing to put myself through chemotherapy to save my life. I am taking control of what has often been a powerless situation. This shift in my thinking and approach to this disease helps me. It empowers me and just for a few hours lets me feel better about what these anti-sickness meds and steroids are doing inside my system.