A Cancer Survivor's Guide on How To Thrive Through Life
Good Day! Beaugorgeous! How's everyone doing? the past few days had been a tough one for me. But here I am again, in spite of the fact that life sucks sometimes...we've got to move on. Because life is about change and we've got to keep moving on no matter how much we wanted it to stay the same.
So this month's radiation season. Finally we have our therapy plan which I have to do four cycles of Brachy Therapy once a week for four times. I already did my first and I will talk more about it after I finish all the sessions.
And as usual, I live life as normal as I can. At the moment, I don't feel any side effects relating to the therapy so I can still do things I love. Although the doctor did advice me to take things slower and have it at minimum level. Well, I tend to get hyper active and overwhelmed, so I have to remind myself to take single steps at a time.
And although I have keep a vegetarian diet for quite a while, now that I am doing therapy, I just got to incorporate a little bit of eggs and some fish to keep my diet balance so that I don't get weak and I get all the nutrients that my body needs. Of course I still have to maintain exercise such as some low intensity walking and a little game of tennis.
And yes, I will be back teaching soon and I can't wait to be in the class again. If there's one thing I love doing in all the world... that is to just teach... and being in a class is one of the happiest in my life. But like I said, I am taking life slower this time. And here's how I do it...
Take a breath and pause - When I find myself overwhelmed and anxious, I take a step back and breathe. I stop whatever I am doing and sit down. I focus on my breathing and feel the things around me. Well, most of the time I am just home so this is so easy to do. And usually I just find myself relieved and relaxed after a short nap.
I stop calculating my time - I would usually beat myself up over a deadline of a goal or of things that I must do. But for now, I just try my best to stop calculating and just go with the flow. It is important for me not to force myself against the current nor go towards a different direction which is impossible for me to take at the moment. So, I just let things come and deal with it each one at a time.
Stop Reaching for more - I know we have to reach for the moon. I get that. But having your feet on the ground can also be a good thing. And if it is not meant to be... I let go of it and move on.
You can never be that perfect - So I have come to the point in my life that I, believe it or not, have accepted that I can never be perfect. That I am, and what I have is a gift and I have to be thankful and appreciate every single one of it. And somehow in between those moments that I learn to accept what life has for me... I did find a sense of peace.
Well, staying calm in the midst of chaos as what life is, is hard work in itself. But like Kalidasa, an Indian poet once said,
Look well to this day,
For it and it alone is life.
In its brief course
Lie all the essence of your existence:
The Glory of Growth
The Satisfaction of Achievement
The Splendor of Beauty
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Disclaimer: this is a blog re-post from my previous blog. I did my final round of radiation therapy a year ago and so far everything is well and I am cancer free. Yes, I don't know what will happen the day after today but I am grateful that today I am alive.
0 comments