Cancer and other information is everywhere and my biggest problem, probably as well as yours, is which source do we believe? Or do we believe them all? I think we know better than that.
When I started my health journey, I knew very little about cancer, and less about breast cancer even though my x’s Aunt and I were close and she had breast cancer for 30 years. Imagine having any disease that long, with major surgeries, chemo, and on going lymphedema problems and blood clots. Now it sounds terrible but I have to tell you, she lived a good life, enjoyed many grandchildren and a few great grandchildren and she rarely complained.
But sometimes not complaining, cheats you out of your own reality. I was a caregiver for her four months last year. I had no idea I would be diagnosed within ninety days of her passing.
I can not say that cancer treatment has been horrible in the whole scheme of things. Although some days I whine about it. I am grateful to be alive. Now each week is better. I have met so many wonderful people. And like in yesterdays post, the gift has been of awareness and ability to see that I can create a better tomorrow. I can restart again. I can find meaningful relationships and let the toxic ones go. I can find a job I truly want to do. I can achieve good health and continued ongoing strength and health.
My one problem is spending to much time researching on the internet and not enough time living. So today, I am going to change that. I already disconnected the television. Wow, for three days I had total withdrawal. I am going to go low tech for awhile. I still have to do my homework on the internet but I can subsidize some of that with working out of the text book.
We constantly get bombarded by to much data. And then we wonder why our senses are overloaded, our emotions are swinging from one end to the other, and our bodies are producing cortisol in reaction to that information. Cortisol is not good in the long term. Maybe because we are of the older generation now, I am more aware of minimizing the impact from outside sources. For example, on Twitter, someone posted a picture of that poor man in the wheel chair in Boston, with a bone extending from his knew to basically where once was a foot and ankle…it had nothing on it. I was grossed out and flamed the guy on Twitter.
Do we need this kind of ‘color’ in our lives? Not in surprise anyway. So people, please be kind to one another. Limit the amount of attack and shock on people.
Why can’t we just love one another? Such violence in a world so now connected instantaneously. People want to be heard.
So, in closing, breast cancer survivors…be kind, limit yourself to exposure to over reactive situations and remember to breathe, meditate and be kind to yourself. We can all help our world, by starting with ourselves.
Take care of you! Whatever road you travel.
