Happy and Loving Life

I slept through chemo this week, so I didn’t get a chance to blog. My last post, I was worried about when my cancer might come back and how long I’d be in remission, but now that I have settled into this every other week of chemo, I don’t feel like I’m concentrating on cancer so much but on life; I don’t have the reminder of chemo each week. In fact, I used to look forward to chemo each week as a carved out time for me to reflect and relax. And now that it’s every other week, I’m thinking, “Awww, I have chemo today?” It just makes for a long day. But, it’s necessary, and it’s keeping me alive, so I won’t complain.

The good news is that I have so many more days of feeling normal, physically, now within my two-week period. I had a rough day yesterday, the day after chemo, because I cleaned the house and overdid. Not a good idea the day after chemo! Won’t do that again! But as long as I rest the first couple of days after chemo, I do fine with no side effects the rest of the week/s.

In fact, I am feeling so happy and am loving life lately. I am working on revising my book (gives me a sense of purpose in life as I ponder the big questions like what is my purpose in life — you tend to do that when you’re dying — and what else do I still have left to accomplish, I’m in remission, my hair is growing back out and is styled, and I’ve lost 10 pounds. Feeling much better about myself. Still just half my eyebrows and eyelashes, but at least they’re there, somewhat. I don’t look or feel sick anymore once I get through the first couple days after chemo, so I’m really happy about that, and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can. Feeling like normal, like I don’t even have cancer, and I think that’s important to live like you don’t even have it, if you can. I really believe things change in your body when you have a positive attitude.

And thinking of things that I believe you should do when you have cancer — my post on prayer, positivity and pomegranate juice has gone viral! Don’t even know how that happens, or what people are getting out of that post, but it has been fun seeing where it has traveled all around the states and the world. I hope that it helps someone else in some way.

So, everything is going well with me physically and mentally this week. I will try to update again next week on my no-chemo day, and then I’ll update from chemo the next Thursday (if I’m not sleeping again, as chemo tends to wear me out lately!). I meet with my doctor on the phone next time I have chemo, too. Should just be a check-in, but I’ll let you know if I learn anything.

Oh, and I have been thinking of the glass half full or empty saying this week, too, and I’ve shifted my thinking from — why would my chemo and immunotherapy keep working when I’m only getting it every other week to why wouldn’t it? It’s working, and I should just go with that and be grateful!! I need to stop worrying and start trusting!