You have been diagnosed with breast cancer and you are in a state of shock and fearful with regard to what you have to face and whether you are going to live or die. You don’t know where to turn or what to do next and all of a sudden your world has been turned upside down and you know that you will never be the same again. You turn your treatment and care over to the medical professionals who will guide you on the path that they design for your future. You feel as though there is nothing you can do but wait and see what is going to happen and you allow a sense of doom and gloom to sweep over yourself. You believe that there is nothing that you can do at this point in your life and feel at a complete loss. Now what does one do?“Immerse yourself in what you love and you will soon discover that there is no room for anything negative to creep in to your life.”
Barbara Jacoby
The choice is completely up to you. Of course it is perfectly natural and advisable to be sad. Allow yourself a good cry and keep on crying until you are all cried out. If if works for you, go ahead and ask yourself the “why me” question and know that there is no answer to it. Feel sorry for yourself as long as you want and that will be until you realize that feeling sorry for yourself does no good..
There are lots of things that will be out of your control. You will have to show up for doctors’ appointments and tests and surgeries and treatments unlike anything you can imagine. So you do as you are instructed as you deal with the reality of your treatment. But the rest of the time is up to you and what you do with it will make all of the difference for you. No matter your prognosis, remember that it is only that – a prediction of a likely outcome based upon past experiences. However, there is no one like you so why should your expectations for yourself be based upon what have been the experience of others?
You are in control. You have this day in this moment in time to make your very own so why not make it the very best for yourself? What would you love to be doing or with whom would you want to share this time? Perhaps you might want to visit other family members or have a quiet lunch with your best friend. Maybe a nice bubble bath with candlelight and soft music will be just the ticket. Maybe a walk in the park or along the beach at sunset will give you a sense of appreciation of all the beauty that is around you.
Focus on what you want to accomplish and don’t give up on your dreams. No one knows the future and that includes the outcome of your cancer battle. Keep in mind all of the fun things that you can do today, tomorrow and next week and follow up with the necessary plans to do so and then execute them. There may be days that you don’t feel great but know that tomorrow will be better. Keep positive images in your mind no matter what you may be feeling in this moment of your treatment.
Put on your favorite music and dance a few steps. Surround yourself with your favorite activities like reading or watching your favorite television shows or working on the computer. Immerse yourself in what you love and you will soon discover that there is no room for anything negative to creep in to your life. If you sustain this type of thinking and behavior on a daily basis, you will soon realize that it has become a way of life and the ticket to enjoying the day to the best of your ability every single day. What more could anyone ask for or want?
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.