In my 24 year journey dealing with Cancer, I have had 3 diagnoses, Chemo, Radiation, Surgery, Procedures, more tests with names that the average individual shouldn’t know, radiation again, lost 50#…..twice, lost my teeth, my hair…..twice, quit one job, started a Company, lost BOTH parents to cancer and turned into a Cancer Advocate. During that trip, I have spoke with many people about the everyday cancer subjects that come up when talking with another cancer patient/survivor.

These are some of them:

“I was told in no uncertain terms that I’d be dead by now. Unless there is something that someone hasn’t told me, I’m very much alive, and very healthy (been kayaking and bicycling recently.) Follow your dreams, and live for a future. We never know if we will be here tomorrow, but we need to live as if we have forever.”

“I really appreciate hearing from all of you. In some ways you’ve helped me to not feel so guilty about the Pink” side of cancer and in another I should have realized that there is research out there for other cancers. Sometimes in the business of surviving this affliction has strange effects on you mind. Hopefully we will all get through this together and come out a better person. I know my perspective on life changes daily. Prayers for all!!”

“ABVD is a chemotherapy regimen used in the first-line treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma, supplanting the older MOPP protocol. It consists of concurrent treatment with the chemotherapy drugs: Adriamycin (doxorubicin/hydroxydaunorubicin, the H in CHOP) Bleomycin Vinblastine Dacarbazine (similar to procarbazine, the P in MOPP”

“All I can say is from the inception of this cancer I did not fall into the category of normal patient. I was sick, very sick and for at least 6 days after each treatment. I was given all the normal nausea medications but nothing helped. You could usually find me on the couch for the first 2 to 3 days, only getting up because I had to! The whole concept of water, gone forever! Water tasted like I was licking the inside of a metal pipe, no matter what water I tried to consume. I was usually very dehydrated because of my inability to drink. So I would find whatever worked that week for me, sometimes it was chocolate milk, ice tea or even orange juice! Since chemotherapy is progressive, the first few were ok but by chemo 3 I was really feeling the effects and it was all downhill from there. I hit “The Wall” at chemo 8 and 9, I wanted to die! Physically my muscles had atrophied and after being so dormant all the time, my energy levels were near nothing. Since chemo made me so sick, it effected everything, my family life, my personal view of myself, and most of all our home…Dust bunnies ran free, laundry got done when things were ‘running out’ and dinner suffered most of all I think.k  Easy dinners from fast food restaurants, anything I could heat up quick. I completely relied on the flexibility of my family and friends who could donate dinners etc. No one planned for this, nobody told me I would be this sick for this long, nobody! After Chemo 12 was done, I felt relieved but people think there is euphoric thing that happens but it does not, at least it didn’t for me. I am still waiting for the euphoric feeling…”

The next time you think your having a bad day, you could be one of these people trying to figure out how they are going to get the dishes done, with out getting sick on them. Or how the house is going to get cleaned, since you can’t get up and walk.

Take a look at your life, love it, live it, love your family, it could always be worse!