The first week after surgery can feel like walking through fog with a flashlight, whether it was minimally invasive surgery or a more traditional technique. You can only see a few steps ahead, and that can be scary. If you’re in cancer surgery recovery, that uncertainty often sits right beside the pain. You may feel…
Read moreTag: Everyday wins
Finding New Definitions of Normal
Finding New Definitions of Normal Before I got sick, I moved through each day without thinking much about it. I’d wake up, make coffee, go to the hospital for six hours of surgery, eat a quick lunch over a sink, answer emails, and head home. It all felt normal. Because life fills in that word…
Read moreTactics for Tough Days: Practical Ways to Handle Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Cancer treatment side effects can feel like they show up with no warning and no map. One week you think you know what to expect, then a new symptom appears days later, and it rattles your confidence. If you’re in treatment, or you love someone who is, you already know how lonely that can feel….
Read moreMorning Routine: What Abilities You’re Taking For Granted (Post-Cancer Focus)
The alarm rings. I hush it without opening my eyes. My feet find the floor, steady and familiar. I stand, I walk, I flip a switch, light appears. I’ve done it so often that I barely notice. That fading is normal. It’s also a kind of forgetting. For many of us touched by cancer, courage…
Read moreBad Days Don’t Wipe Out Good Ones: Building a Sane View of Progress
BAD DAYS DON’T WIPE OUT GOOD ONES, BUILDING A SANE VIEW OF PROGRESS When Yesterday Makes You Feel Like You’ve Lost Everything Yesterday knocked me flat. The nausea I hadn’t felt in two weeks came roaring back, and by afternoon I was sure I’d made up any progress from the past few days. I’ve been…
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