I sometimes find myself tangled-up in my to do list. I can’t seem to get out of my own way. Even now…13 years after finishing radiation following brain surgery(s)…I get stuck in neutral. Yes…this last sentence holds clues to some percentage of my problem. It is difficult to go through this sort of treatment regiment without some sort of brain damage.
All cancer treatments…all drugs…have side effects. Radiation and Chemotherapy are known to effect a brains’ ability to function at the highest of levels. We were not all dealt the same hand at the beginning of our life…and we are not playing with the same cards once we’ve been diagnosed. We do what we can. And with some effort…to the best of our abilities.
The transition from being newly diagnosed…then treated…then waiting to see a response…takes it’s toll. In these past 13 years I had plenty of ups and downs. Getting bogged down is a side effect of my life as a brain cancer survivor. So I take baby steps when necessary.
I have come up with a mantra of sorts. It’s kind of like mindful breathing. With my breathing…I can take a moment to slow down and breathe purposefully…feeling my body doing the simple task that we constantly take for granted. And why not? We’ve been doing it all our life…even before we knew we were alive.
But with consciousness comes added responsibility. As young adults we learn…it’s time to justify our existence…to make our own mark on the world. As cancer survivors…we don’t need to build anything for the world to come see…or win the Nobel Prize. We just need to do…what we need to do…to move forward.
DO SOMETHING!
DO SOMETHING MORE THAN NOTHING
DO SOMETHING TO GET MOVING
DO SOMETHING TO MOVE FORWARD
DO SOMETHING THAT ACHIEVES A TASK
DO SOMETHING PHYSICAL
DO SOMETHING CREATIVE
DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE
DO SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATES YOU
DO SOMETHING THAT HELPS YOU
DO SOMETHING THAT HELPS OTHERS
DO SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES YOU
DO SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES OTHERS
DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
Don’t expect to manage all of these at once…but there are many possible combinations. Give it a try. Do something!
