How To Deal

Author: Shannon Miller

I’ve been very focused on the physical impact of chemo this past couple of weeks, for obvious reasons, but the emotional toll is beginning to take hold.

Rocco (our son) becomes more mobile each day and he wants to go-go-go!  I want to stay upbeat and active in front of him but I’m sure he’s noticed some changes. I wonder what’s going through his mind when I turn pale and dart out of the room or when I’m just not as active as I usually am.

The whole idea of slowing down doesn’t sit well with me. In the grand scheme of things 9 weeks is not a long time. If I were training for a marathon 9 weeks is way too short. Pregnancy is 9 months. Even kicking off a healthy lifestyle change is typically a 12 week process.

One of my toughest battles each day is not allowing this to take over my life. There is a constant struggle between wanting to crawl into bed and sleep for the next 7 weeks of treatment and understanding that I cannot surrender.  There is a bigger picture out there and if we can remain focused on the ultimate goal…our health…we can not only make it through these rough times but use them to become stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.