Life can resume after breast cancer. As already survived two times I can personally testify to this effect. Phil 4:13 says: "All I can do things through Christ who strengthens me." And I can. Below I share some of my character-filled journey to breast cancer recovery.
Ever heard a kid complain: "I can not" really means that-if you are asked to do something scary? Even slightly scary?
After the diagnosis I did not want my own pity party, crash and destroy, but it was time to get real! Get real madduff up to God or to pay real and from my. It was my choice completely.
As I recovered from my lumpectomy, my husband Jim came to my hospital room with a wrapped present. As I unraveled the glittery paper, a pair of inline skates was staring at me out of the box with hopeful eyes.
I could not believe it. "What should I do with them?" I wailed. "I have drains dangling from my side, as suction bulb hanging from a half-inflated air mattress. This is crazy!"
BeRetort? "Get with the program."
Yeah, right! He was obviously a big fan of breast cancer recovery.
After chemotherapy and radiation, I developed a swelling condition is called lymphedema in my left arm on the surgery and radiation of the lymph nodes under the arm. After I receive treatment for this condition, I decided that my life-threatening disease and swollen arm did not have to cut me. I usually exercise caution when hiking, gardening and jogging as a result ofmy lymphoedema, but as time passed, I decided to be more adventurous.
After my second encounter with cancer, our family is a whitewater rafting trip on a river in Costa Rica. Unlike other raft, accompanied us through an investment banker from New York City, overturn our family of five hardy souls raft tested. Our three sons paddled for all they were worth when her mother worried. A night canopy tour in Costa Rica limited that memorable trip. Like athe local howler monkeys, I zipped along the cable route from tree to tree in total darkness.
A year later I found myself rafting again, this time in a motorized rig on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The trip was sponsored by the Ministry of creation, to show the devastation caused by the worldwide flood in Noah's causing days. For me the biggest highlight of this adventure rope climbing to a smooth rocky slope and at a glance, and was one in the shower, a beautiful waterfall hiddenin a cave. Such a feat was a perfect example of recovery from breast cancer at its best!
I continue to participate in lymphedema exercises, stretching and weight-limited. But I can not imagine the affected arm in the Jacuzzi and I wear gloves when gardening. No sense for trouble. I'll pay the piper after extreme exercise, but the exercise value of the psychological boost to me. I have found in each case after heavy exercise that pulls back the swelling in my arm, like sea water in lowFlood, if I manage themselves.
A few years after recovering from the lumpectomy, I have a yard sale, inline skates, which I had come from Jim in the hospital. But with a change of heart, and the final "a-ha" moment when I rescued them from the commodity clusters. The attempt to in my driveway and a local park was fun and I'm still skating. I also downhill skiing, climbing a few hills (eg Mt. Sinai on my trip to the Holy Land), do not do light gardening for my heart's content, hot-tub it,Housework, and so on. I visit a fitness center to work out three days a week. Well, if a doctor says I can not do anything, I see this as a challenge, try to prove to the doctor of the opposite.
The train for breast cancer recovery has left the station and, God willing, I will not miss this.
No comments:
Post a Comment