Gratitude Practice 4 of 12 ⋆ Fabienne S. Morgana

Photograph of a red ladybug with black spots on a soft grey paisley pashmina, with a dark grey, light grey, and white stripe shirt in the lower left of the picture and a strip of a black seatbelt visible in the upper right of the photo.

Gratitude practice really is about the little things. — This ladybug landed on me through the open car window on the way home from chemo; I took them home and put them on my rose bush that had aphids! Gratitude practice really is about the little things.

Gratitude Practice – first week of the second chemotherapy cycle

Basically… I got sick after the second chemotherapy as expected, and never bounced back. Some cancer patients experience significant illness and deficits and I am in that number. Over a year later, it remains a work in progress. My gratitude practice really helped me get through it – and it continues to help me.

However – I’m in the minority, so please don’t base decisions on chemotherapy on my experience.

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day One ( Day 22 of chemotherapy treatment ).

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

J. Richard Lessor

Photo of legs and arm in compression garments. — Lymphodema management strategies.

Gratitude Practice: Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Two ( Day 23 of chemotherapy treatments).

“Everything rough becomes delicate when you love it. More roses, more roses, more roses.”

Juan Ramón Jiménez – translation by Robert Bly

Faux sunflowers in a hessian wrap. — Beloveds sent me presents – it always lifted my day.

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Three (Day 24 of chemotherapy treatments).

Poetry is life! I was very grateful to find this poem – cancer really is so much about surrender in so many ways.

“let it go – the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise – let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go – the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers – you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go – the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things – let all go
dear

so comes love.”

ee cummings – Let it Go.

From @thecancerpatient (Instagram)

What you thought you would look like after losing your hair from chemo vs what you actually look like.

Photo of Sinead O'Connor in her 20s and Uncle Fester from the Addams Family. — *sigh*

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Four (Day 25 of chemotherapy treatments).

“Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.”

Gza

Pale person, with obvious hair loss, photo taken from right. — At this point, it was obvious that I was also losing some of my eyebrows and eyelashes – it was probably them and the hair in my nose and ears that I missed the most! Nose bleeds were common and I started having all kinds of vestibular issues which I think was from losing the very fine hairs in my ears. My eyebrows have never regained their previous glory and I still have vestibular issues. I’m grateful that my hair did grow back – although I have a new cowlick that I never had previously!

Pale person, with obvious hair loss, photo taken from left. — At this point, it was obvious that I was also losing some of my eyebrows and eyelashes – it was probably them and the hair in my nose and ears that I missed the most! Nose bleeds were common and I started having all kinds of vestibular issues which I think was from losing the very fine hairs in my ears. My eyebrows have never regained their previous glory and I still have vestibular issues. I’m grateful that my hair did grow back – although I have a new cowlick that I never had previously!

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Five (Day 26 of chemotherapy treatments).

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”

Kristen Richard

Orange background with the number 10 created from bike chain on the left side of the background. — This was 10 weeks post-surgery – it helped to keep track of how far out of surgery I was.

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Six (Day 27 of chemotherapy treatments).

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Skin care, wound care, and oral hygiene (all hygiene really) was a massive undertaking as chemo made my skin super dry, inhibited healing, and made my skin fragile and sensitive. So much gratitude for the wound care nurse! I was seeing her once a week.

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Seven (Day 28 of 85).

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

Voltaire

Background of yellow and blue: text reads "Anyone can slay a dragon, she told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero."

SELF CHECKS

Ensure that you are vigilant around your self-examination. Train yourself to check your breasts/testicles routinely, and monitor your bowel habits and your urine output. These are our body’s early warning signs, and we don’t have a lot of awareness of them.

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Gratitude Practice 4 of 12

Gratitude Practice – first week of the second chemotherapy cycle

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day One ( Day 22 of chemotherapy treatment ).

Gratitude Practice: Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Two ( Day 23 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Three (Day 24 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Four (Day 25 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Five (Day 26 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Six (Day 27 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Seven (Day 28 of 85).

SELF CHECKS

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Gratitude Practice – first week of the second chemotherapy cycle

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day One ( Day 22 of chemotherapy treatment ).

Gratitude Practice: Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Two ( Day 23 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Three (Day 24 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Four (Day 25 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Five (Day 26 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Six (Day 27 of chemotherapy treatments).

Chemo Round Two of Four, Week One, Day Seven (Day 28 of 85).

SELF CHECKS

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