
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.”

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

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.

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.”


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.”

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.”







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.”

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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