Let me tell you a secret about life. It’s not about how someone prepares for everything to go right, it’s about how someone handles everything going completely wrong. Let’s all agree that chemo is no walk in the park. You can let it defeat you until your treatment is up, or you can let it empower you, the choice is yours. I created this blog to help motivate people going through cancer and let them know that they aren’t in this alone. Too often, I see horrible posts on Facebook for Lymphoma support groups, that are just people bitching and whining, collaborating about how horrible everything is etc etc. I’ve received handfuls of messages undermining my symptoms and saying I don’t know what it’s like. News flash, I have the same symptoms, if not worse, as multiple people reading this. I can actually barely type this because my neuropathy is so bad. If I sat on those message boards all day reading negative comments about how much chemo sucks, I would probably never leave my apartment, and would fall into a deep depression.
I just spoke on the phone with a 24 year old who is PREGNANT and about to go in for her first chemo session today. Did I hear her complain once? No. Why? Because she knows that won’t do crap for her or her baby, and she’s in it to win it. Seriously India, you’re inspiring, and more cancer patients should have an attitude like yours! Yesterday during chemo, my port was not in well enough condition to use. I had to get my chemo administered through a vein in my arm instead for hours, not to mention I was sick to my stomach from the day before. Did I complain? Not once. Suck it up. 🙂 I had plans to go about normal life after chemo, but had to cancel dinner plans because I was nauseous. Oh well, dinner can always wait!
Out with Lorena!
 You need to try to continue your life in a way as normal as possible. I wasn’t Neutropenic over the weekend, and I had an amazing time! One of my best girlfriends from Boston came to visit me. We went to dinner, went to happy hour (didn’t drink obviously), laughed the entire time. The next day we had brunch, went shopping, went to dinner with a group of my awesome friends. Then, the next day, went to a car show with my friend Deb from work. She was visiting from Jacksonville, so we went to that with her, had a great lunch, and then I even went to dinner with a group of girlfriends and caught up with all of them. Life goes on even while you are undergoing chemo!
Car show with Deb
Cancer sucks and chemo is hard, but you have to..have to..have to try to still have a life and be positive! It’s the only way to get through it. Even if you feel like crap, at least try to get outside and take a walk. Lean on your friends. My friends have been so amazing and I have such a great support system, that I want to get out there for them and show them that I’m a warrior handling this shitty situation. I’m proud to call them my friends, and I want them to be able to say the same about me. Lean on your family too and be strong for them, they are going through this with you, and complaining all of the time affects them too! My friend Will has terminal cancer and it spread all over his body. I’ve never once heard him complain, he’s actually always laughing and making other people laugh. Take into consideration that yes, the cancer is about you, but if also affects everyone around you. Handle it! And handle it in a positive way.
Dinner with the girls!
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