Hope4Cancer: Day Thirteen: Gratitude
The Heart. The center of the treatments and the experience of Hope4Cancer is the Heart. I give thanks and praise to everyone with me on my journey. For all the providers: from housekeeping to dietary to the doctors and nurses, for everyone involved in the mind, body, and spirit healing, to the people who were patient with my Spanish, and primarily to my fellow warriors. I was so impressed with the spirit, love, and hope amongst my fellow warriors because most were experiencing far more advance cancers than I was dealing with. And many had already been through years of therapy, surgery, and multiple life-changing events and had not lost hope. They inspired me to return home as a beacon of light while working on my health.
It’s difficult to express my special thanks to my dear husband Paul, my champion, who cared for my dad in hospice plus spent three weeks being present to me.
I’ve always had a belief structure that says “know one, do one, teach one.” And I pray that God uses me in a way I can help others to heal or help them with prevention.
I’ve learned so much at Hope4Cancer. 200 therapies in three weeks just seemed overwhelming. But I learned to take one treatment at a time. They trained us to manage ourselves—moving from one therapy room to another—but there was always the hand of a nurse at my back with a supportive touch. It was a calming, reassuring presence.
I also want to acknowledge the many people praying for me worldwide and the overwhelming love, presence, hope, and encouragement I receive in my heart.
With the overwhelming influx of healing and prayer, this entire journey has expanded my heart. I initially viewed getting cancer as a horrible circumstance, but it changed my life forever. I’ve grown to be grateful that God chose me to have the experience of this disease because this has been the biggest adventure I’ve had in my life. And I intend to share the journey with everyone who needs questions answered.
And it’s the overwhelming sense of connection. It still is really odd—selfish, even—for me to spend so much time thinking about and taking care of myself. But anyone in this same predicament will also need to recognize the importance of self-care. To get around feeling selfish, acknowledge how you might be a beacon for others. I want to live my whole life being as present and prayerful as all the people in my life have been through this experience.
