In March of 2000, I found out that I had lung cancer. I was told that it had spread to the lymph nodes in my chest. The first days after I found out were the hardest because I was thinking I would die immediately. Then I got busy with the work of ascertaining my treatment plan and who I should see. This got my mind off the eventuality of what could happen.
Amazingly enough, once I started therapy, I learned to enjoy each day and savor life. Things got easier as I learned to adjust and not try to do too many things at once. Today, everything for Jim and me is more family-oriented. Money issues and our 401K reserves are not going to bother us, because we have our lives. It is not always easy to do, but we try to stay focused on what’s important in life and not stress over insignificant things. Life’s little hassles seem insignificant now.
Until you have a tragedy, you are always waiting for something: your future driver’s license, getting married, waiting to have your children, then waiting to retire. We spend our lives planning for the future instead of living for today. One thing survivors have learned to do is enjoy the moment. We do not know what the future holds and there is nothing we can do about it anyway. Live for today.
Bio: Sarah Brady has undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatments to battle the cancer. Provided by: www.survivingadversity.com
