When I was first diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer, it was suggested I see a "health psychologist" to help process and deal with my diagnosis. He's a really cool guy. I wish he could be my every day psychologist.
But I digress. One thing he said to me really stuck out and that was about being realistically optimistic. According to a study done by some guy he definitely told me and I most definitely forgot, people in similarly horrible situations were studied. There were pessimists, overly optimistics, and middle of the road realistic optimistics.
The study concluded that of all the participants, the pessimists and the overly optimistic participants had a lower survival rate than that of the realistically optimistic.
What does that have to do with the new signs I put on the boys bedroom doors, you might ask?
I'm never going to stop fighting, but I'm also planning for the worst case scenario as well. So today, cancer looks like these cute little signs (one for the playroom and reversible as well for when the boys choose to no longer share a bedroom) reminding the boys that their parents are ALWAYS with them.
Cancer isn't always about the chemo. It's sometimes doing the little things that might be needed later. The planning to make sure the people you love will be okay.... and sometimes... sometimes that's harder than the treatment, BUT we soldier on and do the dang thing.
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