And when I say glorious, I really say sucky. I don't want to sound ungrateful. Trust me, I'm grateful. The outcomes of chemo are amazing. I just hate the "during" part. And if you are a normal human being, you should, too.
On the bright side, I have some happy things to say about last week's chemo:
One. Nurses are awesome. I'm pretty sure a requirement for working as a nurse in the cancer center is that you have to be awesome, and happy, and all those things.
Two. People are awesome. I met a lady who is kind of in my same boat. She is receiving chemo once every three weeks. And she bought about 10 parfaits from McDonald's before she got in, so she was sharing them. Yep, she's the snack lady.
Three. I've inherited my dad's wit. One of my favorite things about my dad is how incredibly funny he is. I'm not as funny as he is, but I like to think that I often can come up with a good joke or two on the spot. I made the nurses laugh a few times.
Four. The body is amazing. I'm grateful my body can withstand all this crap. I'm also grateful that these treatments are available to help get rid of dumb cancer.
Five. I've surprised even myself. From what the doctors have explained, the first week is the worst, the second and third weeks are much better. This last week has been a breeze. I felt sick on the Monday night of treatment, Wednesday, and a tiny tiny bit on Sunday. But overall, I'm a freakin' champ. I'm feeling great!
Six. I've been staying busy. I have done so much indexing lately, it's driving me nuts. Even though I can't be serving at the temple for five days a week right now, that's okay. I know I'm needed elsewhere. And if I'm not supposed to be at the temple right now, it must be for some prrretty important reason.
Seven. The atonement is real. There are so many times, especially in the last few months, where I have felt unloved, unimportant, and that I can't do this. Not just cancer, but some other personal aspects in my life at the moment. I know that the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, is there for us. HE LIVES. He comforts. He knows what I'm feeling and when I'm feeling it. He knows exactly how I need to be comforted. I know the atonement is real and that His power is real. I worry about the future sometimes. I worry about having a family. I worry about being able to provide; about being able to be a good husband and father. All those fears are either gone or diminished because I know that I won't be alone in this. I hope to marry a woman who loves the Lord even more than I do. Because there's no way I'll get through the next 60 years without that guidance.
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I feel like I learn, every single day, what life is all about. Life is about living- not the whole YOLO thing and partying-- and living right. Living a full, complete life, having fun, making right choices, and doing what we want to and should do. The whole time, we hopefully have the guidance of our Heavenly Father through the atonement of His Son in our lives and the promptings of the Spirit. The choice of how you live is entirely up to you.
Ladies and gentlemen, life is good. I'm happy to be here on the earth. I feel like I am faced with a lot of challenges, but through my hard work, I know it's worth living. Every single day.
Keep running.
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