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Chemo Treatment # 3

Greetings from the infusion room. I hope you had a Christmas filled with hope. 

I’m settled in for chemo infusion 3 of 6. Happy halfway day to me. 

Thanks to COVID, you don’t get to bring a friend anymore. You get to come here solo, visit with your fellow infusion mates, nurses, and ponder New Years resolutions. 

Are we doing those this year? On one hand, New Years Resolutions feel like a great way to set yourself up for failure. But on the other hand, reflecting back on your year, and committing to doing a few things better sort of puts some wind behind your sails. So, to answer my own question, yes, I am definitely putting a few ideas together for what I want to do well in 2021. 

My plan for daily living in 2021 is inspired by something I’ve been doing since the start of chemo: focusing on and doing the essentials that set me up to win. Sound simple? It is. But, friend, it’s not easy. Culture, work, friends, family, your children’s coaches, room moms, Instagram, and the amazingly perfect magazine covers at the grocery store check out line all tell us, or at least, me, that I’m not doing enough things, and the things I am doing, could be done so much better. It’s a pretty crippling cycle...

Focus and taking action on things that set us up to win.

The night before my first infusion, Stacey, jokingly but seriously said, “Okay, so you have 4 jobs for the next 18 weeks. 

    1. Food: We are not going to watch you waste away, so eat, and eat well. 

    2. Activity: Stay active. Walks, yoga, pilates, etc... Do what you can when you feel like it. 

    3. Stress: Do whatever you need to do to avoid stress. And since life doesn’t stop with sickness, know that you will have some stress. Will your way to effectively manage it. Think blogging, effective communication, long hot showers with lavender oil, rest, exercise, fresh air, laughter, etc. 

    4. Scripture: Commit to feeding your mind on a daily basis with truth and comfort. 

I don’t know what order she said them in, but we arranged it so that it made a mnemonic: FASS. The playbook for the next 18 weeks was set in motion. As I mulled over my newly assigned daily tasks, the tiny sense of hope and control that settled over my mind was pretty exciting. 

 The power of “One Day At Time”

Numerous cancer survivors have told me the importance of taking things one day at a time, and I remember thinking, “Well this is going to be interesting...” For me and for probably most of us, staying in the present and taking things one day at time calls for every ounce of self discipline and focus one can muster. It is the opposite of what culture dictates. It’s not something I do regularly, and not something I do well. The good news? #GrowthOpportunity.

Pause for book inspiration: 

Current read: You Are More Than You Know by Patsy Claremont. I recently heard an interview with her on the Professional Noticer Podcast by Andy Andrews. I was instantly stuck by her zest for life, sense of humor, and her sturdy grasp on Truth. So I picked up one of her books, and have been bless by just about every page. 

“God created us with a sturdy will of choice. We can choose to conduct ourselves differently than we feel What a liberating truth.” Patsy Claremont.

How It’s Helping Me

The FASS mnemonic has given some tangible framework to build my one day at a time muscles. On days where I feel my mind drifting to Worry lane, Whoa Is Me Boulevard, and Farewell Future Dreams Avenue, I use FASS to bring me back to the present. FASS helps me focus on the day at hand and to take action, which creates a sense of control. I think control, the healthy kind, fuels hope. It also represents a clearly defined set of goals that, once complete, allows you to register the day as a win. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. I don’t about you, but any day that comes away with control, hope, and accomplishment is a really good day. 

For 2021, I’m excited about applying what I’ve been learning during the past few months. I’m evaluating the things I find most valuable and eternal, and creating a plan to prioritize parts of them on a daily basis. 

Here’s to doing fewer things better. 

What are you doing for 2021? Would love to hear your plans.

-Abby



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