I grew up with my dad always saying: human beings can adapt to anything, any conditions, any situation.
Being an immigrant who arrived in Brazil when he was 5 years old, I guess he had experienced himself the need to adapt to a different country, reality, climate, food etc.
As I started my cancer treatment, I knew I had 12 cycles to survive. Yes that right, if you have ever faced cancer surviving chemotherapy becomes your main aim.
After my first cycle, I felt I was so out of it. It felt like I was in a movie when you watch the actors taking a hit of some sort of drug. It wasn’t pretty….
I had had 48 hours of chemotherapy going through my body and when I got disconnected, I felt I was hanging on to my life by a thread.
I was in bed for 5 days.
I remember on day 3 when my husband wanted to take me for a car ride. It took all my strength to get myself in the car and I didn’t say a word for the whole car ride. If you know me, you would know that doesn’t come natural to me.
As cycle 2 came along, my body knew what to expect and I am not going to say it was easy but somehow it was much easier than the first time.
As I changed my diet, introduced exercise, meditation and did a load of work on my own emotional healing, my body got stronger after each chemotherapy session.
I spent less days in bed…more days feeling strong enough to exercise, prepare my own meals and play with my children.
I couldn’t believe how my body dealt with session after session for 12 cycles…
I acknowledge there was a correlation between how hard I work on my own healing and how I felt after each session but I also believe there was an element of my body and mind getting used to the new reality at that time too.
As we all adapt into our new realities…I believe we are all slowly making peace with it or at least finding it easier.
We are sure going to have good days and bad days but I guess that is part of life isn’t it?
So I guess what matters is what we are doing each day to adapt into this new reality. And if I ask you…what would you say?