POEMS WRITTEN ONLY STR8 FROM MY HEART, IN THE PUREST FORM, EMBRACE THE WORDS AND LEARN FROM THEM, THERE ARE MANY TEACHINGS...
"WHAT THE DOCTOR'S WON'T TELL YOU!" ABOUT CHEMO
TO ANYONE WHO WAS JUST TOLD THEY SHOULD START CHEMO, THE DOCTORS WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT THAT ENCOMPASSES, AND BY VIRTUE OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE THIS MAY HELP YOU...
1) KEEP A JOURNAL OF EVERYDAY FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE CHEMO YOU MAY FEEL LIKE IT WILL BE A WALK IN THE PARK, NOT LIKELY...
CHEMO TAKES TIME TO HIT YOU LIKE A WALL, ONCE IT HITS YOU IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED LIKE I WAS NOT, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF DOWN AND OUT WITHIN SECONDS...
I LIVE ALONE, THAT'S STRIKE 1 AGAINST ME, IF I DO SOMETHING ON A GOOD DAY, I HAVE TO KNOW IT WILL DRAIN ME THAT DAY OR MOST CERTAINLY THE NEXT OR SEVERAL DAYS, THAT'S WHAT I CALL "THE CHEMO WALL..."
I HAVE NO ENERGY, ALL I WANT TO DO IS SLEEP, I BECOME IRRITABLE, NO THOUGHT OF FOOD OR LIQUID, I MAY SLEEP FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT, I MAY GO TO BED WITH MY STOMACH KILLING ME, BECAUSE I COULD NOT FORCE MYSELF TO EAT ANYTHING OR IT WOULD MAKE ME PHYSICALLY SICK...
I HAVE A HARD TIME EVEN PICKING UP THE PHONE TO SAY HELLO, I NEED HELP NOW!
IF YOU MAKE A JOURNAL YOU MAY BE ABLE TO KINDA UNDERSTAND THE PATTERN A LITTLE BETTER, IT WON'T BE 100% CORRECT, BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHEN IT WILL HIT YOU OR HOW BAD...
2) I HAVE LEARNED ASKING FOR HELP IS NOT A WEAKNESS, BUT A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION...
I STARTED OFF AT OVER 200LBS, NOW I AM AT 176, I CAN NOT AFFORD TO LOSE WEIGHT, NOR CAN YOU...
NO FOOD NO ENERGY...
3) CREATE A NETWORK OF LOVED ONES VIA THE TELEPHONE, TEXT MESSAGE, EMAIL, WE ALL NEED LIFE LINES, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAD NO IDEA WHAT I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH...
I AM LOVED BY MANY, SO ARE YOU, BUT IF WE SAY NOTHING, EVERYONE THINKS - NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS...
4)I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE TO GET OUTSIDE SUPPORT LIKE THROUGH WHATEVER HOSPITAL YOU WILL BE GOING THROUGH, YOU WILL NEED A PATIENT ADVOCATE, IF NO FAMILY MEMBER IS NEAR THE HOSPITAL HAS PEOPLE TO HELP YOU FIND THAT SUPPORT WITHIN THE INSTITUTION, USE THEM! TODAY!
5) I HOPE THIS WILL HELP 1 PERSON, CHEMO IS NOT EASY, BUT WITH HELP FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS IT CAN BE EASIER THAN TRYING TO DO IT BY YOURSELF...