On The Front Lines

                                                                      Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


O Lord, My best desires fulfill
and help me to resign life
health and comfort to thy will
and make thy pleasure mine.
WM. Cowper

My workplace is quite well known for their yearly Breast Cancer Walks, so we are very familiar with anything related to that cause. Throughout the year, we have various fundraisers that we participate in like Bake Sales, Candy Sales and Parking Spot Raffle to name a few. This year, they also brought in a speaker, a breast cancer survivor to encourage us to join the cause.

She made a great point in her testimony, one that I never even considered. There are two types of patients: The kind that go in and have the surgery, walking out with no further treatment except maybe medication. Or the kind on the front lines, having chemotherapy and radiation. 

I've never considered the two distinctions. I have always been on the front lines. That is all I know. I couldn't get her off my mind for the rest of the day. Her testimony left an impact on me. She is so right. So many of us are out there battling cancer every single day. A battle of several battles. 

She has forgotten one thing, she is also battling. Maybe she isn't in full throttle of treatment medically, but her battle is in the everyday living with the disease. We are never free of this disease. We have long lasting side effects to deal with both physically and mentally. We have to deal with the spiritual side which we all end up confronting no matter what your belief system. There are our families, friends and even our jobs that are effected by our battle. 

People automatically assume that when treatment ends, we have won. Nothing could be farther from the truth. That, my friends, is just the beginning. Managing our health has suddenly been pushed up front to the top list of importance in our lives. I cannot tell you how many doctor visits, tests, monitoring of my Bmi's and anything pertaining to my well being, I take notice of on a daily basis.

 Please do understand that I'm speaking from my perspective. I know of a few people who have gone back to their old lifestyle after treatment. They continue smoking, eating the wrong things and not bothering with appointments. Why? I have no idea. Maybe they feel invincible? Or they don't care about themselves? Not sure of the why.

All I know is that no matter what disease we are fighting, we shall fight until the last breath is exhaled. That's how I feel. There is so much more than the treatment. There is so much more we can learn and become even better at managing our health. It is very important for us to take good care of ourselves. We are not here on this earth for just ourselves. Everything we say or do affects someone. Our lives matter. I just wish we all knew that. Take good care of your health.

Have a blessed day everyone.