Welcome to the Cancer World - Part 1

So you or someone you know just found out they have cancer. Welcome to the club. If there were a top 10 list of clubs you would like to join, the cancer club would probably not be on that list. So, you got the short end of the stick. Sulk for a bit, then get your brain focused because you (or a loved one) has cancer to beat.

If I knew then what I know now, I would do the following the first week I found out Lulu got diagnosed, along other things I managed to do to keep my sanity.

1) Find a notebook and pen. Takes notes whenever the doctors or nurses are talking to you. Your brain is not functioning properly and therefore about 5% of the words being spoken are retained in your brain. Take notes of daily blood levels so that in the following weeks you can find trends. You can really get to know how your kids body works.

2) Get some fresh air. I think it was after the first week, I couldn't shake the depression. Every story is different. For us we were confined to a hospital room for 30 ish days. Lulu wasn't able to leave because she had zero ability to fight off any infection. My moods quickly changed. I was constantly crying, trying to put on a show for the visitors we had, then just crumbling when it was the three of us alone in the hospital room. Eventually the crying got annoying so I forced myself to go out and jog around the base. (We were initially at Navy Balboa Medical Center)

3) Statistics - Those things are stupid. Stay away from the statistics. For leukemia, it's only 5 year stats anyways. Who really wants to know the odds of surviving 5 years? Focus on more important stuff.

4) Nourish - Your body is going to get beat up from chemo. It's toxic stuff. You need to help your body recover and 99% of the time the oncologist and the hospital staff will not be of assistance. I would recommend Biodynamic Wellness. Covered by insurance? No. Expensive? Yes. Worth every penny? Yes. If you're not in the California area, you can make appointments via skype or phone.

5) One day at a time - The first few weeks were a bit crazy and overwhelming. Just take it one day at a time. When you wake up, figure out what's on the agenda for the day and go from there. It's been over a year since Lulu's diagnosis and I've graduated from focusing on the day, to the week, and now I'm at the "month" status. I like knowing what's going on for the month and maximizing each day.