Embracing Life

Give yourself permission to enjoy life and choose activities that bring you pleasure and joy, even if outside your comfort zone. Cancer Survivors sometimes blame themselves when they feel fatigue or pain after doing activities that are important for their vitality. How can we both accept our vulnerabilities and be willing to embrace life?

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Showing 5 comments
  • Nancy Seibel
    Reply

    Kelly, I find this to be right on point. I finished treatment about 6 weeks ago. As we all know, “finished treatment” doesn’t mean “done with side effects!” My course of treatment was chemo-surgery-radiation. Whether it’s the cumulative effect of all the emotional & physical stressors or primarily due to radiation, I find I can’t predict my limits very well right now. I’ve been surprised time and again by a profound, undeniable fatigue which seems only partly related to activity level. It took me a while to realize how frustrated and angry I was getting about this. I’m now consciously going for a kind and nurturing response to this reality.

  • Nancy Seibel
    Reply

    Kelly, I find this to be right on point. I finished treatment about 6 weeks ago. As we all know, “finished treatment” doesn’t mean “done with side effects!” My course of treatment was chemo-surgery-radiation. Whether it’s the cumulative effect of all the emotional & physical stressors or primarily due to radiation, I find I can’t predict my limits very well right now. I’ve been surprised time and again by a profound, undeniable fatigue which seems only partly related to activity level. It took me a while to realize how frustrated and angry I was getting about this. I’m now consciously going for a kind and nurturing response to this reality.

    • mm
      Kelly Inselmann
      Reply

      Dear Nancy-Thanks for sharing. Yes, it’s so hard to know where the energy limits are until we are there there. For those of us used to pushing past these limits (like me), it’s disconcerting not to be able to do so anymore. I like your intention of kindness and nurturing. And giving yourself time…you have been very busy doing important work as well! People should check out your website at http://www.keystochange.net/ask-give-help/

  • Linda Griesel
    Reply

    Kelly – spot on! I’m experiencing this over 2 years out of treatment. Last year I overdid it” at a Team Survivor sponsored course, and was in PT for over 6 months to repair my injury. I stopped every exercise besides yoga and walking my dog ( more ambling than walking). I did not accept my discomfort as something temporary. I blamed myself and stopped stretching myself. I gave up on taking chances on any life-affirming activities.
    I’m trying to accept my discomforts, physical and mental, and to take chances and to let myself rest and recover. It is worth it. Thank you! Sat nam, Linda

    • mm
      Kelly Inselmann
      Reply

      Thanks for this Linda. I really like framing it as “temporary” and not some sort of punishment or judgment or permanent limitation against living life well, even with all the uncertainty. XO

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