Overcoming Adversity, Part 3

I know you've been waiting on pins and needles for this, the final installment of my Overcoming Adversity talk from MOPS.

If you haven't already, stop and go read Part 1 and Part 2 before you continue. I'll wait.

Okay, here we go...

3. Focus Forward

I could spend a lot of time asking why.

Why me, Lord??? What did I do to deserve this awful diagnosis?

And on a more practical level, why me... what choices did I make with regard to my body and my health, or what have I been exposed to in my lifetime, that could have made my body turn against me like this?

But in reality, those kinds of questions aren't helpful, because the truth is, it doesn't matter why.

Let me say that again.

It
Doesn't
Matter
Why

Knowing why doesn't make me able to suddenly go back and change anything. What matters is, I am HERE, in the midst of this mess, and I don't want to stay HERE.

So instead of wasting my time asking why, and feeling sorry for myself, I choose to focus my energy and my thoughts forward. Here are some more relevant questions I ask myself:

What do I need to do TODAY to get through this? Tomorrow?
What am I going to do with myself when this is all over?
What parts of my life - the good stuff - can I hold onto right now, during the crazy, so that I don't feel robbed?
How can I use this crappy situation to lift others up, and bring glory to God?

Y'all.
Being diagnosed with bc at 33 sucks. I'm not trying to sugar coat that. But by doing these three things -
     Accepting help,
     Watching my inputs, and
     Focusing forward,
I am pretty confident that I'm in a position to walk this journey in the best way I can.

I might have been given a cactus, but I don't have to sit on it!

I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and I will save you!

Isaiah 46:4

So, my current status: I finally got my infusion on Friday (attempt #4). My white counts are back up where they need to be, but my platelets are even lower. Off to the hematologist I go on Tuesday, to try and find a cause and/or a solution for this. 

In case you're wondering, platelets are what makes your blood clot, so that you don't bleed out over a minor cut. Mine aren't dangerously low, so I'm not super concerned, but they're trending downward so we've got to reverse that trend before they get too low.

I'm feeling great overall - I'm just about over a bad cold, and the infusion wasn't bad. Radiation is going well - I actually look forward to it because they have a jigsaw puzzle in the waiting room, and I love puzzles!