Learning to live like a healthy person

Here is a goal for me for the year: Learn to live like a healthy person. It doesn't sound that complicated but it is.

Here's a brief recap of me in case you forgot any ailments:

• 2 cancers
• 8 surgeries for cancer and hysterectomy, bad knee, gall bladder
• Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerating disks in my back, left arm lymphedema 
• Depression and anxiety (I feel I am entitled based on the other bullets)

 I feel like I might be missing something but that gives you the basic idea of with what I have to cope (is that grammatically correct?). I can't remember because of chemobrain/fibro fog. See I knew I missed something!

So to think like a healthy person:

1. I can't let myself think that any ache and pain is a new cancer.
2. Nor can I let myself attribute any new ache or pain is an existing ailment or a side effect of a medication.

I need to put all of this aside and relearn to think like a healthy person.

• An cold needs to follow the three day rule - if it doesn't improve in three days, call the doctor.
• An ache or pain needs to do follow the five day rule - if it doesn't improve in five days, call the doctor.
• Dripping blood still needs to go to the ER... well maybe, it depends on how much blood.

If I can stop hyper-focusing on my health and learn to think 'if I was a healthy person, what would I do' every time, I think I can get more balance back into my life. A nice goal in life.

World Cancer Day

Today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. The target of the day is to Debunk the Myths surrounding cancer.

World Cancer day started a few years back. They presented signatures to the United Nations in 2011 with the goal by 2025 of:

There will be major reductions in premature deaths from cancer, and improvements in quality of life and cancer survival rates.

I like their way of thinking. They set up a list of targets and this year is to Debunk the Myths. You can go to their website and see more details on the myths and their other targets.

To show your support for this day, if you had cancer you are supposed to wear purple. Hmmm.... Isn't that labelling? I hate labels. I am not the S-word. But I want to show my support.

Today I am taking a family member to chemotherapy so will be hanging out in the oncology department. How much purple will be there?

My compromise is a purple patterned shirt and purple undergarments. Am I a weenie? I'm not sure. I just hate the labels.

I digress. Today is World Cancer Day.  Show your support by learning more about it and seeing what you can do to help.