Two weeks ago, we went for my husband, Bill's, cancer assessment to get the results of his CT scan which was done the day before the assessment meeting. After two years of wondering what would happen to Bill regarding his bladder cancer and whether or not he could keep his bladder or his life, when we learned that his tumors were 'resolved, we went emotionally blank.
Our news from the CT scan could not be better. The scan showed no sign of cancer. The tumors disappeared and the lymph nodes were back to normal size.
WHY AM I NOT REJOICING?
So why am I not rejoicing? The doctor was astonished -- he said he has rarely seen anything like this and the nurse cried when she shared this great news with us. We don't think the news has hit us yet but will probably only make it real when we don't have to keep going back to the cancer hospital so often for treatments and can pick up on other things in our life.
The funny thing is that I went into a slump the very next day after the good news. My blood pressure went up and I felt gloomy. Why? My rational mind has come up with the following reasons:
A. It is a great relief and I can now exhale and let go of the immediate caretaker concern that has been a big part of 'who I am' in this part of our life and now the life we were starting to get use to we are released from.
B. It is just before Christmas and the holidays make me feel a bit sad around family stuff and how things have changed over the years.
C. I have to accept that getting older is part of life and let go of expectations and ideas that are outlived.
CHANGING MY PERSPECTIVE
I looked for ways to deal with the internal processes of adjusting to this change. Here is my philosophy that has helped pulled me from the slump to a good place as I move through life's journey with all its ups and downs:
1. Just carry on. Like walking the Camino, you will have to go uphill and downhill in the rain, the cold, the heat, and the warm and sunny days - one step at a time.
2. Face the day as best you can by keeping as positive an attitude as possible. When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself "what can I do to contribute to life today?"
3. Face your struggles and strive to confront and deal with them in constructive ways. Never pretend something away - look for solutions EVERYWHERE. There is no one key that works for anyone and there may not be one key that works for you - explore a problem from many perspectives, continue to explore, be curious and keep an open mind. Answers can come from the strangest places if we're open to SEE.
4. Learn from each struggle you face and let it teach you something that will make you stronger. Life is a great teacher so be open to learning from it - you never know what you'll learn about yourself along the way. Isn't life dynamic and so very interesting?
5. Look for the sunshine in the day. No matter what the day brings, be grateful for something - a little flower popping up out of a crack in the concrete driveway, a child smiling at his grandpa, a beautiful piece of fruit to eat. Life is rich and generous even if it doesn't feel that way at this moment - look for the gifts and be as grateful as you can that you are alive and can witness a lovely image or experience.
6. Events in life happen but the processing of their effect on us takes time. Be patient with yourself and give yourself a break from the tyranny of pursuit in life. You really don't have to 'do' anything today. Give yourself some 'gaps' in life. Take a breather and let that be OK.
BOTTOM LINE
Change what you can and if you can't change something, be sure to change the way you're looking at it so that you maintain a healthy frame of mind and a good flow of hormonal chemicals throughout your body.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. ~Philip K. Dick
Stay awake, alert, and aware - be aware of what may trip you up, how others may affect you, and what you need in order to stay strong - that is how we grow; YOU are the most important person in your life. The rest of the story is our teacher.
https://ezinearticles.com/?Transitioning-From-a-Slump-to-a-Good-Place&id=9852625
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