New Life and New Beginnings With COPD
I have an update on my journey with a cancer scare. After many weeks of tests and very lonely, scary moments, I found out on Wednesday that I am cancer-free. I've had every conceivable thing done to my body for the specialists to verify their findings. During the waiting time, I suffered many days of sheer terror, hoping my body would play ball.
Having COPD and cancer is no picnic. Having been through both cervical and breast cancer with my lung issues has not been easy. I knew that if I got cancer again my body would never withstand another bought of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Waiting and hoping
I think the worst part of any procedure is the waiting period afterward. My family was wonderful and so supportive, but I couldn't stop thinking about the results. On top of all of this, we were still looking for a home of our own. We also had to make sure that our daughter was aware of the consequences of the outcome should I have cancer. She has been through so much in her short life. The last thing I wanted to do was add extra stress to her already fragile situation.
I woke up on Wednesday morning and knew that it was going to be a tough day. So with my hands trembling and my mouth completely dry, I made the call.
The verdict
My doctor said was that no cancer was found and all I remember doing was breathing out really heavily and sitting there for a while. The weight of the past couple of weeks just lifted and I felt a renewed sense of relief. My family was over the moon and extremely happy for me. I'm sure their worries were just as stressful for them as mine were for me. We were all so elated.
What does this mean for me? I need to make some serious changes in my lifestyle and get back to some kind of normalcy.
Following a brighter path
My doctor has advised me that the only reason she can see for my weight loss is my COPD. So over the past couple of days, I've been exercising again, after about 5 months of inactivity.
I've been trying to eat mindfully and have been consuming anything and everything that I think will increase my calorie intake. I now need to focus on eating meals that will help sustain a healthy weight and help me put the weight back on.
Nathan bought me a daily diary so I can record all the information I need by keeping track of my progress. First is my daily exercise routine and how I can add more time to each one. The second is what I'm eating during the day and upping my calorie intake. The third is my emotional response to all of this and how it affects me and how I feel about myself.
All of this will help motivate and encourage me to do better and see the results of my hard work.
I'm so excited about my new life.
Editor's Note: We are heartbroken to share that Liana passed away in November of 2021. She is deeply missed but her encouragement and positivity live on through her articles. Thank you for everything, Liana.
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