This past Friday, January 9, 2009, was my last radiation treatment for my prostate cancer. I had been receiving treatment for the past two months, 37 days to be exact. Every day, as I would walk into the entrance to the Altru Cancer Center, which is part of the Altru Health System located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, I would see these words on the wall:
"Life is measured in years, but when you live with cancer it's divided into moments."
At first I did not see the wisdom in these words, however, by the third - fourth week of treatment, when the side effects from the radiation began to rack my body, when I became tired of receiving treatments every day, when I lost my appetite and had to force myself to eat, when my constant diarrhea and bladder issues slowed me from doing work, when I saw many other cancer patients much worse then me, then the cruel reality of having cancer began to sink in, and the wisdom in these words slowly became apparent.
I began to really appreciate the good life I had, which I realized was the result of Wakan Tanka's generosity. This realization led me to focus on whatever particular activities I was doing and to enjoy those activities without letting myself become distracted by other issues. Whether it was playing pool, visiting with friends, shopping, eating, sleeping, working, or the weekends I spent with my children and grandchildren, each activity was special.
I began not to "sweat the small stuff." "Why didn't I have this attitude before?" I asked myself. Why does a person have to suffer a calamity before he/she appreciates how good a life he/she is living, I thought somewhat bitterly?
Then I attended the North Dakota State Pool Tournament is Minot, ND this weekend, and experienced generosity from people I least expected it from. Their generosity changed my bitterness into thankfulness.
The pool tournament was a nice break after two months of radiation treatment. What was especially enjoyable was I could attend it without having to worry about returning to Grand Forks for more radiation treatments.
Pool players are the biggest liars of all. They are bigger liars then poker players, fishermen; you name them, pool players could out fib any of them. Pool players are also notoriously self-centered. They only pretend to listen to someone, and then they talk about themselves as long as someone is in the vicinity. In spite of these character flaws, several pool players made it a point to come sit by me for many minutes and listen to my story, ask questions, and offer me encouragement.
I was humbled by their generosity with their time, and their willingness to set aside their own egos and come and give me support. The conversations I had with them lifted my spirit.
I also cannot say enough about the generosity of the staff at the Cancer Center. They were extremely flexible with my schedule allowing me to select the times of my treatments. They were generous with their knowledge, answering my many questions to the best of their ability. Finally, they were generous with their considerateness; not once did they make me feel I was a burden.
Generosity, as a virtue, is often underrated.
"Life is measured in years, but when you live with cancer it's divided into moments."
At first I did not see the wisdom in these words, however, by the third - fourth week of treatment, when the side effects from the radiation began to rack my body, when I became tired of receiving treatments every day, when I lost my appetite and had to force myself to eat, when my constant diarrhea and bladder issues slowed me from doing work, when I saw many other cancer patients much worse then me, then the cruel reality of having cancer began to sink in, and the wisdom in these words slowly became apparent.
I began to really appreciate the good life I had, which I realized was the result of Wakan Tanka's generosity. This realization led me to focus on whatever particular activities I was doing and to enjoy those activities without letting myself become distracted by other issues. Whether it was playing pool, visiting with friends, shopping, eating, sleeping, working, or the weekends I spent with my children and grandchildren, each activity was special.
I began not to "sweat the small stuff." "Why didn't I have this attitude before?" I asked myself. Why does a person have to suffer a calamity before he/she appreciates how good a life he/she is living, I thought somewhat bitterly?
Then I attended the North Dakota State Pool Tournament is Minot, ND this weekend, and experienced generosity from people I least expected it from. Their generosity changed my bitterness into thankfulness.
The pool tournament was a nice break after two months of radiation treatment. What was especially enjoyable was I could attend it without having to worry about returning to Grand Forks for more radiation treatments.
Pool players are the biggest liars of all. They are bigger liars then poker players, fishermen; you name them, pool players could out fib any of them. Pool players are also notoriously self-centered. They only pretend to listen to someone, and then they talk about themselves as long as someone is in the vicinity. In spite of these character flaws, several pool players made it a point to come sit by me for many minutes and listen to my story, ask questions, and offer me encouragement.
I was humbled by their generosity with their time, and their willingness to set aside their own egos and come and give me support. The conversations I had with them lifted my spirit.
I also cannot say enough about the generosity of the staff at the Cancer Center. They were extremely flexible with my schedule allowing me to select the times of my treatments. They were generous with their knowledge, answering my many questions to the best of their ability. Finally, they were generous with their considerateness; not once did they make me feel I was a burden.
Generosity, as a virtue, is often underrated.
