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Setting Goals

Cancer survivors are asked a lot of questions. One frequent one is how you manage to keep going. At times it is difficult to keep fighting. When I was having weekly chemotherapy treatments following my surgery, a friend was also in the process of weekly chemotherapy treatments. She was halfway through her treatments when she told me she was thinking of not continuing because they were taking so much out of her. I replied I was sorry to hear that but felt that she really should keep on with them. Once I had completed six of the 12 weeks, I understood what she was talking about.

Being constantly tired, not able to do the simplest of tasks, was devastating. I kept telling myself once the treatments were over I’d be fine, I could resume my life. However, little did I know my life would never be the same.

A young boy I know has been fighting cancer for six years. He was first diagnosed at age three. Since then he’s had many, many treatments -- both chemotherapy and radiation -- and five surgeries.

For me, I have discovered that having goals helps physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.

Those goals need not be huge. They can be as simple as washing a load of laundry and putting it away. Yes, that sounds very simple, but when you haven’t been able to do that for days or weeks or months, it can be quite an accomplishment.

I set goals for myself on a daily basis. I set the goal of attending my high school class Spring luncheon in Iowa. Although I was in the hospital in Billings to have kidney stone surgery just before I had to leave for Iowa, I made that trip. Even though I only had a few days with my brother and nieces and nephews and their families, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip.

But most of my goals may seem small. To me, however, their size is much different.

Some days it takes a lot of talking to myself to complete a goal. I know, though, if I don’t finish what I started, I’m not helping myself get stronger or keep going.

Chemotherapy treatments do take a lot out of a person. The most common side effect is fatigue. And that’s the one side effect everyone hears about. Yet, if you don’t set goals because you think you won’t meet them because of the fatigue, you are failing yourself.

You have to be stern with yourself. You have to keep saying to yourself, “I will do this. I will not let anything keep me from my goal.” Maybe you won’t meet your goal that day. Maybe you will have to work at it one or two more days to get it done. The fact, though, that you kept on until you do accomplish what you set out to do is cause for rejoicing.

And your goals don’t have to be ones that will take weeks or months to meet. Receiving a call from a friend to go with them to have lunch and accepting the invitation is a goal and meeting it can do wonders.

Looking forward to even an hour or two at the fair, having a hamburger and cool drink, spending an hour sitting outside in the evening, writing a note to a long-time friend, or even cooking a simple meal are all goals you can have.

Giving up is not in my vocabulary. Setting goals for yourself and meeting them, no matter what they are or what size they are, to not let anything keep you down, to always do the very best for yourself -- that is what keeps me going.

 

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