Letters to a Cancer Patient by Jennifer Lynne Opalewski

Author:Jennifer Lynne Opalewski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion/Christian Life/Inspirational
Publisher: Elm Hill
Published: 2018-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

A LETTER ON PERSPECTIVE

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 CORINTHIANS 4:17–18

I remember the exact moment I changed my perspective on my cancer and, as result, I became incredibly empowered. My mom and I were at the wig shop. I still had my hair but the doctors warned me it would start falling out soon. I was scared and felt I had lost all control over every aspect of my life. But sitting in the chair with a wig on my head, I decided I would be the one to say when and how I lost my hair. I stopped viewing it as something that was just happening to me and started seeing it as something I could embrace as a sign of healing. So, I took my time trying on every wig I could until I found “the one” that made me feel most like myself. I made a promise to myself that I would not watch myself deteriorate but rather, I would shave my head at the first sign of hair loss.

It was two weeks after my first chemo treatment when I pulled the first chunk of hair out. My initial instinct was to cry my eyes out—which I did. Then I remembered the promise I made to myself. Pulling one chunk of hair out was already enough for me. I couldn’t watch myself slowly fall apart. So I called my hairstylist cousin, Dana, and asked her to come over and shave my head that night. After I reached out to her, I called a bunch of my family members and asked them if they would come support me that night. Every single person I called was there and together, we took control of one tiny aspect of my cancer.

By changing my perspective—my outlook—on cancer’s control of my life, I was able to have this intense moment of empowerment. It was my choice to take that step. You are probably thinking of ways you have already done this or maybe ways in which you could—I encourage you to grab hold of these things and instead of wallowing and feeling defeated, take the reins! Turn something awful into something good! It will change your life and unleash confidence you didn’t know you had inside you.

Because of this, the next time I was presented with the opportunity to change my perspective, I excitedly took it! Since I’m a teacher, there was no way I could be around my students while undergoing such intense chemo. So, I had to take the year off. I was heartbroken. I love my students—my job was a dream come true for me. I spent so much time crying and feeling sorry for myself until one day I realized this was a blessing. I came to understand that my

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