Changes We've Made Since Her Diagnosis

[jumptheshadow]

My partner learned she had cancer on Halloween and that it had metastasized to her bones the following week. She is receiving hormone and bone-strengthening treatments. My breast surgeon, one of the best in the world, tells me that her program has been seeing favorable life-extending outcomes for patients with bone mets with some of the newer treatments. My partner is very strong and resilient and we are deeply in love. I hope that helps.

Since then, we've made these changes:

1) We've let time slow down and are truly living in the moment. That's a big change for me, but not so much for her. It helps tremendously not to imagine future scenarios and to enjoy what we have in the present.
2) We have dropped non-nutritional foods and are eating lean proteins, whole fibers, vegetables and fruit. I never thought I'd see the day when I would see her enjoying fish and brown rice!
3) I am doing most of the housework now.
4) We take time every weekend to throw out things we don't use and are making our living space more serene.
5) We've asked relatives and friends to keep the conversation light. We've always laughed a lot together. Now, we are seeing how much better we feel whenever we have a humorous conversation.
6) She's keeping a meticulous journal of everything related to her illness, something that has helped when she fills out medical forms or talks to doctors.
7) We are very domestic but we are setting a date with friends every weekend.
8) We called Ireland to end a seven-year feud in her family. Everybody feels liberated from the chains of their grudges, and the stories from her Irish relatives are making her laugh.
9) She sleeps now on wedged foam that elevates her. I have to look up to see her in bed.
10) She has purchased a cane with a stabilizer at its bottom to help her stand up and sit down at home when I am not around.

Please feel free to share your story or make suggestions.