One Day at a Time

As I have embarked on this breast cancer journey as a survivor and a Breast Health Navigator, I have realized I have learned more from my patients than I ever could from reading about life.

As we all know, things happen in life that aren’t in our planning books or wireless handheld devices. We think our planned out day turns into a nightmare because we overslept and didn’t get to work on time, or you realized you forgot to buy more shampoo and cannot wash your hair before going to work.

These things sound so trivial and in the grand scheme of things, are very small.

Wake up some day to a phone call and the voice on the other end says, “You have breast cancer.” Now that is not a way to start any day. You are suddenly thrown into a talespin of fear, confusion and most of all, unknowns…

”I didn’t ask for this”…”the report must be wrong”…”do they have the right person???” “ I feel fine.” These are just a few of the questions and thoughts that go thru your mind as you are trying to process this new challenge.

Each and every one of the women that I have spoken with that have been diagnosed with breast cancer all have similiar thoughts. The one thing that I have noticed about all of them is that they are strong. Strong in their faith, their character, and their determination to beat this disease.

I admire each and every one of them. The journey is long. Each day is different. You must take “one day at a time.”

There is a poem that I read and love that reminds me of so many of my patient’s and what I try to convey to them:

"Life is like a day, the sun goes up, then down, and I figure, life is like that, you go up, and you go down, don’t give up though, for you’ll make it. Remember, sun up, sun down." Written by Jay Hendrickson (11 yrs. Old, who died of osteosarcoma in 2001)

Remember, One day at a time…sun up, sun down.

- Dana McGuirk, RN, BSN

Breast Health Navigator