A Urinary Tract Blessing?

If you’re squeamish, this blog post probably isn’t for you. I spend time talking about UTIs and my experience with them. There was no other way to describe the events of this day without these details.

I felt down today and had the flu symptoms of  aches, fatigue, lethargy, plus the added benefit of some painful peeing. Seriously, it took me 3 hours to gather the strength to get out of bed and take my morning medications. I had an appointment to get my oil changed that I had to reschedule because I lacked the energy. I felt depressed, lost and alone. After some difficulties using the bathroom (I’ll spare you the gory details), I called the nurse at the cancer center. They advised me to come there to get some blood work and a urine sample done. I almost didn’t go. I felt out of it.  However, after 20 minutes of talking myself into it, I hopped in the car and did just that. After some labs, the doctor wrote a prescription for a UTI and sent me on my merry way. Labs also showed some anemia (which is not uncommon for where I am at in the cycle). The doctor gave me medicine for the infection but they did so much more.

As I said, I was down and did not feel good. I waited in the lobby for about 40 minutes and they brought me back into the chemo room. It was there, that my spirits began to rise. It was a busy day and most of the chairs were full. They were full of people who are going through what I am going through. They were down, but kept their heads up. All courteous and kind. All fighting for the same goal of survival. Their faces showed their joy of life, their eyes showed the determination, and their actions showed their compassion. I knew nobody in that room, but yet they knew me. We laughed and we talked as if we had been life long friends because we share one common goal: to kill that which is trying to kill us. It was a sense of belonging in a room full of strangers.

The chemo room experience gave me just enough to seek more. I craved friendly faces. So I stopped by work and saw my friends. It put me on cloud 9. I felt normal again. Walking through the halls and talking with my coworkers, joking around, and talking about life was just what the doctor ordered without the doctor actually ordering it.

Here’s the deal. I’m a guy that derives inspiration from quotes. “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” is one of my favorites. It seems inevitable for me that this the time frame of a chemo cycle where I have to focus on keeping my spirits up. It is easy to get down when you feel yucky, but it is also easy to get lifted when you quiet your mind long enough to see the blessings. Without the UTI and feeling bad, I’d never have gotten that reminder that I’m not alone, people are fighting with me and pulling for me. That, my friends, is more powerful than any infection could ever be. It is hope. With hope comes inspiration, courage, and motivation. All 4 can change the world, let alone a person’s perception of their day.

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. They can come from right in front of you or millions of miles away. My request is that you let those blessing happen, see the opportunity in the setbacks and seize them.

Much love

–Jeff