Living like you are dying

This is an internal struggle at times. Ironically you do not begin to think like this until 1-2 years after diagnosis. That was my experience. The first year and a half my mind and energy were dedicated to treatment. After the fog of chemotherapy completely wore off I was back into the work groove. With that came a feeling of accomplishment … mixed with a few negatives.

I tend to go all out in everything I do. This attribute helped in battling cancer. It also helped me re-enter the corporate world. The issue I had is driving too hard at work, placing too much stress on myself. It took six months to admit this to myself and my wife. She along with my family and friends had recognized it a few months before. They tried to reel me in but I was too stubborn. I felt like I needed to do as much as I could as fast as I could to provide for my wife and two daughters. This was driven by a feeling that I could die … so I began to live as if my life in this dimension was going to be cut short. As you can guess I crashed.

Thankfully I have that amazing support from my wife, daughters, family and friends. I simply needed to draw strength from that and re-focus. Keep it simple and live in the moment. That works for all of us. I apply that and when necessary reel it back in, which enables me to be successful at work … more importantly successful at home!

Matt McGlynn
www.ImTooYoungForThis.org
www.NBTF.com