How do You Handle a Rough Week?

You know those weeks. The ones where day after day just seems to pile on from the unpleasantness of the previous day. When there just doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, at least that you an see. Where you just feel blah, then awful, then downright terrible. You know what I’m talking about, because we’ve all had them.

So it’s really more of a question than any particular answer I might have to offer. How do YOU handle it?

This week has been a tough one physically. Just as I think I’m starting to get a handle on the whole crappy sleep thing, all that sleep depravation combined with my lower immune system left me open to catching a cold. Nothing special, just your garden variety cold I think. But add that on top of everything else already in play and it makes each day that much harder. Each morning a little more difficult to get out of bed early and keep up the healthy fight. Each night a little harder to sleep because, you know, that coughing thing does make sleeping a bit tougher as well.

By Wednesday I was dragging along and my gut decided to chime in. “Hey, remember me?” The sharpest and most consistent pain I’ve felt since being diagnosed. As in doubled over ouch.

I know, ladies out there are rolling their eyes saying we go through this pretty often too you know. Lately I’m feeling a lot more sympathy for you.

For whatever reason it was a doozy, and I have no big change in my diet or activity I can pinpoint as the cause. Just one of those things I’m dealing with as part of the challenge. But thankfully I was able to take some sleep assistance, crawl into bed and by morning feeling ok again. Back on the bike and enjoying some fitness driven endorphins. Apologies to those on bikes around me having to endure the periodic hacking into my elbow. I do try to avoid spreading the unwanted bugs.

Friday I got some tough news on some things work related, which only adds to the stress. Crap. That’s been all too frequent in the last few years. Who knows how that will turn out. Don’t need that right now, but what can you do? Just work harder and try to contribute to the solution.

Mostly that’s been my week. Up each day putting forward some effort to be healthy as I can, be productive, and get to bed each night early enough to get a full night of sleep if my body will cooperate. I can definitely feel the difference when I get a more solid set of sleep hours vs when the night is more interrupted. But then can’t we all?

This too shall pass

That’s how I typically make it through any challenge in life. Realizing there is an end in sight, or a finish line I can work toward. That’s how I hit the rest button on my weight and fitness, putting forward a plan with a finite goal in mind. I can do anything for a specific period of time. Cut the calories and tough it through the hunger. Check. Cycle a little harder knowing there is only so many more minutes left in the class? I got this. Those kind of challenges are easy to wrap my mind around.

These bigger ones take a bit more thought and finding a long term view.

The outcome in this case is uncertain. I don’t control all the factors involved. We have our goals, hopes and expectations, but some of this we have to just trust that whatever happens will happen. I hope some day to be able to say that changing my health in a significant way this last year saved my life. Not just figuratively, but literally.

So I still believe this too shall pass, but cancer really is one of those things that never does fully pass. It’s with you as a challenge for the rest of your life. There’s gotta be some other life lesson to be found there, right?

Thanks to you

As I’ve mentioned many times, all I can do is what I can do, and I try to do that each day. I’m grateful to those that have offered their support in so many ways. Even those small gestures to stop by and say hi, or that card that comes in the mail with a “thinking of you” sentiment. I’m continually amazed at the thoughtfulness of people I know have busy lives and somehow have thought to follow that prompt to send a note of encouragement.

To those ladies that stopped by with a some gift cards and a hug for my wife. To those neighbors who know a gift card that lets me take the kids for a some solo time and a treat means more than anything. To those near life long friends of my parents that send a note with some crafty origami of a dollar bill and words of encouragement. To those friends that drag my butt to the gym or yoga to make sure I don’t give in on a particularly groggy morning. To those…the list goes on, and you all know who you are. Thank you. I’m finding this journey to be a team effort, and your efforts sure have made a difference.

So how do I handle a rough week?

After experiencing my week, I happened online to see a friend lament at his bad week. And it was a bad one from what was shared. Reminds me that no matter how bad things seem to get, there’s always someone else having a worse time at it. Sometimes days, weeks or even longer periods of time can pretty much suck. There’s no two ways about it. We can have the best attitude about it all and have the long view in mind, but it’s ok to sometimes admit that at the moment, some things are just not great. Sucky. Crappy. No bueno.

Do what you need to do. Have a good cry. Drive up in the mountains and shout it out to the sky. That’s a particular favorite of mine. But what we do after that is what really matters. Pick yourself up and move forward. This week it was all about getting to the next bit of fitness to fuel with some endorphins & sweat. The photo at the top of this note is my happy to be in some warmer weather little dog dragging me for a mile or so. Good stuff.

So that’s what I’m trying to do. This next day, this next week, this next month. Just look forward to the next upswing and work toward making the next day better. Seems a whole lot better than any alternative.