Latter-day Saint Life

10 Things Chemotherapy Taught Me About Life, the Gospel, and Christ

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When 29-year-old Danny Steenhoek went to urgent care on July 3, he had no idea he was about to be diagnosed with cancer and enter the long, painful treatment phase that included chemotherapy. But during this difficult time, he gained 10 profound lessons we should all take to heart. 

Chemotherapy is a long-drawn-out process that essentially is poisoning you just enough for your body to handle, and then they back off for a little bit to let your body recover just enough before the next round.

The pain manifests itself in the constant discomfort in different parts of the body. With the pain came lots of resting and waiting for the process to work. In the meantime, there are hours and hours of reflection that take place amidst the discomfort, serving as a constant reminder that I have cancer. It allowed me to think about some beautiful principles and taught me so much about life. I’ve learned too much to keep it to myself. Below are some of the things that I learned:

1. Everyone is going through something

Cancer has taught me that the best attitude to have is one of gratitude. There is always someone who has it worse than we do or who has had it worse. It was eye-opening to walk through the halls of the infusion center where people get chemo and realize that the rooms are always full. One of my chemo buddies had to go through similar treatment as I did. The difference is she is much lighter than I am but receives the same dosage of poison, not to mention she had to endure an additional round due to her type of cancer.

Lead image from the Deseret News
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