Hi Rochelle,
I feel like a wimp here posting on how to get through each day (I'm only Stage II).
But here's a few things (for what they are worth)...
I decided that the Almighty felt I needed to have this experience because I just might need to share my experience with others someday in the future and help them through it - I felt this same way about getting divorced from my first husband and it turned out to be true. It seems I'm always the trailblazer amongst my friends Hopefully, in this case, I'm here to encourage them to be proactive and not shepard them through a similar experience.
Being a former Psychology major, I also felt strongly that I needed to talk my issues out with a trained professional (not just friends and family). So I've been seeing a Therapist for the last month. We talk about my treatments, how I feel about these chemicals coursing through my body, how I felt when I was diagnosed, how I feel/think/envision the future, etc.
Sometimes I laugh though my sessions, sometimes I cry during them... but I always feel better and like I'm being more proactive about my life.
My husband keeps me going. He's a complete smarta** and witty as all heck.... I've spent the last 6 years training him to my liking and I'm not about to give up the fight (when there's still some training left that he needs) He also described me once as reminding him of a llittle terrier going after something - aka determined and stubborn anything under the sun. And knowing that he sees me that way, helps me BE that way about fighting this.
And, since my family has a weird sense of humor, I tell myself that I'm way too much of a b*tch, cranky woman, hornery, etc to give up the fight anytime soon.
Monkey