It’s day 4 of chemo, and Subi was not going to let Jadan leave without her this morning. She had a lovely ride to the hospital, cuddling in Jadan’s lap. With only one more day to go, it will be a relief to complete the first of four weeks of chemo. Jadan is doing very well, considering how many different medications he is taking. We are still dialing in specifics on types of medication and dosages. I have deep respect for all those who are on his care team. I have learned that treating this cancer is difficult due to its nature and is unique to the individual. I appreciate how Jadan’s nurse constantly evaluates and analyzes his reaction to treatments to ensure he feels as well as possible.
We were looking forward to seeing Amanda at check-in. Jadan received his words of encouragement and support on his bracelet, and I learned that Amanda writes each message by hand at home after a full day’s work.
As I reflected on Jadan’s message, the video Armed by Devon Gundry came to mind. Armed was inspired by a prayer from the Bahá’í Writings, where a soul is protected by the power of God’s Name. Rather than focusing on fear, one focuses on the power of Divine Beauty and Knowledge through the world’s spiritual educators.
This theme seemed to resonate throughout the day. Jadan had another wonderful visit from the pharmacist, who reminded him to pray for healing. He also brought Jadan a thoughtful gift: an 11-page section of The New York Times from 1996, “Themes of the Times…Physics,” covering an assortment of topics, such as the mass of the universe, neutrinos, ice shelves melting, and lightning above storm clouds.
Jadan had already been studying the Law of Transformation of Velocities before his gift; what perfect timing!
One of the challenging side effects of treatment has been smell. He gets frequent whiffs of chemo meds. His nurse suggested essential oils and patches to help fill his sense of smell with frankincense, lavender, and peppermint. One thing that helped this afternoon was green chili from lunch. Each time he smelled chemo meds, he took a sniff and a sip of his green chili. It was a total success!
Chemo Day 4 art was created in gratitude for green chilies and a caring, kind, and skilled health care team that provided a ‘blessed spot’ for Jadan and patients to heal.
“Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.”
Soul Gardening: Jadan's Cancer Journey 