Day 2 started with words of support, encouragement, and nausea. Jadan’s handwritten love messages on his medical bracelet are a necessity now. They are just a small reminder of how much he is appreciated.
It continues to be challenging to see him suffer. He has moved ‘into’ himself these last two days. From the outside, watching is hard. According to Merriam-Webster (2025) suffering is “to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it”. And when ‘Abdu’l-Baha was asked, “Does the soul progress more through sorrow or through the joy in this world?” he replied, “The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering. The more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow, the better the harvest will be. Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment. His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness” (Paris Talks, p.178). Jadan is a perfect example of how he is commtted to choosing positive thoughts during his last week of treatment. Every time his nurse asks him how he is doing, he says, “I’m good!” even when he is struggling. His strength is an inspiriation.
When nausea hits, a cool wash cloth helps. He tends to get warm and by cooling him down, it helps take the focus off not feeling well. He is still sensitive to the smells of the saline, steroid and chemo meds. The nurses are always coming up with new approaches to navigating the smell difficulties. During the third session, the nurse offered to take out the Huber needle that connects to the port after every infusion. This is still being done and continues to help Jadan not only with deceasing the med smell, but also allows him to shower and sleep more comfortably. A new approach he is trying is having a Jolly Rancher hard candy during the connection of the Huber needle and saline flush. It has helped him have more control over the queasiness. I appreciate the creativity and continued effort of Jadan’s nurses to problem solve his side effects. We are so close to completing his treatment. As Jadan says through out the day, “I”m good!”. Yes, he is.
Today’s art is dedicated to the powers of the mind: attention, thinking and memory. The video is a project that was included in a recent presention on how attention, thinking and memory serves information processing in human life span development. The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well-being. The Zentangle Method is enjoyed all over the world, across a wide range of skills, interests and ages. You will need paper, pencil and pen. If you want to add color, water color or colored pencils will do. Enjoy!
Soul Gardening: Jadan's Cancer Journey 