Tea time

Years ago I switched from drinking fully caffeinated coffee to half-caf. That wasn't enough to avoid a horrendous caffeine-withdrawal headache following my first sarcoma surgery in 2009, so I stepped down to decaf coffee, vowing to never again suffer through that pain.

Stomach issues a couple of years ago prompted a move from decaf coffee to decaffeinated tea. Luckily for me, they make decaf tea in my favorite chai flavors. 

And drinking tea has brought an unanticipated benefit. It has required me to practice a degree of patience, which TC will attest to being a challenge for me. Tea requires a few minutes to steep, you see. Even when you draw hot water instantly from a Keurig, the tea demands to be set aside for a moment. Relax, it says. Take time to reflect. Calm down. 

I've had to draw on that learned behavior this week while waiting for medical test results from last Friday and then hoping to hear definitive plans from my surgeon when we met with him yesterday. Would the latest CT scan show enough separation between my heart and the sarcoma in my lower right lung for the doctor to safely remove the tumor with minimally invasive robotic surgery? Or would a more challenging hands-on operation be required?

Take a breath, I had to remind myself over the weekend and all day Monday, waiting for test results to show up online. They still hadn't arrived when we met with the surgeon Tuesday morning, but he was unconcerned. (Maybe he's a tea drinker, too?) The CT report came in later Tuesday and shows a thin separation between the tumor and my heart but also close proximity to my esophagus. 

Breathe. So the plan is to run a camera around my innards when the surgery starts on Friday to allow the doctor to make a game-time decision on which type of surgery will work best. TC and I trust him to make the best choice. 

Relax. Now is a good time to practice another new tool in preparation for the best outcome on Friday: meditation. I plug in earbuds and listen to calming words and music as stress and anxiousness fade.

With plenty of prayers being offered to strengthen me, mindful deep-breathing to calm me, fragrant tea to comfort me and loved ones to support me, I have what I need to patiently await my surgery.