Jane Biehl is a 12-year survivor of a very rare form of blood cancer, known as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). She has enjoyed several exciting careers including a librarian, counselor, teacher, and writer. She loves to write about surviving cancer, overcoming hearing loss and the wonderful benefits of having a hearing-ear service dog.

Jane Biehl Ph.D.

Jane Biehl is a 12-year survivor of a very rare form of blood cancer, known as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Catch up on all of

Brianna Wiest wrote, "Happiness is not having the best of everything, but the ability to make the best of everything." I think having myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) makes me more patient in some ways and less in others. I just cannot tolerate people who are constantly negative anymore.

These doomsayers are bad for my health. I am a former counselor and know that it is impossible for our brains to process negative and positive thoughts simultaneously. These thoughts may be a rapid succession of seconds apart, but if unable to contain both, we concentrate on the positive.

We live in turbulent times and are now experiencing a divide not seen since the Civil War. The wars abroad are horrific on so many fronts. People here are worried about health care, inflation and education for our children, to name a few things.

However, when I talk to people, I find people with the most problems to be more optimistic than people who are experiencing no worries about money, being able to travel all over the world and not having cancer. I visit my cancer center monthly, and when I talk to survivors in the waiting room despite horrible treatments and terrible prognoses, they often have smiles on their faces. I have several friends with lots of money and great kids and grandkids who tell me the world is ending and how upset they are. I try not to engage them, but they're obsessed (and this happens on both sides). The media fuels this with their stories, and I try not to listen more than I can handle. If all we see is gloom and doom, we feel inadequate every day.

I recently talked to a longtime friend with lots of money, a loving husband, healthy kids and grandkids. She spent the entire dinner complaining about how the world was ending, and nothing would get better. She could just feel that the world was ending. I finally looked at her. She lives out of state now, so she did not know the whole story about my battle with MDS. I said that two years ago, the doctor said without a bone marrow transplant, I had only two years to live at the most. I had to make a horrible decision whether to have that or try a new treatment. I chose the treatment that has kept me alive. I love and cherish every day. I refuse to talk about how bad the world is because I am alive.

She was stunned but stopped complaining. Most people who have survived severe illnesses feel lucky to be alive. Yes, we have scarred bodies, have lost hair and teeth and parts of our bodies, have no savings left and many other problems due to our illness. But we are still happier than those who do not appreciate what they have. Cancer is a brutal teacher, but some of the lessons are great. Enjoy your life!

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Articles

Living with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has altered perspectives on patience and negativity. Despite turbulent times and societal divides, individuals facing severe health challenges often exhibit greater optimism than those without such burdens. Conversations with cancer survivors reveal a tendency to cherish life despite adversity, contrasting with the negativity of those with fewer worries. Personal experiences with MDS highlight the importance of focusing on positivity and gratitude. Cancer, while harsh, imparts valuable life lessons, emphasizing the significance of appreciating life and maintaining a positive outlook.

As a survivor of MDS, I’ve learned to make the best of every day and to be thankful for life. Sometimes this means avoiding others who are less grateful. 

Cancer Taught Me to Make the Best of Everything 

Jane Biehl is a 12-year survivor of a very rare form of blood cancer, known as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Catch up on all of 

When I was in my mid-30s over 40 years ago, I was talking to an elementary school principal and former neighbor that I had known forever. At the time, I held an administrative position in a local library district and worked over 50 hours a week. He looked at me and said, “Jane, you are working too hard. Take some time to smell the roses.”

My friends, doctors and relatives repeatedly cautioned me to slow down, but I was always busy getting promotions, obtaining more degrees and volunteering in the community. I was frequently sick with upper respiratory problems and constantly on antibiotics.

Until I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 59 years old, my primary care provider stated that it took cancer to slow me down.

I see younger people overdoing it and making the same mistakes I did. I try to tell them to slow down, and they listen like I did at that age.

But there is something worse now. People of all ages use their cell phones and let life slip by them. I was on a cruise in beautiful Canada. We go on cruises allegedly to sightsee, relax and take it all in at least I was. We got off at a port, and when I looked around, I saw that almost everyone was checking messages and not taking pictures of Sydney’s unusual landscape, or relaxing.

I live in an apartment with a pond, many trees, deer, squirrels and wildlife. The leaves were all changing into yellow, red and orange with the gorgeous fall landscape. I take my little dog on daily walks and love to watch the squirrels scurry up the trees, the landscape changing before my eyes, and seeing my happy little dog bouncing along. I seem to be the only one not gazing at my cell phone with the dog’s leash in one hand and the cell phone in the other. If my eyes were glued to the cell phone, I would be missing all this scenery.

I have pondered why Americans work so hard. People from other countries do not understand why that is. They are very involved with families, friends, social life and churches, and look at us wondering why.

I have asked myself many times throughout my life why I am in such a hurry. I still tend to schedule several activities in one day, and then feel anxious about being on time and getting everything done. If I am in such a hurry, where do I think I am going? Wherever it is, well, why is this worth it? My answer is, I would rather take my leisurely time and enjoy the journey. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “It is the journey, not the destination.” No one gets out of life alive in the end.

I have stated many times that cancer is a brutal teacher, but not every lesson is a hard one. Being forced to slow down is not always bad. I recently saw my neighbor at an event and reminded him that he said that to me. He just smiled.

As I strut along now, I hear his voice whispering to me to “stop and smell the roses.”

A personal reflection on the importance of slowing down and appreciating life, this narrative highlights the author's journey from a work-driven lifestyle to a more mindful existence following a cancer diagnosis. The author emphasizes the tendency of people to be consumed by work and technology, often at the expense of experiencing the present moment. Drawing from personal experiences and observations, the narrative encourages a shift in perspective, advocating for a balance between productivity and savoring life's simple pleasures, as encapsulated by the phrase "stop and smell the roses."

I spent my life racing against time, until my cancer diagnosis forced me to hit the brakes.

Taking Time to ‘Smell the Roses’

As a child and now an adult I remember an oft-repeated quote, “The only constant is change.” The older I get, the truer this is. As an elderly person, I feel like I can’t keep up. I grew up in an era where, in the evenings, we would sit on our front porch and visit neighbors and friends to keep cool because of no air conditioning. 

Now in the computer digital age, we are on our tablets getting digital news, Facebook, Instagram and 24-hour broadcasts on television. Our phones pop up with the latest news and we feel forced to read it. We feel guilty for not being active all the time and keep receiving articles on how to make the best use of our time. We are always in a hurry, but I often ask myself where I’m going and why I’m rushing. Keeping up with the newest technology is nearly impossible for anyone, but especially for older people. 

Tim Tincher wrote an article called “Smartphone usage surges 13% in 2024.” His data showed that between smartphones, television, tablets and computers, the average American spends 16 hours and 10 minutes on devices. Millennials and Gen Z spend more than six hours per day on their phones. No wonder they become experts on these devices! I feel inadequate daily because I do not know how to use these devices to save time. I have been extremely frustrated working on my latest book and what I do not know.

Traffic in the city and driving in fast lanes are difficult for me. Everyone seems to be in a hurry and it is impossible for me to keep up. It takes me longer to get ready to go anywhere than it used to. I remember my parents complaining about being slow and now I understand it!

Cancer changes our lives even more. We have to slow down, we feel fatigued easily and we spend hours with doctors, in hospital waiting rooms or getting treatments. My friends my age often brag about getting up early and talk about all they can do in one day. With the fatigue from my myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), I am forced to stop and take frequent breaks to rest.

How do I cope with this? I have days I do not schedule anything, not even going grocery shopping. I get up when I feel like it. I sip coffee and read my books. I take my dog for a walk and enjoy the sights. Sometimes I go to a local coffee shop and sit on the patio. I refuse to hurry. Sometimes I do not even write! Sometimes I binge-watch “NCIS” on the television. It is not often enough but I do it whenever I can.

Yes, we are all inundated with change and the digital world. And it is OK to slow ourselves down. No one else will do it for us. The wonderful thing is when we go back to being busier, we feel more rested and energetic. We can control our lives and our clock and are healthier for it!

With my myelodysplastic syndrome and age, I find it hard to keep up; however, cancer and fatigue have taught me to live at my own pace. 

In a World of Rushing, Cancer Taught Me to Slow Down 

I am amazed at people who are warriors of cancer and still worry about being old. I have a friend who is a true and valiant survivor. She had breast cancer, severe lymphedema and terrible side effects for years. She still goes to work and sojourns on.

Imagine my surprise when she said that she didn’t want anyone at work to know how old she was. I told her I appreciated every single day as a gift and was so grateful. (Spoiler: I am older than she is).

She stated that she was grateful, but just did not want to be looked at as elderly. Granted, she was older than most of her coworkers, but I was still stunned. I realized then that each one of us reacts differently to what we learn from cancer. I have often said cancer is a tough teacher, especially after having myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). I have learned not to obsess over the little things like age and to be more thankful. She learned to be tough and valiant but still worried about the perception of age. I thought, then, that we all learn different lessons. Many people would say my obsession with finishing my book and spending years on getting it published was stupid, considering I could be doing a lot of things and enjoying myself more. We each choose what is important to us and honor that. We each have our secret fears.

What right did I have to think she should not worry about age? It is not up to me to judge. The more I thought about this, I realized that a lot of this is due to our society and how we are portrayed in the media. Ageism is rampant in our society. People in other cultures often revere their elderly but the U.S. does not do that. The definition of ageism is “Discrimination against older people because of negative and inaccurate stereotypes.” It is so ingrained we do not even realize we are doing it.

Retired people are often looked down on as not contributing to our society. Many of us are behind in our knowledge of technology. I did not begin to use it until age 40 and preschoolers now use it both at school and home! There is a learning curve! Yet, many people my age are working part-time, taking care of grandchildren and enjoying life. We are in book clubs, we travel and we enjoy life. I have 90-year-old friends who still have so much to teach me at age 73. Their wisdom cannot be replaced.

Please do not think I am bashing younger people. I say constantly that I do not know how they do it. They work, go to school or both. They have fears about violence in the schools I never faced. With all the social media including Instagram, X, Facebook, websites and the usage of tablets, kindles, computers and more. They are juggling a constant influx of information with few if any breaks. They are facing uncertain political events, bullying on social media, and problems adults never dreamed of. And most of them are really good people. But elderly people have a lot to offer too.

Add this to the stereotype of cancer. Fortunately, due to tons of research and new treatments, it is no longer considered a fatal disease. But people do look at us differently if they know we have it. So many of us are battling both the stereotype of cancer and aging.

It is my hope that with the new “elderly” and the lessening of the stigma of cancer, future generations will not feel the need to hide their age. After all, we are survivors and need to be loud and proud of that!

Having myelodysplastic syndromes has taught me to cherish every day and to pursue the things that matter to me, like publishing a book I’ve been writing.

Jane Biehl Ph.D.

Cancer Taught Me to Make the Best of Everything

Taking Time to ‘Smell the Roses’

In a World of Rushing, Cancer Taught Me to Slow Down

My Worries About Being Old as an MDS Survivor

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