On my journey I have learned:
- I'm not afraid of dying
- the true meaning of fear (for me, at least)
- whatever happens, I need to know why (not "why me?" but "i want to understand, so explain it to me in all the gory detail - s'cuse me while I cough up a lung")
- doctors LOVE explaining the "why" (er, at least the good ones do)
- enough biology/physiology to astonish a medical professional
- the real-world application of "that which doth not kill thee maketh thyself stronger" (in oh so many ways)
- the flesh may be weak but the spirit is bloody-minded enough to do it anyway (often despite the doctor-or-nurses orders)
- bad drugs can be good, good drugs can be bad, all drugs are bad (except when they're the drugs keeping you above the daisies, but even then they're bad)
- listen to your body, it's trying to tell you something
- sisyphus had it easy