Over the past nine years, Tamara Fuchs has had a slew of medical problems. In 2012, she had a heart attack. Two years later, she sustained a devastating stroke that altered her life permanently—she had to relearn how to eat, talk, and walk, and still occasionally has trouble recalling the right word. “I might ask my husband if he's going to vacuum the lawn,” she says. “It's become our joke. He'll say, ‘Yes, I'm going to vacuum up all the dandelions today.’”

Also in 2014, she underwent major back surgery. Then in 2016, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. That was followed by several operations related to her colon cancer. And in 2019, she was misdiagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Throughout all these tribulations, Fuchs, now 61, has battled weight-related problems like sleep apnea and fatty liver disease. But she was fortified—especially at the time of her cancer scare—by a series of online videos that explain the concept of gratitude and guide listeners through breathing, chanting, and meditation exercises.

Fuchs was so taken with the series, which is narrated by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra, that she bought five of the 21-day Meditation Challenge programs. “I would listen to them again and again,” she says. “I thought I was going to die. The meditations really got me through it.”

The programs imbued Fuchs with a sense of gratitude that has kept her from falling into despair—and positively affected all areas of her life. Feeling thankful motivated her to change her diet and start exercising; she lost 100 pounds and no longer has sleep apnea or fatty liver disease. Fuchs' health kick inspired her and her husband, who live in Wallowa County, OR, to convert their flower garden into a vegetable garden, and now they grow most of their food. Their relationship has improved too. “Every day I tell him what I'm grateful for about him,” she says.

A retired special education teacher, Fuchs starts every morning by writing down five things she's grateful for. Then she meditates, does some yoga and deep breathing, takes a cold shower, and rides seven and a half miles on her bike. At the end of the day, she writes down five new things she's grateful for. “We live in the Little Alps of America, so I might write that I'm grateful for the clear sky,” she says. “Or something about my dog or husband, or that my grandchildren have a safe place to go to school.”

Writing in her journal isn't the only way Fuchs gives thanks: She delivers homemade food to the staff at her local health clinic every week. “I like to make amazing food for the people who have been so incredible throughout this crisis,” she says. “I cook clean organic food with ingredients straight from my garden.” One week it might be a harvest soup, the next week a creamy basil zucchini one.

Another thing she's grateful for? The COVID-19 vaccine. “I really wanted to see my grandchildren and to travel to places, so I was determined to get it,” she says. “I got to see my grandchildren in August, and it was wonderful.”

Other people dealing with neurologic disorders, either as patients or as caregivers, have also found that gratitude can inform their lives year-round, not just at Thanksgiving.

Beverly Nance lives in Atlanta with her 30-year-old son and her 28-year-old daughter, who has autism. “The past year hasn't been easy, but we make the best of it,” says Nance, who is in her fifties and retired. She often reflects on what she's thankful for, and doing jigsaw puzzles usually tops her list. “I started getting into puzzling when I was going through a divorce. It would calm me down,” she says. “I have a puzzle going all the time. Right now it's a Disney princess with 1,500 pieces.”

When her daughter showed interest, Nance bought her a puzzle with fewer pieces. Then Nance began creating puzzles for her. Eventually she launched an online business (puzzlebilities.com) selling sensory puzzles, which emphasize the senses—such as smell or touch—for people with autism, dementia, and other neurologic disorders. “I started making sensory puzzles that feature the seasons,” she explains. For spring, she did one that depicts flowers and has a floral scent; for summer, she made a tactile puzzle of sand and palm trees. “Fall is going to be the Gingerbread Man, with buttons for eyes and clay for the mouth.”

In addition to running her business, Nance is a caregiver consultant and advocate and author of a self-published book on the topic called Take Care. “We're all going to be caregivers someday,” she says. She also volunteers for Autism Speaks.

Despite the difficulties of caring for a nonverbal adult child who has frequent seizures, Nance remains upbeat. She credits exercising, journaling, and listening to music with keeping her sane. “I'm grateful we haven't had to struggle during the pandemic,” she says. “We were able to feed ourselves, and my son was able to go to work every day. We still had each other.”

Nance worries about her daughter's future, but she knows her son will look after her. “They're absolutely close,” she says. “He is her legal co-guardian. I don't know where we'd be without him.”

Relationships are the main source of gratitude for Anastasia Golovashkina, a 27-year-old Boston resident. “I am so grateful for my mom and all the sacrifices she's made,” says Golovashkina, whose parents moved to the United States from Russia when she was 6. They endured long commutes and the many difficulties of adjusting to a new country. “I realize now what she had to do to afford me the life I've had growing up.”

Even brain cancer has provided unexpected opportunities for gratitude. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June 2019, three weeks into her job as social media director for Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign. “It reminds me to be grateful for good and bad moments,” Golovashkina says. “When I'm annoyed, I'm grateful to be alive to have that feeling.”

She's also very thankful for the people who give her rides to and from treatment and feels encouraged about future medical options. “With the incredible transformation in treatment for other diseases,” Golovashkina says, “I'm hopeful the same will be true for glioblastoma.”

And she's happy to be working. After Warren bowed out of the presidential race, Golovashkina returned to her previous employer, Trilogy Interactive, a consulting firm for progressive political campaigns. “I love what I do,” she says. “My employer and colleagues know about my diagnosis, and I'm so grateful for their support and understanding.”

Writing also has been therapeutic. “Documenting my journey can be scary and emotional, but having those feelings means I'm alive,” Golovashkina says. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine was another triumph. “I just got my third shot. It feels like a metaphor: I'm getting another shot at life—literally and figuratively.”

Donna Huxhold expresses her gratitude through Bible study and prayer. Diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 30—she had a seizure on her wedding day—Huxhold had brain surgery seven years later. “I was having 30 seizures a day,” she says. Now 60, she's been seizure-free ever since. “But my recovery was slow.” She ultimately retired and used that time to regain her health, including losing 34 pounds.

Long divorced, Huxhold lives with her four cats in DeFuniak Springs, FL. As a single woman, she's grateful for her pets and her independence. “I don't want to be taken advantage of, so I try to figure things out,” she says. For example, when she had to do a small home construction project, she went online to learn how to use a circular saw. She also stays current with technology.

Every day, Huxhold thanks God for her continued good health. And she avoids negativity. “I read a lot of books with positive quotes, and I stay away from negative people.”