More coming soon.

In the meantime…

The book Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life had lots of awesome info in it, and I would recommend this highly to everyone. Go get this book now and read it, even if you don’t have cancer.

This also helped me a lot, Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain.

While diet, exercise and medicine have been critical to my overall health and healing, I firmly believe that getting my mind in check, and letting my community help me, was also a huge part of my healing process.

When I first was diagnosed, the cancer was localized, and treatments were minimal enough that I could more or less function normally. I told only those that needed to know, about the cancer. Even several close friends were in the dark. I didn’t want to be a burden, make a fuss, or cause stress to anyone.

But when it metastasized several months later, and chemo was the treatment of necessity, I really had no choice to tell. My hair was going to fall out, I was going to have to make some career decisions, and I would probably feel and look terrible. There would be no more hiding.

I remember the weight and dread of having to tell co-workers, supervisors, friends and acquaintances. Mike actually sent an email to a lot of our friends to break the news. But what accompanied, was a tremendous sense of relief. I finally didn’t have a huge secret, and I could be open and (mostly) honest. Most importantly I felt the support, like my community was a soft giant cushion below me, holding me up.

As concern and care packages rushed in, I felt this comforting support network start to manifest. I wasn’t alone. I remember one of my friends Erica saying, “we fight together!” Hearing those words echoed in so many forms was up lifting. I should have done this earlier!! It was really a big step to let everyone in on my ordeal, and to allow help and concern flood over me.

Friends offered to drive me places, cook food, and watch the pets when Mike and I were gone all day at Mayo Clinic. They pitched in and bought me a Vitamix, which is totally badass and I still use it to this day. It was a life saver during treatment.

The love was palpable and I realized for the first time, the ancient human need for connection. Not just to survive, but to thrive and to be human. It seems pretty silly saying it out loud like that, because it seems to obvious to me now. But as a fiercely independent, bottle-your-emotions, and roll up your sleeves type of woman, it was a big shift.

Here are some links to blog posts on various topics. 

Metamorphosis & The Concept of Fighting vs. Working with Cancer

Healing Hues as a Way to Visualize and Accept Healing from Nature

Content to Come:  

Accepting Hairlessness

Creating and Visualizing a Safe Space To Escape

Visualizations During Treatment

Self-Care as a Primary Goal

Avoiding Scanxiety

Harnessing Nature and Asking for Healing

Resolve to Live, I’m Not Ready to Leave This Place Yet!