I’ve been thinking so much about my breast cancer experience lately, this being the month of National Breast Cancer Awareness and the month I started my chemotherapy three years ago.
At work lately we have been talking a lot about teamwork.
I put the two themes together and realized that I had a whole team in my corner in the first critical year of breast cancer. The individuals making up my team are way too numerous to list in one post, so I will give you a series of “chats” on Wednesday through Friday of this week. Granted, no stories are the same; each patient has their own experience and path. I do not promise you will have the same kind of team as I had, and maybe your experience included more advantages or people. I can only report on what happened to me. Here is what you will find this week – stories about…
Wednesday: Squad 1: My oncologist, chemo nurse, and me
Thursday: Squad 2: Family, friends, and church
Friday: Squad 3: Volunteer staff and those providing service
If you’re not a cancer patient, I hope you’ll stay with us for the series. With cancer so prevalent, it will, some time in your life, touch you or someone you know. I want to highlight the hope and peace I found during my recovery and hope others will find the same.
Okay, God, I’m going to tell it to you like it is. Someone once said that you’re big and powerful, and you’ve heard it all before, so you can take anything we say. So, I’m going to talk to you like you’re sitting across the table from me.
My friend is dying from her cancer, as you know. I am so sad that she is in her final days now, and I am not in the small group of people that is allowed in the house to see her. I miss her terribly already. What can I do now? Pray is the only thing I can do, I guess.
She has fought her cancer like a trooper, never giving up, always holding on to her faith. How I wish I had that much faith!
I think when people grieve, we are grieving for ourselves and not the one dying. We are sad we won’t see them anymore (unless we see them in heaven later on) and sad to lose a friend. They say death is a part of life, so why does this seem so foreign? I am so utterly helpless, there is nothing left I can do. So powerless! So angry that she has to be taken already!
You know, maybe my friend is the lucky one. She gets to see you and heaven and all her family and friends before I can. She’s going where there are no more tears or pain or disabilities or broken hearts. Everything is perfection in heaven, so I’m sure she’ll really enjoy it. Thank you, God, for bringing her safely home. Please give me the strength to endure her absence, and help me to be thankful she’s with you, even though my wished-for timing of events is not your timing. Help me to be a good source of blessing and peace to her family and to do for them what they need right now.
Prism, Dwan Light Sanctuary (Photo credit: Ingrid Truemper)
Hi folks,
Please visit my new page on Sunshine Factor. (It is mimicking its sister blog Cancer Chat Room) To get there, type “Prayer Corner” into the search box.
You never know when you or someone you know may need to pray…and I would like to help with that.
Leave it to me to think of odd subjects to think about! Today I’m wondering whether it’s better to be a chameleon, or a black and white thinker. Maybe it’s one of those things where the answer depends on the circumstances.
I’ve always admired chameleons as being those little creatures that change color depending on their habitat. It helps them blend right into the scenery so they can’t be found.
I’m a chameleon when shopping, but it’s not so that I can’t be seen. It is more, what is proper at the time — which actually, may be a black and white thing!
I throw on “whatever” when I am setting out to a discount store or grocery store.
I get dressed up when I know I will be going to an upscale store.
Ah, I see, it is probably so I blend right in – so therefore, a chameleon.
I think for a shopping situation, the black-and-white thing would be: not wearing a bathing suit to go shopping unless, of course, there are little shops and stands right on the beach.
There are times when black-and-white thinking is called for, other times it is good to be flexible and changeable to make life just a little bit easier.
Yay? Nay? What say ye? Comments, please!
Thanks for reading,
Debb
View On Black . Montegrotto Terme, Veneto, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: CNA’s building is often illuminated to reflect civic happenings or to acknowledge a meaningful calendar landmark. This design recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Since it is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am a survivor, I thought it’s only fitting to brag on my “nephew” Landon, what he did for me three years ago.
My godson Brodey and his brothers Kasey and Landon all wore those pink rubber bracelets supporting breast cancer survivors, in honor of me. Kasey and Brodey were in junior/senior high at the time, and Landon I think was in 5th or 6th grade.
Landon got in trouble at his school because his bracelet said “I like boobies.” The teacher didn’t “like the language” on it and confiscated it the very moment she saw Landon wearing it. Poor Landon, he was just being a very supportive nephew, and he didn’t care what other people thought. I just felt bad that his teacher couldn’t have been more understanding, because there was a reason those particular words were on the bracelet. Thanks anyway Landon!
I got another very positive, warm fuzzy feeling from the boys’ mother, my friend Caprice. (You remember her – the feisty redhead who was with me at the oncology surgeon’s office?)
In a music store at the mall, Caprice and I were wasting time until a movie started. Across the store two teen boys were making fun of my bald head. It was one of those times you knew you were seeing and hearing right and not assuming anything…Caprice strolled over to the boys and said, “Listen! How would you like it if your mom had cancer! Leave my friend alone!” They kind of mumbled “sorry” to her and ran out of the store. Thanks Caprice for being my advocate! If I was the Velveteen Rabbit in that store, I would have become “real” at that very moment, I felt so loved.
Dear readers, here’s hoping you are not judged for what you do or what you look like.
English: Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: A baby carriage with sled runners at the IXL Museum. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So why am I writing about actors and actresses? Because I was thinking of a funny story about my theater arts class in high school.
The final exam in my theater arts class was in the form of a play I put on with some of my classmates. So, nerves and our final grades were on the line.
I was backstage during one of the scenes, waiting for my cue to enter stage left. I remember being totally engrossed with the scene I was hearing played on the other side of the curtain. I wasn’t paying attention to the janitor who for some reason chose this, of all times, to mess with stuff backstage.
Here I was, very shy at that time in my life, trying to look like a grandma for my part and finding out that baby powder put into blonde hair does not gray hair make. I wore cat-eye glasses because the setting of the play was the 1950s-60s. The baby carriage, supposedly holding my character’s grandchild for the next scene, was placed at the flat top of the long sloping ramp backstage.
Joe the Janitor was standing just a little past the top of the ramp, and like I said, I was not watching him but I figured this out later.
Joe bent over to pick up the nails that the crew building the ramp had forgotten to pick up. Joe’s backside nudged the baby carriage into action. Before we could say “crash alert!”, the baby buggy rolled down the ramp at lightning speed and crashed into the sheets of plate glass clear on the opposite side of the backstage. (How come Joe wasn’t concerned about the safety of the glass like he was worried about nails on the floor?)
I am glad there was not a live baby in the buggy. I did wonder if the audience heard the crash, which was confirmed to me later. So much for a good final grade!
It all ended well. During the scene where Joe was active backstage, something heavy was going on in the story. It turns out the scene had to do with thugs in a downtown area after midnight, and when the crash was heard, it seemed to fit into the scene very well. The sounds of glass breaking and shattering just made the thievery and maliciousness of the thugs more believable! And because of this, our teacher Ms. Thornberg did not mark us down for the backstage noise. In fact, our play, one out of four, won the top prize.
Michal Trowbridge, young, blonde hair, teddy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
To my nominees: You can decide how you would like to participate. Please take into consideration that there are no rules for this award, so you can follow this pattern, create another with your own questions, or simply just accept the award and nominate a few other blogs that you like. Mypenandme passed on five questions and because I liked them all, I chose to answer all of them.
Likely many of these nominees do not accept awards, but that’s okay—this award lets them know that I have enjoyed their blogs and would like to recommend them to others.
Questions and Answers:
1) If you could change something what would you change?
I would somehow do away with all selfishness and replace it with compassion. That would go a long way toward improving our lives and this world we live in.
2) If you could repeat an age, what age would it be?
Age 10. My fifth grade year was the best year of my life. However, to get back to my current age I would want to just get back here and not live through all the years after age 10 again.
3) What one thing really scares you?
Standing in the lake or ocean and being in water over my head. I know how to swim, yet I think with two near-drownings in my past, I admit I get a little anxious. I still love being in the water, and looking at it gives me peace.
4) What one dream have you not completed yet and do you think you will be able to complete it.
To have a publisher say to me, “We would like to buy your manuscript.” I know I will be able to complete it at least once, and hopefully many more times.
5) If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?
I can honestly say, I’ve finally arrived at the place where I am glad to be me and just me.
Line art representation of a Quill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I’ve talked about writer’s block on my blog, and it is a common discussion among writers…but what about writer’s burn?
I don’t know there if there is such a term for writers, but I define writer’s burn as a time when you are flowing (another writer’s term I was taught) and having all kinds of creativity, but your mind is starting to feel burned out. Usually when I am creating I have a lot of mental energy, but when my physical energy doesn’t match the mental, then there is a short, a hiccup in my process.
People often say they are burned out, and I tend to think they’re referring to their physical energy. Well, when I say writer’s burn, I’m referring to their mental creative capacity or its decrease of it.
I wonder what a person could do if afflicted by writer’s burn? Slow down and stop writing so much? That is hard for me to do, because I write compulsively. There are too many ideas in my head not to do something with them all.
Let’s get a discussion going – did you ever have writer’s burn, and/or how do you define it? Any suggestions on what I can do?
1) If you could change something what would you change?
I think it would do a world of good if all world leaders could be invited to spend a day watching young children playing together as good friends, in a high quality…
I did another study on a word, as I am prone to do, and this time the word is “song”.
We normally think of a song as musical notes sung with words to music.
But there can be a song (happiness) in your heart.
Her laughter was like a song.
It was the same old song and dance (predictable action).
Their joy was like a song.
He purchased them for a song (good price).
The violinist’s playing made his instrument sing a song.
Well, and if you prefer to think of regular songs – see my post “Let’s Have A Little Fun”. I remember I had fun that day coming up with song titles from many genres.
Pink Ribbon chocolate lollipops for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Photograph of the Rhode Island State House which is lit with pink lights throughout the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Non-pet owners may think the rest of us are crazy when we talk to our pets, but I think it’s good for us and for our pets. Statistics show how pets, especially dogs and cats, can lower our blood pressure and lessen our chances of getting depressed.
It is quite a routine in the Stanton household when I leave for work each morning. I give the same speech, day after day, to each of my two cats. I try to talk to them one on one and look into their eyes, and they look into mine. On days when I’m in a hurry, I go bounding down the stairs on the way to the garage and call out my speech to both cats:
“Okay, boys, Mama has to go to work now. Make sure you’re good boys today and be nice to the other kitty. I want you to have a good day and know that Mama loves you.” I smile when I think of how I’m always talking to them as if they’re children (that I didn’t get to have). I think Tiger and Micah look forward to that little speech, because when the garage door opens right after I have given them my farewell speech, they know that they can now begin their hard work of the day – a nice snooze on their favorite places. Lately they end up in my home office where they spend all their time with me when I am home. It’s almost like they are place cards, holding my place till I get back to my blogs!
I also talk to wild animals and birds outside my home (in my neighborhood, besides the numerous squirrels, we have a band of wild turkeys). I guess I figure that since they’re there, why not be kind and talk to them? (But I’m sure they wish for the opposite.)
And of course, I don’t want to forget our animal friends at the zoo. Their majesty and beauty are really something else.
My “Queen of SSS”story last week tells that I used to pet the insects that got into our sunroom, simply because I felt bad for them because they were hated by my mother. I was sensitive even back then, I guess.
I grew up with wonderful dogs and now have cats. My favorite wild animals are the Big Cats – which animals do you really like?
Clog, mule-style, with wooden sole and perforated leather upper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Oh, how I loved all my Swedish clogs back when I had them. I had them in all colors and designs, but my chiropractor at the time told me to get rid of them because they would “hurt my back”. How I wish I had not listened to him! I ended up giving six practically new pairs to Goodwill. Since then I have figured out that what hurt my back and knees was not the clogs I wore, but sports and the injuries I endured.
Clogs have been the only shoes that I have not kicked off as soon as I got home. They were the only shoes that I bought in many colors (I am not a shoe fiend).
I bought my clogs about an hour from here, in a tiny Swedish town and from a genuine Swedish shoemaker and his American wife. Sven could make any pair you wanted in the width you needed, both wide and narrow. (So even narrow-footed people could wear clogs without falling out of them.) Every fall to enjoy the colored leaves I would drive up there to Lindstrom and get new clogs. Sweet memories!
Last spring I bought a pair of clog-look-a-likes, ones with clog tops but heels too. I just love them and am still wearing them, even though they have a flower design on them and we had our first freeze overnight last night. Apparently, I don’t want to give up my comfort…even when now one of my doctors has suggested I wear shoes inside my home because of chemotherapy nerve damage in my feet. Sorry, this I refuse to do. I hate wearing shoes indoors!
So why did I go on and on about a pair of shoes? To give myself an example of how following advice isn’t always in my best interest. And, you can wear whatever shoes you like, even if they currently aren’t a fad or if no one you know wears them. So what? It’s your feet that should be wearing properly-fitting shoes.
Capt. Kate Gowel, bottom row, left, poses for a picture with her siblings at her parents’ home in Lorton, Va. Gowel, a military lawyer, was the first of six siblings to join the military. See more at http://www.army.mil West Point grad, family bring new meaning to word service (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I enjoy looking at words and seeing if they can have additional meanings…the word that I have considered lately is “
English: PEARL HARBOR (Feb. 11, 2009) Cancer survivor Lt. Dennis Wischmeier and his son share a moment outside their home on Ford Island. In 2005, Wischmeier was diagnosed with an advanced stage of testicular cancer, resulting in an 11-centimeter tumor in his lower abdomen. (U.S. Navy photo by Blair Martin/Released) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This coming Saturday and Sunday I am giving away my new book, “Byrjar Aftur” free on Kindle. Mostly poetry and prose about change. All that I ask is that when you have a moment, please review it on Amazon, reviews are important for new authors such as myself. I will provide a link:
If you like Ken’s poetry (what’s not to like, in my humble opinion), this book wants to be in your library. It explains the reasons different poems were written and how they came to be. I highly recommend it…thanks. P.S. There’s a fan club for Ken at friendsofourmanken@comcast.net.
Once again I will be giving away Kindle versions of my book, “We Are The Road Crew”, for free this Saturday and Sunday. All that I ask is that when you have a moment , please post a review of some kind on Amazon, as this helps new authors such as myself out a lot. The book is about my career in Rock and Roll, starting out in the clubs of Long Island where I’m from, to my years touring the world with KISS, Alice Cooper and many other artists.
English: PEARL HARBOR (Feb. 11, 2009) Cancer survivor Lt. Dennis Wischmeier and his son share a moment outside their home on Ford Island. In 2005, Wischmeier was diagnosed with an advanced stage of testicular cancer, resulting in an 11-centimeter tumor in his lower abdomen. (U.S. Navy photo by Blair Martin/Released) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Flag of Denmark (“stutflag” version) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Advocate = a helper.
What’s nice about the Internet is if you have a burning question for someone, you can ask it from anywhere around the world, no matter what time it is. (Welcome to my latest follower – she’s from Denmark!)
That is one of my roles in life, that of being of help when someone needs it. I would like you all to feel comfortable to ask me for help if I can be a sounding board or encourager, for no matter what situation you’re in. Advice I can give, but only if asked. You can trust me as a faithful friend, and I feel other people’s pain in a major way. I also love to pray for people if that is desired.
My qualifications: I’m a cancer survivor, I’ve attended the School of Life for a long time now , and many strangers have confided in me things they have never told anyone before. I love people (cue the Barbara Streisand song, “People, People Who Need People”), animals, and nature; I want to give back somehow, as I have been richly blessed. (not a million bucks, mind you… ha!) I never consider questions or situations “dumb” or “too small”.
My offer to you was answered by someone on Friday who does not even know about my blog… On Sunday, September 14th I am going to arrange flowers for a small wedding on a riverboat! Over the years I have learned to make a pretty decent arrangement from the flowers I’ve received – but I’ve never had to do it “professionally” before. Also, my friend asked me if I can kind of keep things organized before the main event – also a delight, since I like to organize! I am thankful for this opportunity and am excited to go dress shopping for myself. I saw my friend’s gown already, and it is a knockout! Then in November and December, this friend is going to take me to the place she got her gown so I can get one for my wedding. OMG I’m excited about these two weddings!
English: These are some items given away to promote Breast Cancer Awareness during the Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar on Oct. 24 held at Chapel One on Vandenberg AFB. The Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar was created to help educate and inform the population about breast cancer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: These are some items given away to promote Breast Cancer Awareness during the Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar on Oct. 24 held at Chapel One on Vandenberg AFB. The Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar was created to help educate and inform the population about breast cancer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hello friends! Pretty soon Sunshinefactor will have a sister blog.
I will post its first post on Saturday, October 6th, and it will deal exclusively with cancer, survivor, and family and friends of survivors info.
Sunshinefactor will still have a new post coming to you each day. The new blog will post every Saturday and sometimes more often – it will depend on what I get inspiration for or suggestions or questions I get from my readers.
Capt. Kate Gowel, bottom row, left, poses for a picture with her siblings at her parents’ home in Lorton, Va. Gowel, a military lawyer, was the first of six siblings to join the military. See more at http://www.army.mil West Point grad, family bring new meaning to word service (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I enjoy looking at words and seeing if they can have additional meanings…the word that I have considered lately is “family“.
I was born into a family; that’s the automatic meaning of the word. Yet, I am a member of many other families, and gratefully so:
the body of people I worship with
the people I work with
the people I love (which is practically everybody)
Being a writer, as some of you know, gives one an opportunity to examine their beliefs, attitudes and actions – so much goes on in a person’s internal world – do you agree?
I laughed at myself again last week, when it became “crucial” for me to get to my hair salon, the sooner the better. I wanted to get my hair trimmed and colored to kind of practice for the wedding. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but to me it was – because of the previous rule I had made for myself. “After cancer recovery, I am not going to color my hair. I don’t want any more chemicals on my skin or being absorbed by my body – chemotherapy was enough, thank you very much! No matter how my hair looks when it grows back, that’s how it’s going to stay.”….
I was born a towhead (almost-white blonde – just like picture above), and even as I got older, my hair was pretty light brown with natural highlights. After cancer, it came back very dark blonde (but not yet brunette). I didn’t think it looked so terrible, I was just glad to have hair again, but a lot of people said “But it’s so dark!”
Lately I’ve been learning that even if you set goals or ideals for yourself, it doesn’t mean you have to stick with them forever. You can just readjust and have new ideals – not a bad thing unless it’s against the law or hurts yourself or others…so, I applied that to this hair thing. Normally I work on developing my inner self and don’t panic about what’s on the outside, but I’m so glad I changed my mind about my hair. It looks almost identical to what I had as a child, and I guess it does keep me looking younger than my years.
So guys – okay, so enough about all this hair talk. I can’t believe I found so much to say on the topic! But the moral here can apply to guys too – one can always change their mind. Most rules that are unspoken or made up by a person are ones that aren’t always appropriate.
“Never say never” comes to mind. It’s true, it’s good to keep one’s self open to possibilities, but in a case where it’s for your safety that you say “never again”, it’s best to stick with that.
“Give away any clothes that you have not worn for an entire year. Do not keep things that are out of style or do not fit.” I can think of an exception: what about the widow who feels like hanging onto her deceased hubby’s sweatshirt because she feels comforted when she wears it? Does it have an automatic timeline feature where the sweatshirt will self-destruct if kept for a year without use??!! Really?
I still cringe when I overhear people saying words to the effect of, “I don’t know why she just doesn’t get over him. I mean, he’s been dead for a year now. A year is long enough for someone to grieve.” By whose calendar? Wait till that person has to grieve, then they will find out that there is no timeline for grief. The time periods for going through grief are as individual as people. Folks need to take as much time as they need; this is part of nature. It’s for their benefit that they don’t rush the grieving process. They need patience and understanding from others at times like this. I can remember after my sister died, it was more than a year later and every once in awhile I’d get a quick sensation of loss. Those sensations would come out of nowhere, and often when I was driving my car!
I will close for now with a thought I’d like to leave you with: don’t let anyone bully you into keeping their plans for your life, don’t be hard on yourself or others, and don’t be afraid of change. It’s what makes the world keep going around…
Lately someone was looking for a post with the words “love includes forgiveness”. Please look in my September archives for my post “I Miss You Mom — and I’m Sorry” for a poem that really expresses that theme.
Thanks for reading my blog – and have a very good day!
A screenshot of the default WordPress theme. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hello – well, maybe you’ve seen several different themes on my blog in the last day or two. I’ve been experimenting with changes, and I have finally found the right theme design! I’ll be glad to hear your comments – really. Thanks for reading and following me – your support means a lot. Also, thanks for your patience!
Ocean’s Melody (Photo credit: QY qinn): not quite the opal and ruby and aquamarine crown this story talks about ~
Debbie was all excited because someone had sent her the first telegram of her life.
A company in England was going to pay her expenses to visit their country.
Is this a joke? she wondered.
Even though gullible, and knowing she was gullible, Debbie did fly to England. There really was a plane ticket and then a taxi cab waiting to take her to a beautiful garden, of which there are many in England.
It was such a beautiful, sunny day. For what more could she ask?
It turns out there was a whole crowd waiting for her, waving and smiling and calling out to her.
Oh no, she gasped inwardly. How is this going to turn out? I’m all for adventure – but a crowd gathering for me?
Soon a dignitary approached her. He held out a red velvet cloak, and she obligingly put it on.
“My dear woman,” began the man. “We have brought you here to crown you for your efforts.”
“What efforts?” she asked.
“The efforts to be content in your life and deciding that you were glad to be who you are,” the man, Sir Tuttle, explained. “Most of us are still searching, trying to be someone else or being frustrated that they aren’t happy. You, most gracious woman, have arrived at contentedness and acceptance. For this achievement, you must be crowned.”
“Well, okay then, sir,” Debbie answered, fighting an overwhelming desire to faint.
An army of giant nutcrackers arrived when the trumpets began to play. They were in exact formation as they came to her and saluted.
“Debbie Loesel Stanton, I hereby crown you Queen of SSS,” Sir Tuttle announced. He put upon her head a crown covered with irridescent opals, rubies and aquamarine. She nearly fell down with the weight of the crown!
“What is SSS?” The Queen of SSS asked.
“Ahem, I suppose you must know. SSS stands for sensitivity, silliness and searching,”
Sir Tuttle explained.
“Uh, because…?” Debbie ventured forth.
“Tsk, tsk, always asking questions, aren’t you?” Sir Tuttle mildly scolded. Well, I guess that fits you. You are forever researching things and asking questions. Oh, and your friends nominated you for silliness. They think it’s great you found your voice (and also your literal voice after it got affected negatively from chemotherapy) and that you’re not afraid to let loose. You love to have fun, but it is only at your expense, never others.”
“Thank you, I think,” Debbie said. “What about the sensitivity part?”
“Well, didn’t people used to tell you you’re too sensitive?”
“Yes, but I’ve decided that it’s okay to be sensitive and being that way is an asset sometimes,” Debbie explained.
Sir Tuttle went on, “Good, but I just want you to know how you’re sensitive.”
Great, Debbie thought. Let’s hear the list of how I’m super-sensitive, like I didn’t know!
“Debbie, your skin and stomach are sensitive. You are allergic to so many medications. Your feelings get bruised easily (but less so now that you’re older), and you have a heart of gold. You can feel others’ pain almost more than they can. You never want to hurt others, and from the time you were a child, you have felt sorry for inanimate objects. Everyone and everything!”
“Oh,” Debbie recalled, “like when I felt sorry for the box elder bugs that got into the house, because my mom hated them? Or the dolls with the chopped off hair that the other girls didn’t want?”
“Precisely,” Sir Tuttle confirmed.
Debbie, Sir Tuttle, and the whole crowd took one collective deep breath.
Then the string quartet began to play, little children grabbed hands and danced in circles together, and the light in Debbie’s eyes started to blind Sir Tuttle until he looked away.
Oh, what a day!, thought Debbie. Now I really can be glad that I ask a lot of questions and hurt for other people and make people laugh. It’s good to be the queen of something!
As some of you folks remember, I love the first day of every new month. Happy October!
And to my Aussie friends: Happy Labour Day!
October marks (national?) Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink ribbons of support are everywhere, as are shirts and bags and many other things used to show support. This is good – really good.
But I want a cure for ALL cancers to be found. They say we are getting closer to that point, and I pray that that’s true. I love the American Cancer Society‘s slogan, something about helping to promote having more birthdays. I always have loved birthdays, mine and others, but for sure I have even more to be thankful for now as a cancer survivor.
During this month I may share excerpts from the book I am writing about cancer recovery. I will try to have something PINK on every post – I figure if football teams can wear pink uniforms for the cause, I can use it on my blog.
The main thing I am trying to point out is:
A diagnosis of cancer does not necessarily mean a death sentence.
My life is better now than pre-cancer, and that is because now I am really living to the fullest. Thank you so much, God! May my words help others to find hope.
I spent a couple hours this afternoon tweaking my blog and changing the theme again. I’m sorry if you were unable to view my blog during that time. I’ll talk to you tomorrow….
Rooster: “I’m the cat’s bait, but how come he’s not moving?” Cat: “Mother never told me hunting would be this easy. How fast can he fly?”
Here you see pictures of an unlikely event. I just love them because they are so out-of-the-ordinary, a cat and bird getting along (for now, anyway!).
A little old lady was given two pieces of candy by the Santa Claus in her grocery store, and he talked to her in a kindly manner. It made her cry, to think that someone thought of her and didn’t dismiss her because she was “too old”. (That Santa Claus was my father.) I never expected to get cancer, either – It would only happen to other people…and three years after the fact, it seems like it never happened. Today, six blue jays were flying together by my study window – first to the porch (whose edge I can see from my window), then to the big bushes, then up to my roof and down to the oak tree. What is truly amazing is the fact that they didn’t squawk like crows do when they get together (blue jays are in the same family of birds as crows). They kind of whined, didn’t really sing, and they sounded sort of like puppies! I am finding out that there are many things that happen that really surprise me. I forget that not everything out there is written in stone, and change can be good. What are your thoughts on the subject?
English: Vrksasana, the tree position, a Yoga posture. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Besides “honesty is the best policy”, laughter comes in as a strong second.
I began to fully live the day that I first laughed at myself.
Today I laughed when I attempted yoga for the first time. I loved it even though the space in my bedroom that I’ve allotted for it is kind of narrow. Most of this Rodney Yee CD yoga practice was in a sitting or lying position, and when I was lying on my mat I couldn’t fully extend my arms to either side because cats were in the way! Tiger on my left got surprised when all of a sudden my left hand ended up at the place that unbeknownst to me he was lying. Micah on my right gravitated toward my hand for a neck rub, because that is what he is used to doing.
Both cats were purring at the same time but definitely had different purrs. I think they like yoga! But next time I want to remember to cast my fan club out of the bedroom and shut the door. Then I can concentrate and hear Rodney better!
I was really pleased with Rodney’s CD. I only had to pause him twice, once to get my yoga strap and once to get a blanket for one of the poses. I happened to do the a.m. yoga segment, and it was so relaxing. I wonder if I can do it on a weekday when getting ready for work, without falling back to sleep?!
I found my muscles to be really tight, especially the hamstrings (no surprise here), but it felt so good to stretch. Yoga seems to be coming into my life…yesterday at work my boss showed me how to do a tree pose. The object was to place one foot at the bottom of the opposite leg, slowly slide the foot up along the leg, and raise your arms out to the side and up to the sky. I immediately raised my foot as far as I could on the leg, put up my arms, and didn’t fall over. “Debb! You’re already doing it!” my boss said. And to me, I was just doing a graceful stretch that until yesterday didn’t know that this pose had a name.
Yoga practitioners: do you have any advice or comments about my new adventure, what to do or what to expect? Thanks!
On the first leg of my walk I crossed to the other side of the street when 12 turkey hens were slowly walking from the fields across the street to the other side. I wanted to not scare them, and I wanted to let them go about their “trotting”.
Three blocks later, I saw three male turkeys strutting their stuff with no female turkey appreciation.
Interesting – six years ago when I was still working fulltime out of my home office, every morning at 7:30 the turkeys would literally trot right past my office window. They were always single file and looked like they were chasing a fire. No ambling for those guys! So that must have been their route – past my window, down the cul-de-sac and down the street to the woods. I guess even turkeys keep the same habits and patterns!
Have a day that is just great, with the sun shining down on you!
Kindle 3 moved all major operates to the bottom. No comments on this point. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Thursday is the day in the week that I have off from work (in addition to weekends). I love to sleep in if I am able. (I get up so early during the week, that 7:30 is sleeping in for me!) Then I can take a long walk outside where I never get bored, since it seems there is always something new to see. (When I walk from 4:30-5 a.m., although my neighborhood is safe, dark is dark and you can’t see a whole lot other than the blanket of stars and sometimes the moon in the sky.)
I can go to lunch with a friend or dine out alone with a handy book or Kindle to keep me company. I usually manage to get my groceries, gas, and cash for the week, when everything is less crowded and lines are not long.
I squeeze in some writing time, which is like an appealing reward coming my way. I lose all track of time (and sometimes appetite) when I write, and it’s a wonderful way to while away some hours.
I meet with friends on that day, too, so the smile on my face is in place the whole day.
I love my day job and appreciate having it, but once in awhile it would be fun to not have to go to work – and spend my time like I do on Thursdays.
It’s that time of year again when flu shots are advertised. It’s a general rule that if you have an ongoing condition like diabetes, or if you are elderly or work with the elderly or sick people, you should have one.
I am not a doctor, but if you asked for my opinion, I would add “cancer patients” to the “need” list. (Unless, of course, they are allergic to eggs or their doctor tells them not to.)
A cancer patient can get pretty run down when their blood levels are low. A shot prevents getting even more run down and really hampering the patient. During my cancer year I was really glad I had a shot, because when I needed a blood transfusion and could hardly keep my daily work schedule, I was glad that something additional like the flu would not bring me down further.
In addition to the flu shot, I would recommend following the general health guidelines that are given to everyone: plenty of rest (yes, even you) and lots of water (milk and juice “count” as a fluid serving, although coffee does not because it dehydrates a system).
Remember that as a cancer patient, you have a right to “call the shots”. If you are too tired to do what you normally do, it is alright to say no to requests. Do only the minimum and take it from there. I will be addressing this issue around the holidays, too.
If you or your friends and family have any questions on this or any subject in the cancer field, please leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Thanks!
Hello! I’d like you to check out a new tab on Cancer Chat Room, “Prayer Corner”.
No, it isn’t where I preach. It is where I offer to pray for people if they contact me at the address given on the Prayer Corner page. All subjects and all people will be prayed for at least once daily, no matter if the person has cancer or not, and no matter if the concern is about something entirely different. Regardless, it is my privilege to be able to help others in this way.
All prayer requests sent to me will be kept confidential, unless I am given permission to print their first initial and a brief summary of the prayer(s) requested. (The more people praying, the more strength there is in numbers.) To give you an example, I have put my own prayer request on the Prayer Corner Page, with just a “D” to note who it was. Actually, even that would not be necessary. You could say something like “please pray for my sister” and that would be enough.
Pink Ribbon chocolate lollipops for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Photograph of the Rhode Island State House which is lit with pink lights throughout the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I bought a pink scarf for breast cancer awareness at a Regis Salon – I believe all of their stores offer them. And then of course there’s the yogurts with pink lids that people buy and other products…
Hope this list was a nice start for you – let me know if it was helpful.
“Really Living”
Non-pet owners may think the rest of us are crazy when we talk to our pets, but I think it’s good for us and for our pets. Statistics show how pets, especially dogs and cats, can lower our blood pressure and lessen our chances of getting depressed. 
I spent a couple hours this afternoon tweaking my blog and changing the theme again. I’m sorry if you were unable to view my blog during that time. I’ll talk to you tomorrow….
Debbie Loesel Stanton 
