Keep Calm and Conquer. While I realized that being calm was going to help me with my cancer, I didn't know how very important this statement was a few months ago. I have since read that people who have higher levels of distress from their cancer have worse outcomes. There can be plenty of things to be distressed about. Certainly I have greater appreciation for the struggle of others from illness because of my own experiences. I think that it takes both a strong inner knowledge that you will heal and beat cancer. And an excellent support team to overcome . Below is a list from a website that listed some common feelings of distress from cancer patients.
Sad
Hopeless
Powerless
Afraid
Guilty
Anxious
Panic
Discouraged
Depressed
Uncertain
I have experienced some of them, thankfully mostly briefly because of many of the things I have shared that I have been blessed with. Probably my two biggest struggles have been and more so early on when I was still dealing with recovery from surgery and the chemo. It was hard to ask for help when I felt I had exhausted my favorite care giver, though I know he would have done anything for me, sometimes I tried to do it myself and it was sometimes so hard I would become discouraged. I would like to say that I have gotten better at asking for help, but I am not sure that is as true as it should be. I certainly feel I have been strengthened to be doing so well.
I think the other thing would be I was sometimes anxious over the unknown aspect of the struggle that lied ahead, not that I didn't know things would be ok in the end, but what would happen along the way. I was often able to feel mentally calm on the surface, but sometimes I think my body had its own internal level of anxiety that made it hard to fully relax. I have learned that the drive to Salt Lake to get help with some of the other support being offered is worth the trip. I do acupuncture for neuropathy and to calm my insides. I also did some hypnosis for this also. It was much more of a challenge to calm my insides during my first two chemo infusions when my guts were very unhappy. Did you know that the gut has an extension of you nervous system attached to it. If you want to know a little more about the nerves in your gut there are some links below. Please ignore the references to us evolving this nervous system instead of it being recognized as a creation of God.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enteric_nervous_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_nervous_system
I also do hypnosis for visual imaging to help focus on healing, and I started art therapy a few weeks ago. For me it is a fun diversion and good for my creative soul.
Breathing and mindfulness meditation, focusing on gratitude, healing, loving myself, feeling loved, allowing the peace of my Savior to heel me. These are things that are very helpful.
I wanted to share something that happened during my last round of chemo that was a very powerful lesson to me. I was a few days out from my infusion and in some ways bouncing around with joy because of how comparatively good I felt from the previous two times. At the end of a day of a small communication error took place. I don't think the people around me had a good feel for the fact that the end of the day had come for me and I didn't want to add one more thing. As there was further questioning I about what might be done I had come to the end of my coping skills and went to my room to cry. It was a bad bad choice. Within 5 minuets my neuropathy exploded on me. It had been at like a 3 and went to a 7 or 8 in my hands and feet. I had pain down my one arm and leg.
When I regained my composure a little while later the neuropathy was still there. It actually took about 2 days to go back to how it was before this little episode. Note to self do a better job with communication about my needs and condition. But most important don't let something like this actually hurt me so much. One of my favorite affirmations goes some thing like this. I can thank this cancer for teaching me some things I needed to learn but you can go now, I am done with you. The effects of this particular distress I could have avoided and it would not have hurt me so much. Having to go through this process of healing from cancer is helping me to develop better life skills. Looking a the distress list above I can see things through out my life that I have experienced at different times. These things can, in a moment be necessary, but if they are not dealt with in a timely manner are harmful to the body. That is why this lesson was so powerful to me. If my life outcome is dependent on properly dealing with my distress, and stress I am glad to improve this skill a little better.
Moses 5
Sad
Hopeless
Powerless
Afraid
Guilty
Anxious
Panic
Discouraged
Depressed
Uncertain
I have experienced some of them, thankfully mostly briefly because of many of the things I have shared that I have been blessed with. Probably my two biggest struggles have been and more so early on when I was still dealing with recovery from surgery and the chemo. It was hard to ask for help when I felt I had exhausted my favorite care giver, though I know he would have done anything for me, sometimes I tried to do it myself and it was sometimes so hard I would become discouraged. I would like to say that I have gotten better at asking for help, but I am not sure that is as true as it should be. I certainly feel I have been strengthened to be doing so well.
I think the other thing would be I was sometimes anxious over the unknown aspect of the struggle that lied ahead, not that I didn't know things would be ok in the end, but what would happen along the way. I was often able to feel mentally calm on the surface, but sometimes I think my body had its own internal level of anxiety that made it hard to fully relax. I have learned that the drive to Salt Lake to get help with some of the other support being offered is worth the trip. I do acupuncture for neuropathy and to calm my insides. I also did some hypnosis for this also. It was much more of a challenge to calm my insides during my first two chemo infusions when my guts were very unhappy. Did you know that the gut has an extension of you nervous system attached to it. If you want to know a little more about the nerves in your gut there are some links below. Please ignore the references to us evolving this nervous system instead of it being recognized as a creation of God.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enteric_nervous_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_nervous_system
I also do hypnosis for visual imaging to help focus on healing, and I started art therapy a few weeks ago. For me it is a fun diversion and good for my creative soul.
Breathing and mindfulness meditation, focusing on gratitude, healing, loving myself, feeling loved, allowing the peace of my Savior to heel me. These are things that are very helpful.
I wanted to share something that happened during my last round of chemo that was a very powerful lesson to me. I was a few days out from my infusion and in some ways bouncing around with joy because of how comparatively good I felt from the previous two times. At the end of a day of a small communication error took place. I don't think the people around me had a good feel for the fact that the end of the day had come for me and I didn't want to add one more thing. As there was further questioning I about what might be done I had come to the end of my coping skills and went to my room to cry. It was a bad bad choice. Within 5 minuets my neuropathy exploded on me. It had been at like a 3 and went to a 7 or 8 in my hands and feet. I had pain down my one arm and leg.
When I regained my composure a little while later the neuropathy was still there. It actually took about 2 days to go back to how it was before this little episode. Note to self do a better job with communication about my needs and condition. But most important don't let something like this actually hurt me so much. One of my favorite affirmations goes some thing like this. I can thank this cancer for teaching me some things I needed to learn but you can go now, I am done with you. The effects of this particular distress I could have avoided and it would not have hurt me so much. Having to go through this process of healing from cancer is helping me to develop better life skills. Looking a the distress list above I can see things through out my life that I have experienced at different times. These things can, in a moment be necessary, but if they are not dealt with in a timely manner are harmful to the body. That is why this lesson was so powerful to me. If my life outcome is dependent on properly dealing with my distress, and stress I am glad to improve this skill a little better.
Moses 5
10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
2 Nephi
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
Whether we are feeling the effects of mortality or sin we can still have joy in this life. Learning to avoid unnecessary distress and handle the stress in our lives will help us to feel Calm know this Joy Love Caren
2 Nephi
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
Whether we are feeling the effects of mortality or sin we can still have joy in this life. Learning to avoid unnecessary distress and handle the stress in our lives will help us to feel Calm know this Joy Love Caren
Hi again, Caren. I am so sorry for all your suffering, and I'm holding your hand from here. My prayers are with you, as always--you are in my thoughts. I love your affirmations and the powerful lessons, but yes--the disease can go now!! xo K
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