Well, I will say that I have had a very trying time since November 6th. MY computer has not been my friend. I could access Weebly but I couldn't access my blog or my statistics. Our IT and their IT were in constant contact and today I got a new computer and I am back. With having said all that, I am not prepared to give you a write up like I usually do as I had really figured this was just going to continue but Surprise! I am back! Thanks to all of you that stuck with me, I was so afraid that I would lose you along the way. I could see that many kept checking in to see if I was still around. I am around and well. So what I can give you today is my wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving! My house will be rather quiet as no kids will be home but my brother and his wife and their son and his daughter will share the day with us. The usual fixings will be on hand though as we will have Mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, green beans with onions, cranberrry orange relish, Grandma's creamed corn, homemade rolls and homemade applesauce and of course pies and things to snack on while we have the wonderful smells of Thanksgiving wafting through the house. I will send you enough though, just enough love, and enough happiness, and enough warmth and enough compassion and enough blessings and enough strength to face the challenges we all must face at times. May this be a joyous time for you and yours and remember your blessings every day and give thanks. With love, and continue to make it a great day! S
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Yes, I had cancer. I can say that out loud and have. I have been an open book all with the hope of helping someone else in their journey. What you didn't hear is, what did I do to cause it? I was researching some things lately for an upcoming workshop and came across and article that hit home. It was the stigma of cancer that is placed on the person that has had a high risk behavior and therefore it explains how they got cancer or HIV or whatever. Yes, you were a smoker and you got lung cancer but there are people that don't smoke and get lung cancer.
I did look back at my life many times and wonder if it was the self induced stress, my diet, my activity level and more. Did this contribute to my getting breast cancer. I haven't been a perfect health conscious person in every aspect. So it figures that I set myself up, right? I never asked why, it was more why not. I look at others that are dealing with it and in my mind, wondered if they had similar thoughts. We don't verbalize the fact that sometimes we wonder if we just aren't good enough. Now we do know people that have genetic issues that explains it for them but what about the ones that do all the right things, have not genetic precursers and they still the disease? What does that have to say about it all? How many of you have wondered similar things? Did you think it was your fault? Is it a form of punishment? Really, stop and think about it and then journal it. It gives you a better perspective of hearing your thoughts and then realizing that your thinking inside does not always match what you are saying on the outside or what is actually true and accurate. You often hear that getting old is not for the weary, well neither is an illness such as cancer. The blame game serves no purpose and if you need to hear from someone outside of yourself, I am telling you. Crap happens and it just ending up happening at this time for you. You didn't ask for it, nor did you want it. You don't need it to get your priorities straight. What you need is love, support , and comfort. Look for the positive in your life and in people around you. There is always someone that wants to make their horror story bigger than another, but this is your game and you play it however it works best for you. None of this is easy and it may take a long time to learn how to pick yourself up and carry on with whatever you are going through but it is important that you go through it and not get stagnant in the water you are currently standing in. Work at caring for yourself and be strong enough to stop the negativity from outside and within. It will be a better day! S Hmmm, remember growing up and you watched on TV about being a Do Bee and you wanted to always do right. The hostess of the show would even look into an open looking mirror supposedly seeing you through the TV and would say names that she could see what you were doing. Did that make me do right? Well, maybe if I thought someone was watching but not all the time. Why do you think that dieting works better when you have someone you have to be accountable to.
We here that wine is good for preventing heart disease but bad for breast cancer patients and one study will say women should have only 2-3 drinks a week and men can have more. My list of beverages is very limited as I am not a pop drinker and fruit juices are too sweet so my mainstay is Tea and a occasional Cafe mocha from Tim Horton's. Guess what? It is ok. Caffeinated beverages are the best over -the- counter medication. Now I am not endorsing the ones that give you such a jolt that your heart is pounding out of your chest and I still push water but Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa have health properties so enjoy these beverages as there seems to be no harm in them for most people and as always moderation is the key. Make sure that you get the ok from your healthcare professional as you certainly don't want it interacting with any medications or health conditions you might have but it is definitely worth the inquiry. Having presented those issues, keep in mind that caffeine is a stimulant and for many of us that means that afternoon is a good time to stop drinking these beverages so that you can sleep at night. I do know people that can continue drinking caffeinated beverages up till bedtime and get a good night sleep, but I am not one of them. Teas also being one of these caffeinated beverages also contain antioxidants. Now when it comes to chocolate count me in. We are talking about cocoa, and it has been shown to have health benefits, again, I am in and what is more fun than the fact that it is a vegetable too. The last of these informational tidbits has to do with withdrawal from caffeine and I am sure we have all been there at some time or another. Try skipping your morning cups of coffee for a day and see how lousy you feel. You may need to up your fluid intake to help with the drop in caffeine. I for one will pass on the prune juice but I will grab a glass of water and I do enjoy it because I don't want that caffeine withdrawal headache... Have a great day! S Wow, I am always interested in finding new information and as usual something popped up that gave me pause for thought. Do you remember when we watched Flintstones or even Star Wars and so many things seemed so futuristic that it was almost laughable? Well this time, I am not laughing. I am intrigued and excited and hopeful and cautious and questioning and all about learning more.
At a Google Tech Lab, they stated they were working on a new pill that actually contain thousands of the tiniest particles that will be cancer detecting. Now that makes you stop and think, doesn't it? This is still very experimental but it does remind me of something out of Star Wars and the like. It may be quite a ways away but how exciting if you could swallow a pill and it is absorbed into your bloodstream looking for malignant cells and reporting back over time to an intermittent device. It would certainly make the more invasive procedures less popular and may even give a head start to detecting the cancer at the earliest stages. This would also give a higher chance at survival. Now, I am not in the inner loop on this but found this just as you would when researching new cancer technologies but it really does offer some new options and it would be great, the sooner the better. We have long been looking for better approaches and answers to this disease and I vote, hopefully- FACT. Make it a great day! S |
AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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