Day + 24

Last Sunday was a real treat.......the weather was perfect.....the setting was magnificant....& the company was great! Thank-you Maureen for having us out to your cottage for the afternoon. Before my Stem Cell Transplant, I didn't think I would be able to enjoy much of what was left of the summer........so this was a pleasant bonus!!!

Quote of the Day:
"THE UNIVERSE TOTALLY SUPPORTS EVERY THOUGHT YOU CHOOSE TO THINK AND TO BELIEVE. YOU HAVE UNLIMITED CHOICES ABOUT WHAT TO THINK. CHOOSE BALANCE, HARMONY, AND PEACE, AND EXPRESS IT IN YOUR LIFE."
-Louise L. Hay

These past few days have been very low key.....this may be the first time in my life (at least as long as I can remember) that I have given myself total permission, without guilt, to relax totally.....sleep when I want.....read without thinking about all the other stuff I could be doing. I believe that this rest will help my body recover faster & build the strength to fight any cancer trying to survive in my body. Rest also helps my mental and emotional well being so that I can maintain a more postive outlook each day.
I also walk every morning & sometimes in the evening too.....& starting next week I will be adding more exercises on a regular basis.

I am also back doing my daily supplemental program.......
Vitamins have been part of my daily lifestyle since 1998.
In March, I remember sitting in my hotel room in Vancouver.....trying to recover from the news that my tumour was still active with cancer.
Coleen & I had spent the afternoon with my Uncle Terry & Aunt Tish.....we were so thankful that they were there to support us when we found out the bad news.....
anyway, after they left for home, Coleen & I went for a very long walk so I could digest what had happened that day! I cried for quite a while & Coleen comforted me.....eventually I stopped crying.....my brain kicked into gear....& I started thinking about what I could do to help myself. At that stage, we were told that Radiation was going to be my next step in my treatment......therefore, I decided to do three things.

The first thing I did, was e-mail my Radiation Oncologist from the hotel room to tell him that I would need to start Radiation ASAP.....I knew he was often in on the week-ends & I thought this would give him a chance to set things up quickly, as this was a Friday & I wouldn't be home until Sunday.

The second decision I made was to see a Naturopath ASAP. I wanted some guidance on how to set up a program that would help minimize potential side effects from the chemo I already had, plus the radiation, I thought I would be getting. I have read lots of books over the years about diet & supplements, and as many of my friends know, I have always been passionate about this subject. Anyway, I decided that at this point I needed help from an expert.......someone who could tell me exactly what I should take, how much, & why. I was running out of energy to figure it out myself.



The third decision I made, was to call my nurse with the "Best Doctors" program so I could tell her the latest update from Vancouver. The Best Doctors program is a benefit offered by my health plan in which I can get second opinions as to what is the best treatment for my disease. I had consulted them, when I had to make a decision on whether I should have radiation or not. This decision was left in my hands & I needed more information in order to make an informed decision. Anyway, all my records had been released from my hospital and sent to 2 different top doctors in the U.S. One was a Oncologist/Stem Cell specialist in Nashville, Tennessee & the other was a Radiation Oncologist in Boston, Mass. Once, these doctors, were updated about my active tumour plus the fact that it had increased in size,......they were recommending SCT. Once my hematolgist, Dr. Anderson at the QEII hospital & Dr. Connors at the B.C. Cancer Ctr. found out that my tumour had increased in size, they too recommended SCT. Plus all the other Hematologist's at my hospital discussed my case....& they all said SCT.
So, the great thing about 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc.....opinions....is that when everyone is recommending the same thing.....one has no doubt about their choice!!!

The reason, I wanted to talk about these things, was to say, that I found out that the best way to deal with difficult news..... is to feel all the emotions that come naturally....vent....then figure out all that you can do to help your self or others that are part of your team. It is so important to be an active participant in your care.......mistakes do happen & things do get missed. You need to be aware of what is happening and why.....what are your options....
It also is important to feel you still have some control over your disease or situation......because when you get diagnosed with an illness.....you feel a loss of control & you feel that your life is in the hands of a bunch of strangers......at first you can feel helpless.....but later you can take back some control. It is important to feel you are making a contribution as part of a team in doing everything you can to get better & to improve your quality of life.