Would you like some WHINE with that?

Wow!

It's been a while since I have posted, over a month.  Things have been extremely busy, hectic, emotional, and tiring lately...so much so that I have not even had the energy to make a new blog post.  Here is a little forewarning that this post could be all over the place (much like my brain) as there are lots of things I want to share.

Sausage making with my uncle.  Its more fun to make than to eat.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Mine was spent packing up boxes full of my belongings with my mother.  The next day (black Friday) we spent the day moving all of those boxes into a storage unit.  I am moving out of my current home soon.  I cannot afford to stay there boyfriend can't support the two of us, especially since he is a student and is currently not employed.  So I am currently on the wait list for public housing.  I am at the top of the list actually.  I get "priority" because I have a disability and condition that no one expects I will survive more than 12 months from.  Isn't that lovely?  This public housing will cost me 30% of my paycheck....which is a modest $674/mo meaning that it will cost roughly $201....so I am supposed to somehow live on $447/mo...yeah, right....gas, car pmt, insurance, phone, utilities, FOOD, cat supplies....you see where I am going here.  Obviously this isn't going to work either but I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it, which will hopefully be sooner than later....

Cancer Can Suck It!

Cancer is a bitch, really it is.  It not only destroys your body and mind, it also wreaks havoc on ALL of your relationships and friendships often destroying them as well.  People get tired of taking care of "cancer girl" all the time and become resentful.  After all, "cancer girl" gets all the attention, even though she did not ask for it and just wishes that things could somewhat resemble "normalcy" once again.  It really fucking sucks to know that you are lame and screwed up in the brain and weak and too skinny and forgetful and nothing tastes good, and there is no energy to stand in the kitchen and cook and you have no money to order food anywhere anyway.   I pretty much have been living on yogurt and granola for the past 4 months or so...I would LOVE to have some subscription to some sort of "pre-made" meal service or some stock of yummy meals in my freezer so that on those days (and there are MANY) that I don't feel like cooking (often cooking food makes me nauseous and I no longer want to even eat it) so I could just pop a pre-made meal into the oven and rest while it cooks itself.   Wouldn't that be awesome!  Perhaps Santa will leave that under my pillow this year (can't afford a tree this year, let alone any presents)....

Life now is obviously not what I would have expected it to be.  I was in grad school working on my second masters degree only a quarter away from graduating for the second time when I got the diagnosis of the big "C".  Things were looking so great for me and my career.  I was supposed to be doing something that I loved and was passionate about but instead I sit in chemotherapy killing cancer (and many other good cells like brain cells, white and red blood cells, bone marrow cells, etc) and wondering how I am going to pay my bills, where I will move to, when I will ever get to move, if boyfriend and I will have another stupid argument about nothing at all because there is a larger underlying issue that we can't seem to get past, and if I will have the energy to take care of myself for another day/week/month.  I constantly worry about not getting enough to eat, enough exercise, if I took my pills today, if I am forgetting something important, if boyfriend still loves me or if he is finally tired of all the cancer bullshit yet.

So I am in limbo...in every way.  Limbo, waiting for housing to open up....Limbo, waiting for CT scans PET scans, getting chemo because no one knows what else to do because NO ONE has ever had such success in battling cholangiocarcinoma and they are stumped so lets just keep on administering chemotherapy because her symptoms aren't "that bad" comparatively speaking.  Limbo, waiting to see if things will get better hoping and PRAYING that the next scan doesn't show growing cancer cells.  Limbo as you wait for your life to start again instead of going from doctors appointment to doctors appointment and life revolving around healthcare.

I also had the WORST vet appointment ever last week at the Fremont Vet Clinic in Portland.  Seriously, DON'T TAKE YOUR ANIMAL THERE unless you want to have them TORTURED by their staff.  They are by far the absolute WORST vet clinic I have ever had the misfortune of visiting.  They did not listen to my requests or advice regarding my cat (who only has a very limited window of time before she becomes very very angry, hissy and extremely stressed and unpleasant.  They completely ignored me and my concerns.  They came at my cat with a bright orange towel (my cat doesn't tolerate towels coming at her) and ignored me when I told them that the towel would only make her behavior worse.  I expressed my disappointment and concerns in a very calm way at first, then as I heard my cat screaming through TWO CLOSED DOORS I lost my patience.   The staff were all lolly gagging around the back room while this was going on and as I waited for half an hour before we even saw the vet in the first place.  They did not even get to trim some matts off of her belly or trim her nails because she was so worked up.  They then proceeded to call me the next day with blood test results, told me she had a hyperactive thyroid and that she needed medication and then the doctor proceeded to HANG UP on me!  No once did anyone ever admit that they could have handled me or my cat with more respect nor did they apologize for being half an hour late with my appointment.  They were too high and mighty to do that.  I made an appointment with a holistic vet in Hawthorne the very same day and I must say that they are excellent and would highly recommend the Hawthorne Vet Clinic to anyone in or near PDX.  There is NO NEED to put up with "holier than thou" vets such as the people at the Fremont Vet Clinic, and your animal does not need to be tortured by these beasts either.  If this is your vet, do you pet a favor and take them right away to the clinic on Hawthorne where you AND your animal will get treated with respect and compassion rather than with poor attitudes and bad practices.

I really hate to whine and complain but the times are ripe with disappointments and let downs lately.  The bright spot is that ski season has started and I have already been skiing twice in the month of November! THAT I am not complaining about...

On another note, here is my Christmas wish list....

Trader Joe's gift cards (for groceries)
Fred Meyer gift cards (for groceries and household supplies)
Costco gift cards (for some groceries and household supplies such as cat litter and pee pads)
New Seasons gift cards (groceries)
A massage (it would feel oh so good!)
A trip to the dentist (Dr Perry Jones in Ballard (seattle WA) for a teeth cleaning
Pre-made meals or a subscription to someone who does this (for those times I have NO energy to make food for myself which is OFTEN)

As you have probably been able to tell from all of my whining in this post, things have NOT been very fun or easy lately.  Luckily the house guests are gone now and there is a tiny bit of peace in our home...however we are left with a bunch of stuff (furniture clothing etc) and LARGE utility bills to pay due to it all, along with all of the broken things that were left in their wake.  Fun. Just what I wanted/needed....more stress, gee, thank you...Housing please come through soon!!!

Just when you think things couldn't possibly get worse and you have finally found the bottom of that pit, they do and the bottom falls out anyway because you weren't really at the bottom yet....I guess....Some days are harder than others and some days are extremely emotional thanks to the drugs and the stress.

But somehow things always find a way to get better, it might take a LONG time sometimes or at least it feels like it takes forever but it does eventually happen.  I think, for me, I need to take things slowly and realize that I only have so much energy and that I need to decide what to spend that energy on...like skiing and cuddling my kitty girl!

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

An old Halloween picture.  I was about 24 years old here.

I've been having that guilt lately.  The "I wanna really write a new blog post and I really have a lot to say, but I really don't have the energy or the motivation." guilt.  I know many of my other blogger buddies out there know this guilt too.  I wont lie, its been rough lately.  I haven't felt very energetic.  I've been tired a lot and doing a lot of sleeping.  I've been mostly upstairs kind of keeping my distance from everyone (we have some house guests/family staying with us for a few months, 2 adults and 1 toddler and 1 infant) trying to not get sick from the extra germs in the house and making room for 4 more people.  Sometimes I feel like Rapunzel locked away high in a tower waiting for her prince to save her, but mostly I just feel tired and not very much like being social.
I've been neglecting/avoiding my vitamins and supplements.  It seems like every time I take them now I just end up getting sick, wasting money by just flushing them down the toilet.  I have an appointment with my naturopath and the new natural oncologist that just recently started working at the Center for Traditional Medicine.  I am once again very lucky, not only to have another awesome doctor on my side who just happens to be a natural oncologist but he also happens to know my "normal" oncologist (he was actually trained by Dr Shao) and they are all on the same page and all know exactly what is going on with me in every aspect which is nothing short of a gigantic blessing in every way.  We are going to discuss my progress in the assassination of my tumors, and how I perhaps now need to focus more on detoxing all of the dead tumor and getting it out of my liver and out of my body instead of concentrating so hard on killing it like I have been for the past 1 year and 8 months.
Everyone keeps congratulating me on my "success" of beating my cancer.  I have very mixed feelings about this.  First of all I want to say most sincerely and from the very bottom of my heart "Thank You".  I have to add though, that I do not feel like celebrating yet.  My oncologist is not convinced.  He says that my cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) is so slow growing that it might not show up on a PET scan and even the guy who said "looks like you've killed it all" was of the opinion that I need to still get chemo for a while just to make certain that all of those bastards are all indeed dead.  So chemo it is, at the very least until the end of this year and then even after that I still may get chemo until the end of spring.  I mean, hell, I've already been through nearly 2 years of chemo, I may as well make certain that I killed them all, what's another few months....So even though I got good news a couple of months ago, I still don't feel it yet.  I still feel tired all the time, I have exercised and gotten out of the house much more infrequently since the arrival of the house guests.  I've been visiting my mom a lot up in Seattle, mostly using that time to sleep and relax or take care of business and trying to shift bills around and change contracts on things to free up a few more dollars for groceries, cat food, etc.  At least once or usually twice (sometimes even 3 times each week) I have doctors appointments or some other type of appointment so I do get out of the house for those, but there are even those times that I feel so crappy I call them and reschedule those appointments.  Honestly I was a little surprised that I got chemo last week as I was feeling much more drained and tired than usual, but the doc said my numbers looked pretty good so we proceeded.   I did get a shot of Aranesp to help me build my red blood cells as they were once again in the toilet.  I guess that stuff is so controlled that even chemo patients can only get it if their red blood cell count falls waaaay below healthy levels.  That particular shot combined with the usual steroids I get before chemo is enough to keep me wide awake until the wee hours of the morning.  I didn't even lay down in my bed or attempt to try to sleep until 4:30 in the morning that day/night.
I wake up completely drenched in sweat at least 4-5 times each and every night.  It literally is dripping and running down my body, my pillow is soaked, my tank is soaked and my legs are even wet.  I literally feel like I stood out in the rain, that's how wet I am.  Then I begin to itch from the sweat.  I constantly itch anyway, it is a wonderful side effect of cholangiocarcinoma, but the sweat itch is THE worst!  I have a huge rash on my face from all the drugs I take, exacerbated by stress and sweat and toxins that my body is trying to flush out.  Once the sweat is drying I then begin to freeze and shake, so once again I grab the blankets and in less than 30 minutes I wake up drenched in sweat again.  This process repeats itself throughout the night until I finally just get up.  Sometimes I go out for a walk and wander the neighborhood at 3 or 4 in the morning hoping that it will cool me down and make me tired so that I will be able to go home, sneak quietly upstairs trying not to wake anyone up,  and crawl back into bed and snuggle with my kitty until I blissfully fall asleep only to wake up around 7am to try to start the day, only to repeat the entire process all over again.
Lately the chemo has been making me extra tired.  I fear that I am backsliding healthwise and I don't like it.  Supposedly everything is supposed to start getting better once you receive news of "remission" but I keep waiting to feel like it.  Don't get me wrong though, I am SO HAPPY to hear that I am indeed kicking cancer ass! I am so incredibly thankful to have my doctors and nurses by my side.  I am blessed that they are so smart and caring and on the cutting edge of health care.  I feel honored that they actually care about me and like me not just because I am their patient but because I am me.  I am also incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful support network out there and so many wonderful friends and family to support me on this arduous journey.  You all are my inspiration and are what keep me going when it is crappy and I begin to lose hope of an end being in sight.
Basically I guess that from time to time I need to have my own little pity party.  I have really been needing to get this off my chest.  I wont feel like I celebrating until it is all over, the cancer is gone, I have my memory back and my body back and my life back.  I always feel so horrible for posting such negative things.  I know that you all don't always want to hear happy, positive stories.  I know you really want to hear about how I truly feel from time to time.  Right now I am feeling pretty sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Guest Blogger, Trevor Bradshaw talks about mesothelioma.

Great little exhibit at the OMSI about nanotechnology.

Since we are getting tormented by pink everywhere we look and since most of already know that October is officially "Breast Cancer Awareness" month, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about cancer in general by raising awareness about yet another type of cancer that is equally as deadly as breast cancer but one that doesn't get all the attention (no boobies here)....This is mesothelioma.  I have a very concerned guest blogger this morning who has some great information to share with us.

Many thanks to Trevor Bradshaw for his enlightening and heart felt article about another cancer...mesothelioma.  Please enjoy and much peace, love, light, joy, happiness and health to all.

Mesothelioma and other Preventable Cancers

We are always bombarded with information about how important early awareness is to a healthy cancer recovery, and it’s true you have a much, much higher chance of survival the sooner a tumor is discovered and cancer is diagnosed.  However, there’s an even earlier awareness we ought to pay attention to- the environmental causes of several deadly cancers that could be eradicated completely with the right precautions like mesothelioma. 

What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a rare but deadly cancer of the lining of the internal organs that’s only known cause is exposure to asbestos.  Asbestos, which was once marketed as a wonder material for its cheapness, versatility, and flame-resistance, is made up of small, microscopic fibers.  When these fibers, which oftentimes flake off, are inhaled they agitate the inner lining of the body, called the mesothelium, and even a single microscopic fiber can cause cancer.   

             While you may suspect that because mesothelioma kills nearly 100,000 people worldwide each year the production of asbestos would have stopped but several developing countries including India still use asbestos as common construction material. In fact earlier in this year, even as doctors conducting mesothelioma clinical trials were spending millions to search for a more effective treatment for this deadly cancer, Canada reopened the world’s largest asbestos mine, the Jeffery Mine.  It’s outrageous that if we want to prevent cancer that even though asbestos has been a known deadly carcinogen for years it is still being produced. 

And it’s not only mesothelioma either.  Cervical cancer has long been linked to HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that can be prevented with a vaccine, yet is still one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States. Strong campaigns against cigarettes and tanning beds have proven that people are willing to acknowledge the risks associated with cancer-causing behaviors. It’s time we turn our focus from simply aiming at providing information about the importance of screenings and the early detection of cancer, and start thinking about how we can further work to prevent cancer from occurring in the first place.  

October is also liver cancer "awareness" month, who knew?

I recently came upon a website that I found very interesting for those of you out there in the collective cancer family (you know who you are).

It has got some really good resources there for those of us in need and, hey, lets face it we all have a need or two don't we? It is called 1 Up On Cancer and you really should give it a look.

It is chalked full of all the goodness we all so need such as resources on Freebies & Discounts for cancer patients to Tips on Nutrition and cooking for cancer prevention to some NON -CANCER humor to help put a little smile on your face when you most need it....like RIGHT NOW!

This is also a great site that I recently discovered called Is My Cancer Different? and why, YES it is, because we are all different and respond to the same thing in very different ways.  This site has videos that give some good but basic information (and that is good sometimes for us with chemo brain) about how your cancer (no matter what kind it is) is definitely different because you, my dear, are different.  It is also worth a look.

It is something I just couldn't keep to myself.

On the same note there are some really great bloggers out there that I also just discovered and I wanted to share the rest of these in the spirit of October being breast cancer awareness month.  Actually it is also LIVER cancer awareness month (did you know that?) and yours truly has liver cancer....Well actually it is specifically BILE DUCT cancer but because no one knows how to test for or discover it when it is actually in your bile duct it gets written off as being IBS for 15 years before they discover it and by that time it has metastasized to your liver and NOW it gets classified as "liver cancer" because there is no "bile cancer day or month" but anyway, I digress..... back to the great blogs as of late.

I highly recommend checking these out they are right on the money (no pun intended) and call it how they see it when it comes to breast cancer "awareness" and who is really racing to find a cure.  These ladies have all been affected with breast cancer, even metastatic breast cancer and `find no comfort in raising more awareness and ask instead that you give to organizations that really do contribute those dollars to finding an actual CURE for breast cancer.  Heck while we are at it lets also find one for cholangiocarcinoma, and in the meantime I will be trying my hardest to do the same.

Please give these wonderful sites a fraction of your time and consideration.  You will also be able to find them along with other wonderful blogs on my sidebar at the right. If I left anyone out I am sorry, there (thankfully and in a way sadly) are just too many of you great bloggers out there! If I do not have your link on my sidebar please contact me and let me know, I will gladly add it.

Blessings to you all and good health.


Alright Tit, by Lisa Lynch  "The Post I Never Wanted to Write"

The Cancer Culture Chronicles

Pink Ribbon Blues, by Gale Sulik

Boo-Bee Trap

Being Sarah

Uneasy Pink

The Accidental Amazon

Komen Watch

Nancy's Point

Dispatch from Second Base

The Feisty Blue Gecko

I Hate Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer? But Doctor.... I Hate Pink!

Not Just About Cancer

More good things I've stumbled upon recently that I cannot keep to myself because I know they will help someone!

Imerman Angels one on one cancer support

Manage Cancer- Cancer Care Resources

Doing too much with too little.

A fellow cancer assassin and I had a short conversation on facebook this morning about feeling tired and lethargic from treatment and wanting to do too much.  This is something that is always on my mind and I thought it would make for an excellent blog post, so here goes.

I have always been proud of my ability to get things done.  I am a multi-tasker at heart, an organizer, a cleaner (love a clean home) and just a "doer" in general, often trying to fit in a hike or climb in with all the rest of my daily "chores".  Basically I think that when I was diagnosed last March and knew that the statistics for my survival of even one year didn't look too good, something inside of me shifted.  I had this deep down feeling that I just had to do it all, see it all, experience it all, not missing or letting slip by one single second of my life.  I wanted to take it all in and hold onto it, there were still so many things I wanted to do in my life, so many things I wanted to see, smell and hear.  I went on a binge trying to fit everything in, not wanting to miss a second of it.  Keep in mind this was on top of everything else going on: research about food/cosmetics/household products, or about therapies and treatments that could help me kill the cancer that had all of the sudden become the most prominent thing in my life.

One day I came into the Center for Traditional Medicine for my regularly scheduled nutritional IV, my friend Susan (another fellow cancer assassin) was there and as usual we started talking about all the things we were doing etc.   She realized that I was completely exhausted (something that I am not good at telling myself) and suggested that I slow down a bit.  At first I was like "No way! I've gotta see it all before it's too late!" It was at this point that Susan gave me a little bit of advice that has completely changed the way I look at my time, energy levels, and priorities. I want to share it with you all, even if you don't have cancer, because it is so worthy of sharing.  It goes a little like this:

Susan explained that I should look at my day and energy levels much like a tank of gas.  I know that I have a certain amount of energy each day that oscillates wildly when I get chemo or an IV (less energy then).  From this I can sort of plan the things that I want to do that day.  Prioritize the most important things or the things that you really want to do (don't forget that even having FUN expends your precious energy too) and do those first.  If you have any energy left over after that then you can decide exactly what you want to devote that energy to.  Simple huh?

For me, I know how much energy I will have to do things each day.  Usually for me preparing food and the regular duties take quite a bit of energy, especially after chemo.  I know that I want to get to the climbing gym or out on the crag so I save some energy for that (perhaps blow off vacuuming or dusting that day for some fun instead).  Basically I think that this bit of advice helps me to know that I do indeed have a limit.  As much as I don't want to admit it, and as much as I want to do it all, I just know that if I do I will be paying for it the next day as I lay on the sofa until 2 or 3 in the afternoon completely exhausted, OR my liver is hurting and most likely it came from overdoing it the day before and not taking some of my energy and time to take care of myself first.  I know just how important it is to have the energy to fight this stupid cancer and if I use it all up cleaning the house or doing other things I wont have any left to fight.  That is just not acceptable in my world.  I truly feel that my cancer was partly caused by too much stress (or at least amplified by it).  Chinese medicine says that the liver is where we hold resentment, anger and stress, no wonder mine ended up compromised!  So these days I try to live as stress free as possible, for my own sanity and for my health.  I realize that I have a certain amount of energy every day and I try to plan accordingly.  Sometimes I still overdo it, but at least I can now realize when that happens and try to prevent it from recurring.  I still get frustrated, VERY frustrated that I cannot do all the things I want to do and that my brain has turned to mush from chemotherapy.  I cannot concentrate on anything most of the time (even 1/2 hour sit-coms on tv) and I constantly lose my train of thought and for the life of me I can never ever seem to find the word I am looking for.  Those things frustrate me more than I even know.  But out of all of this crap, this is the golden nugget that I have come away with.

I deserve to be healthy.
I deserve to live a stress free life as much as possible.

I try to look at these frustrations and find something good in there like this:
I now have the time for myself, time to rest as much as I want, time to take care of me.  So what if I can't remember things sometimes, that just keeps it from getting old and hey, I save a ton of money on movies because I don't remember watching them so they are all like new releases to me :)

It is easy to get lost in all the overwhelming things that cancer brings into your life and to feel so very deflated, defeated, lost and alone.  I am not going to say that this doesn't happen to me, because it does.  I throw myself a huge pity party from time to time and I am not ashamed to say it.  It feels good to get it out and rant and cry and scream at the unfairness of it all and THAT is important.  Getting it out prevents me from "holding it inside" and creating more avenues for cancer to thrive inside me.  I am not saying that anyone, including myself, needs to go around with a smile and nothing but positive things to say, that is not only absurd and ridiculous but it will eventually backfire and leave you feeling even worse later.  I am only suggesting to slow down, enjoy what you enjoy, no one can do it all at once.  All those things you didn't get to will still be there tomorrow, and who knows, perhaps the extra time will make doing what ever it is that much easier later.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!

Another great article about mesothelioma from Allison Kahan

So I must be on a roll today, getting to all those things that I have been neglecting.

I used to work for a municipal water department where we often dealt with asbestos concrete water pipes (yes your water most likely travels through an asbestos pipe, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it) so I always had concerns about asbestos.  We had to suit up in these white suits to handle the pipe and always keep it wet so the little particles didn't become airborne and float into our lungs.

This is a great resource and article written by Allison Kahan from Asbestos.com regarding mesothelioma, cancer, nutrition and other therapies that help than just the "chemo" "radiation" route.  These are important to us not only for our direct health benefits, but also important for our mental and spiritual health too which plays a huge role in our recovery and fight against cancer.

I hope you enjoy.  Here is the link to Asbestos.com for you to peruse.

Here is Allison's article, I hope you enjoy it and find it informative.

When Laura asked us to contribute a blog for her website I was more than excited!  Laura’s story is extremely inspiring!  I’d like to start this blog entry by congratulating her on such an impressive and miraculous victory against cancer!  Laura, you are a fighter! But, most of all, you are a survivor!

Cancer comes in many forms, stages, and sizes but some things are the same throughout - the experiences endured are scary and life changing.  Some say it’s situations like this in life that really open our eyes and make us appreciate everything even more than before.   In her “About Me” section that states, Laura asks “Why is it that only when we are faced with death that we truly begin to live?”

Laura was able to beat her battle against cancer by going back to the basics.  She turned her life around by eating organic, non-processed foods; taking supplements; exercising; and focusing on being as healthy as possible.  Alternative therapies are beneficial in coping with all kinds of cancer, not just liver/bile duct cancer like Laura.  Mesothelioma, another rare kind of cancer, has also been known to use alternative therapies to help with the pain and general health associated with this cancer.

Different forms of alterative therapy include:

·       Acupuncture

·       Aromatherapy

·       Chiropractic care

·       Massage

·       Meditation

·       Yoga

·       Supplements

·       Pet Therapy

·       Tens Therapy

Many times, acupuncture and massage are used for mesothelioma patients as “complimentary medicine.”  This kind of medicine is used more to treat the entire person as a whole and not just one problem.  It’s a routine of different therapies that hopefully in combination with one another will help heal the condition at hand.  This is very much like what Laura did to help her body fight against cancer.  Lifestyle changes are becoming even more imperative than just taking medicine and hoping you will get better.  Many doctors are now encouraging their patients to try this type of healing in hopes that it will help in conjunction with the medicines they provide.

Nutrition is not only important for the average person but even more beneficial for cancer patients.  In some cases, nutrition can help improve a patient’s prognosis.  This is not always easy in light of the nausea associated with chemotherapy treatments and/or surgeries.  High protein, nutrient-dense diets are best for mesothelioma patients; they should avoid highly processed foods with sugar and preservatives.  Additionally, taking supplements are also a great addition to the altered food choices.  A few of the most important supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids.  Ginseng, flaxseed, garlic, grape seed extract and St. Johns Wort are a few of the most popular forms of supplements used.

Our website offers an extensive listing of information regarding alternative and complimentary care for cancer patients.  We are constantly updating our Twitter and Facebook with stories and news articles related to asbestos/mesothelioma.

Exercise and Cancer: A great article written by David Haas

I must say I have had this article for a few months now, meaning to post it but just either forgetting to or having so much going on in my life that I didn't.  Today is the day!

A blogger friend sent this to me and it is so very true and actually a great resource for those who are struggling with cancer.  I want to also say that I know first hand that it is hard to always get exercise, especially when you are not feeling good from treatments etc.  But it is so very important.  There will always be those days when you cannot peel yourself off of the bed/sofa but that is OK.  On those days where you do feel good enough to get up try to get even a little exercise.  Go for a walk, do a little yard work or house work.  Even the smallest of things can get your body moving and feeling good or at least a little better.

And for those of you out there who haven't been diagnosed, exercise is just as important! It helps prevent cancers or at least keeps you healthy so that your body is able to fight it off. Keeping ourselves as healthy as possible (cancer or no cancer) is oh so important to our overall health.

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.  Kudos to you David and thank you for sharing this important piece of information with us all!  I have also posted a link to David's blog for you to enjoy.

The Power of Fitness

According to research presented by the National Association of Physical Activity and Health, an active lifestyle may prevent cancer deaths in men. Similar studies suggest the same is true for women with certain types of cancer. In fact, the American Cancer Society contends that exercise, even in small amounts, may be beneficial. As helpful as a fitness routine may be, it is not meant to be a substitute for regular cancer treatments.

Exercise may help with some of the possible side effects of some types of cancer such as lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and even a rare and usually terminal cancer such as mesothelioma. Even just walking around may prevent blood clots in the legs. Exercise may also reduce fatigue in cancer patients. Patients who exercised on a regular basis before their diagnosis should continue to do so after their diagnosis with consent from their doctor. Many doctors believe that exercise can help improve one’s life expectancy.  For example, Mesothelioma life expectancy is typically 1-2 years after initial diagnosis, but some patients live five years or more from the time they were first diagnosed. A European study found a link between reducing consumption of red meat and a reduced risk of colon cancer. The study suggests a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Some studies suggest a link between physical exercise and a lower risk of rectal and colon cancer. Exercise has also been shown to display a reduced risk of ovarian cancer in certain studies. It's hard to confirm a definite link between fitness and cancer because so many factors are involved, but several studies have found several health benefits of staying in shape or starting an exercise routine. Additional studies have found a correlation between exercise and a reduced risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Adopting a fitness routine may also be beneficial following cancer treatment. There is significant evidence to suggest exercise may help prevent various types of cancer, but studies show a steady fitness routine may also help recovering cancer patients’ deal with the side effects of treatment. Cancer patients who have recovered may also benefit from regular exercise. Recent studies suggest a connection between regular exercise and a reduced chance of recurrence. General benefits of exercise include improved mood, increased self-confidence, reduced fatigue, lower risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced risk of diabetes. Patients should talk to their doctor before starting a regular exercise program.

By: David Haas

Today is a good, good day!

Last night, for the first time without actually having to, I set my alarm clock for 7am.  Usually I just hit the snooze button a time (or ten) before I actually get up.  Luckily I was using an alarm clock that I was not used to and couldn't find the snooze button, so up at 7am I was.  I made my usual cup of Earl Grey and decided to wake up a little by pulling some weeds in our very neglected front yard.  That actually did the trick and what a way to wake up, smelling all those broken green weeds.  I love the smell of plants, especially tomato plants!

Anyway, today I have an appointment at the Center for Traditional Medicine and it happens to coincide with my friend Susan's appointment and I am so excited to see her!  We have kind of a "girl" day planned. After our appointments at the CTM I will be accompanying her to some more doctors appointments. That is what happens when you have cancer, always some doctors appointment, always.  As a matter of fact your doctors appointments and chemo and IV's etc are what you revolve your entire life around.  Someone says "Hey! What are you doing tomorrow/next Tuesday/next week/etc. and you can't really say if you are going to feel good enough to do anything, that is IF you don't actually have an appointment that day.  It is strange as you watch yourself deteriorating.  Your memory going south, you can no longer multi-task or even single-task because you forget that you were even doing anything at all.  You are all of the sudden that "flaky" friend that gets on everyones nerves because you either forgot (chemo brain) that you had a date with someone or you didn't anticipate feeling like crap so you have to cancel.  Even your partner/caregiver gets annoyed because you are not the same person you used to be...

At least if you had dementia you wouldn't know you were so flaky and that your brain is turning to mush and your emotions are all over the chart most likely in big part from the all of the drugs coursing through your body, but you also wouldn't be able to notice that you are slowly going crazy.  But actually knowing and seeing yourself become this person (moody/flaky/etc) is a hard thing to handle, especially if you used to be proud of how well you could handle complex situations and your organizational skills.  Gone...Now I am a moody, flaky person who somehow always is able to see some positive in even the nastiest of situations, cling to it for dear life, and make even the most trying of days in to really good ones.  You have got to, otherwise you would just fall down into a deep dark bottomless hole, and climbing out of that would be even harder.  I think I will chose to step around it.  Maybe one day this hole will be filled in, covered up, boarded up, and "KEEP OUT!" signs placed all around.  Or perhaps one day this ugly hole will fill up with flowers and those yummy smelling plants I love so much.  Yeah, that is what will happen!

As a good friend of mine says, "Today is a good, good day!"
Love you Bills!