The ‘bus’ in the subject line is not a typo. It’s an acknowledgement that chemo can leave you feeling more like you’ve been hit by a bus and you’re lying on the road rather than lying in a bed, even a hospital bed. My second round of chemo on November 1st caught me by surprise, I was in bed for eight days.
But this blog is not about complaining; it’s about getting up and carrying on, seeing the funny side of life, staying positive and listening to your inner self. I’m feeling great now and ready to face the next round of chemo scheduled for November 29.
Today my inner self is telling me to keep this short and to share, Dianne’s doppelganger, a fictional story based on a bit of truth and things that did happen. I’m not going to tell you which things!
But before you go, my inner self is also telling me to share a link to Dr. Kelly Turner’s work (Dr. Turner is a researcher, lecturer and counsellor in integrative oncology. Her research suggests there are ten common factors in cases of radical remission of cancer.
- Eat healthy natural foods — reduce (or eliminate) processed foods, increase vegetable and fruit intake, eat organic foods, drink filtered water
- Provide your body with nutritional support – herbs and supplements help boost your immune system and detoxify the body
- Take control of your health, be willing to change, and deal with resistance from others
- Follow your intuition and deepen your inner energy – journal, use guided imagery, meditation, deep breathing
- Stay connected with family and friends
- Maintain physical, especially outdoor, activity – enjoy a walk in nature
- Focus on positive emotions — note moments of joy and love (including for yourself), make happiness a habit
- Release suppressed emotions and reduce negative emotions (fear, anger, stress) – see a counsellor/therapist, take a stress management course, practice daily forgiveness
- Get plenty of sleep – sleep is when your body concentrates on healing
- Document your reasons to live – the desire to live comes from your deepest core, understand the mind leads the body
My philosophy is based on a short poem by Mizuta Masahide, a 17th-century Japanese poet: My barn having burnt down, I can now see the moon.
And now back to the lighter side of life and a story about a girl and her doppelganger.
