Boobs On Ice™

Fear: Looking For An Antidote with Susan Piver

What's with the cancer blog? Has it turned into my book review spot? Well - that's not exactly what's happening.

What's going on is that I'm a lucky woman in many ways.

And one of the nice things that has happened to me is that I was most flattered to receive this book - How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life: Opening Your Heart to Confidence, Intimacy, and Joy - as a gift from author Susan Piver who I am blessed to know via twitter.

I found it inspiring to read of the author's own experiences and how she used Buddhist techniques to live a life of joy, not fear. That alone is a daunting job and this is a book I'll keep nearby in the months ahead as I continue through the next five years of my cancer treatment.

First it should be said that I'm a pragmatic woman and not entirely someone you'd point at and say: Oh she's definitely the "meditation" type, though living through the seventies it would be hard for me to have missed attending numerous classes in that vein.But I'm a believer in the power of periods of quiet and spirituality.

And there's a real grace and charm in this book as well. Susan writes in a practical, down to earth way. If something works for you or the ideas she writes about resonate with you, she suggests that we use them. Conversely she'd hope that if it's not helpful, we just let it go.

She's not full of dogma and lecture but full of grace and generosity. And the same can be said for her book. Now I pick it up and read it with some regularity and have found it to be an excellent resource.

From the viewpoint of a cancer patient trying to come to grips with a new reality the book is full of helpful suggestions. I'd think that it would also be useful to anyone willing to see potential of others' beliefs and practices as well as looking for ways to infuse their life with peace, even in small doses.

Any doses of peace and joy are fine with me these days. Thanks Susan.

Update: Five Finger Shoes give me the - er - um -

Though I sent a note to Vibram about those shoes you either love or hate, repeating essentially what I said in my earlier article about how I thought they might make cancer patients feel better - the five finger folks seem initially unimpressed.

I got a polite "dear John" esque letter in return; essentially don't call us and we probably won't call you.

Oh - and there was a caution to talk to my cancer docs before trying the shoes.

- heh - like that's going to happen. I'd use the shoes as an excuse to stop by the office and show off the shoe though.

This lukewarm response could have been because I contacted them through their web-form, which did not separate my lovely paragraphs and provided them with a page of what looked like run-on babble. I did not look like I graduated tenth in my class. Or maybe lke I graduated tenth in a class of twelve.

Or it could be that I did not name names. I should have told them that Devra from Parentopia had sent me or that tweeting about them could really help them since I made @guykawasaki's Alltop tweeters list!

(You think they know what twitter is?)

Speaking of Guy, I wonder if he wants a pair of what Devra calls toeshoes to go with his orange crocs. Five fingers has a pair that's kind of red-orange - or one with bright orange webbing between the toes.

That idea is helping ease cancer pain already as I'm sitting here laughing. And all of our kids could refuse to be seen with us. Maybe they'd pay Vibram NOT to sell them to us! Luckily I just have less living at home than he does.

But off embarrassing our kids and back to toe shoes

OK - it was only yesterday so I'll give them awhile to respond but if they don't it'll be their loss since it would be super if they see the opportunity sponsor my trial of the funny cute adorable shoes that of course will make me feel like tippy-toeing around instead of lying in bed feeling like a truck ran over my chest . . . and then backed up so it could get my back too.

The next option is to take the $ from an acupuncturist appointment or a dozen yummy mocha frappuccinos I beg from @badwolf when she's out.

Focus on the finger

Sooner or later - I'm trying toe-shoes come hell, high water or really bad scan results when I go to Sibley hospital next week for tests. Which begs the question wouldn't these blue ones look cute in the CT scan macine with my adorable little gown?

And if I had them before surgery on June 18th I could sport them around George Washington University Hospital and cause a stir.

Oooooh yes - the perfect way to give a special focus on the finger - ten of them in fact - to the health care system.

Come on, Vibram. You KNOW you want to help me do that! Short of coming out with a GREEN five fingered shoe - the Frozen Peas Ease Pain model . . . ohhh wait now that's even better.

Hmmm . . this could be big for Vibram. Who do we need to explain to the finger guys just how big it could be? The name Scott Monty springs to mind.

Now that is a killer idea if I ever had one. Figuratively speaking of course.

Calgon Take Me Away: Pain - Relaxation Resources Needed

After all the excitement (that's a nice word for it) of the last week concerning pain management hurdles and doctors and bone scans and who will see which patients and a getting a second surgery scheduled for June and just yesterday learning that my reconstructive guru is leaving GW for New York at the end of July - insert screaming in frustration here -  I need a break.

How about a nice Downloadable Relaxation/Guided Imagery Session?

I haven't listened to this MP3 but I'm going to right now, I need time and a way to hopefully enhance my pain medication  kicking in. It's not one of the better mornings I've had and I've yet to really do anything - but it would be nice to spend the rest of Saturday with my spouse who will then be doing a corporate retreat for a few days and I'd rather our conversation not be focused on when I last took my pain meds.

It would be nice if not all our time involved him going to appointments with me and dealing with my limitations at home. If I were he I'd need a retreat too. OK, I do need a retreat, lets face it,

In any case, for now relaxation it is - to try to enhance the 2 doses of meds I've had so far today - and this is the one I'm going to check out:

MP3 - reported to be near CD quality, downloads to computer for later listening at your convenience. From The Wellness Community

                    Voice Only (22:00, 10MB)
                    Voice With Music (22:30, 10.3MB)

If you have other suggestions that are free or low cost to everyone - or to special populations - please let us know in the comments. I'm so ready to be taken off to another place, whether it's in my mind or dragging my body along as well.

Need an MP3 player? Get one here: WinAmp (Windows)  QuickTime7

 

Fatigue Fighting or Fishing in My Wallet?

I hate it when I run across something that sounds too good to be true. But today I came across a photo of Lance Armstrong talking about something called FRS healthy energy.

Coming equipped as I do with a well developed skeptic gene, I don't buy cure-alls or miracle supplements. So I wouldn't pay any attention here except the material says FRS was originally tested and refined by Harvard's "Dana Farber Cancer Institute as a fatigue fighting and general health drink."

And studies - they've at least got some numbers to back them up.

Would I be just as well off keeping up with my fruit and grain and protein awareness program? I have no idea, but the exhaustion is not going anywhere and it's getting old.

Right off the bat since they are dealing with my primary complaint and use two respected names, Dana Farber Clinic, and Lance Armstrong in the promotional materials, I cant get away from feeling that I'm going to need to know more about this.

Remember - I don't look for anything like nutrition to kill cancer cells. But IF there is anything I can do to increase my energy level, I'm so there. Missing events because I'm too wiped out to get out of bed is not my idea of acceptable.

Got ideas for me? Comment away; I'm reading, Or napping maybe, but hopefully reading,

Why a Soy Health Shake Is Not My Cup of Tea

What can be good for some of us can be bad for others with any breast cancer that thrives on estrogen? 

SOY!   Who knew. .  and how did this happen??

The scoop is that phytoestrogens are estrogen hormone-like chemicals found in plants.

Guess what . .  we eat them in food we think is healthy! OK it may be healthy for MOST of us . .  but I've got an oh so special tumor that just LOVES feeding on estrogen.

Surprise!

Dietary estrogen (phytoestrogen) can be found in lots of food products including herbs and oils. BUT but the level varies depending on the source.

The information on the list of plants high in Phytoestrogens was a surprise.

What I do with this next after I get over being surprised? I thought it was only fair to share it with you and tell you to check to see if your cancer - or the cancer of your friend or loved one - is estrogen receptor positive so you can make them aware of this potential added risk

I do know I'll avoid soy and flax seed and the rest of the biggies on the list. But it won't be too big a sacrifice not to add Tofu Burgers to my diet anytime soon.

.....................

For more about estrogen-receptors and cancer see my entry How do Hormones Fight Breast Cancer

More on Plant Estrogens at:

Phytoestrogen and Its Food Sources

Art: My Fallback Treatment Funding

I'm researching Complementary and Alternative Medicine for cancer treatment - not in the hope that I'll ever get the insurance to pay for it but to be better informed about what might help.

So far Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's website is most helpful. It is written in patient-friendly language but also includes information for doctors to download.

Their cancer care and research is so forward thinking that their therapy center combines massage therapy, acupuncture, nutritional guidance, and other services with more traditional ones. YAY, right?

BUT - even they say

"Despite the documented benefits of some of these therapies, most insurance plans will not pay for them.

Their response is to adapt. Dana-Farber bills health insurance for what they can, offer some at no charge at all, and some have a reduced fee.

So if NIH, NCF, Dana-Farber research and hundreds of other studies show positive results to alternative therapy why won't insurance cover it? It's nuts but that's the case with my top of the line insurance too.

So I'm putting together a collection of Art pieces to sell in order to pay for it myself

Art is my answer to helping underwrite costs of my care. These are mixed media construction pieces that can be shown in shadowbox frames or worn as pins

Because as always my community is really my strongest link in my chain of care - far more vital to me than any insurance company might be. I'll be looking for your help in talking about what I'm doing and why.

What about the future? Hopefully it will include both education and legislation

We need insurance that pays for compassionate care of any sort that has been shown to boost immune function, reduce pain, and improve overall quality of life.

What of patients who can't make and market art through their online networks? What if their skills involve more physically challenging activities they just can't do when they are sick?

That doesn't seem right.

In the meantime, I've got art.