The whole cancer plan

Having had cancer for about a year and a half (well, diagnosed cancer), I can tell you what services a cancie should partake in, if they can. I hope that one day every cancer patient gets free access to the following professionals:

• a nutritionist
• an oncologist
• a radiation oncologist/surgeon (as needed)
• a social worker or psychologist
• a personal trainer
• a support group of people that are similar to themselves
• an acupuncturist
• a massage therapist
• a healer

The people in blue, I can get for free and the people in red can be found but with certain caveats that may not be ideal. For example, nutrition information is presented at chemo school (a mandatory 2 hour class prior to first chemo) or in brochure form and it says that we must eat more protein! More steak, cheese, yoghurt and milk with some legumes thrown in. I think that protein is just fine but I don't understand why that is the primary focus of cancer nutrition. Yes, your red blood cells take a beating and iron can help avoid anemia but what about vegetables, complex carbohydrates and green tea? All of these have an important place but aren't really mentioned. I think that the research needs to catch up to the common sense of grandma-type knowledge. A grandma would make you vegetable soup, tea and some homemade bread or a delicious stir fry! People often think that as a vegan, I am malnourished, but I get my blood tested every 3 weeks and no deficiencies have been found. Even though, I work out several times a week and take chemotherapy!

Common sense says to stay hydrated, eat antioxidants and keep yourself skinny (especially if you have hormonal cancers which are stored and can be created in your fat cells so, if you have more fat then you'll have cancer feeding hormones.)

I think that if you aren't being provided with these services then find them for yourself because the stakes are pretty darn high when you have a serious illness or even if you don't.  Some explanations of the goodness you can create:

1. Nutrition feeds your body and bad foods don't promote healing or wellness. Example of a bad food: Cheezies which have a weird orangeness about them and what are they even made of cornstarch?
2. Oncology is the study or pharmaceuticals to limit or remove cancer cells and these drugs can be very helpful.
3. Radiation oncology provides either pain relief or aims to kill small cells that may be in an area of the body.
4. Surgery or localized therapy can remove cancer cells to limit their spread.
5. Counseling can heal old emotional wounds or maintain relationships with your loved ones as they process your illnes. If you feel good with your community then you'll probably heal easier.
6. Working out allows your body to flush out toxins, maintain strength, keep weight low and facilitates the movement of enzymes and vitamins, etc...
7. Support groups can make you feel like a community because communities are helpful for all human beings.
8. Acupuncture and massage can alleviate pain and allow toxins to move out of the body, also it can give you control of your illness through deciding what procedures you need.
9. Healers like my shaman Patrick, make you feel cared for and send positive energy to you. They can also make you feel like a community wants your illness to improve. I also feel that prayer works like this.

So, find yourself some love, give yourself love and promote your health. What would be more important than that?

Back to work

I'm back to my version of work this year, which includes working out, eating veggie stir-fry and salad, blogging and going to some stressful medical appointments (I swear that the last CT scan that I had, the nurses may have used paint thinner as the contrast fluid, or at least that's what it smelled like). All in all my life is very good and I'm very pleased. I affectionately refer to myself as a "stay at home" and I'm surprised to find that I love it. I always thought that if I was lucky enough to have children, then I'd dislike the staying at home parts of their rearing. Turns out that Kill will have to arm wrestle me for his half of mat/pat leave if we get to be parents one day :).

Halifax is stunning and I reconnected with Elle on this trip. It's so unique, the relationship between siblings, because you introduce each other to bullying but you also offer unconditional love throughout the largest span of each others lives (ideally, of course). Mum, Kitty's dad (my step father) and the French Farmer also got along well and conquered the hurdle that is traveling en masse. I'm so glad that they let me come along with them.

Get used to to checking the blog again as this fall it will creep back toward awesomeness. I'm feeling hopeful about cancer and about healing. I'll leave you with one of my favorite phone calls from this summer, it was from a pharmacist at the cancer hospital and she chastised me for "being very difficult to get a hold of this summer". I couldn't think of a better compliment to get seeing as I was a gallivanting, ocean wading and golf course walking broken back, cancer patient. She didn't even know how much I liked being off the grid. What a great summer!