Healing Circle!

The title of my blog is the name of a book I just read . The book given to me by a fellow cancer survivor as a gift. The book is co authored by Dr. Rob Rutledge and Timothy Walker PhD. Rob Rutledge is a Radiation Oncologist, Tim Walker is a Psychotherapist. The book is a great read for anyone who has cancer or a family member with cancer. Everything that I'm trying to accomplish in my cancer journey is talked about in this book. I want to survive for as long as possible! One of the reasons I find this book so interesting is because this is a doctor speaking of alternatives to conventional medicine. Rob refers often throughout the book of Dr. Siegel a surgeon who wrote a book called Love, Medicine and Miracles. In his book he wrote of the "Super Patient!" He was curious why some patients, even ones with terminal illness cured themselves or lived much longer then what doctors predicted they would. What Dr Siegel discovered was that these people empowered themselves with a balance of conventional medicine, diet and exercise, and alternative techniques. The Healing Circle explains these techniques and how to apply them. They take the time to explain how to get the best out of the conventional medical system. Rob a radiation oncologist admits that conventional medicine can only bring us so far. Almost all cancers are still incurable to this day. Basically the book has many amazing stories of people and there cancer journeys. Many who were not giving long to survive and that are now cured or lived much longer then they were expected. It also gives you techniques on how to let you live your life, as opposed to cancer  living your life. To me this is huge, since I've come out of the post cancer shock I've been determined to live my life. It really took me 4 months to come out of the shock and anxiety of my diagnosis and start to relive my life. They speak of diet and exercise as one of the key components to the super patients survival. Although he never speaks of any specific way to eat, he speaks often that these super patients take there diet and exercise seriously, alot of them also using naturopath and homeopath remedies. Well as many of you know that read my blog, the diet and exercise is a lifestyle for me now. This will be for the rest of my life! The naturopath and homeopath techniques are being researched and are on there way soon. I really think it makes sense to incorporate the naturopathic and homeopathic perspective into incurable cancers. What do you have to lose?  The last part of the book explores alternative techniques for example, yoga, tai chi, meditation, reiki. He talks about the importance of these techniques, how they reduce stress and bring a sense of wholeness and inner peace. They know that the body fights cancer better when the bodies relaxed.  How do you relax somebody with cancer? Not easy we're a bunch of freaks... I'm the most calm laid back person I know and I was freaking. So things like Reiki, and yoga were so helpful. When I was going through my chemo I practiced all of the above examples. Yoga in particular helped me so much with relaxation, most notably with my sleeping. After reading this book I realize I need to start back into them. I mean all this is free through wellsprings London, so why wouldn't I take advantage of them. Yoga was my favorite followed by art therapy and reiki, even though I'm shit at art it's very relaxing and therapeutic for me. Throughout the book there are stories of people and there amazing journeys. One that caught my attention was a gentlemen with AML a aggressive type of leukemia. He was in the middle of intense chemo when he had 2 viruses attack his body at the same time. He couldn't eat he was vomiting, convulsing and blacking in out of consciousness. He remembers it got so bad that the doctors and nurses rushed in to shove a feeding tube down his throat. He heard the doctors say to his father this is are only chance to keep him alive. For some reason the were having a heck of a time getting the tube down his throat. He remembers his dad shouting, " have you had enough son?"  Followed by, " give me a sign and I'll make them stop!" Meaning to let him die. He never gave his dad that sign. After he came out of the coma 3 days later he slowly recovered. He's still here today and cured, and using the techniques in the book. To be that close to death and make it, WOW! After I read that I looked at my wife, handed her the book and said, "read this story!" That was the most powerful story in the book. There's a woman with breast cancer who talks about her journey. All I'd have to do is change the name and the type of cancer from her story. Every detail she wrote about was a mirror image of how I felt in my cancer journey. Just how she realized that her cancer would no longer run her life. Very powerful to me! In a nutshell after I read this book I realized that I want to be a super patient. The main reason is because I want to watch my daughters grow up. Another is egotistical, but I want people to say I know that guy and he beat cancer. I want to help other cancer survivors. I want to be a better person, part of that is being more balanced in body, mind and soul. Diet and exercise should be a no brainer for all of us regardless of having cancer or not. So maybe cancer sucks but it certainly doesn't have to ruin my life no matter how much time I have left. I will not let cancer run my life! To myself, 2 little girls, my wife, and all else who love and support me I promise that... That's a promise worth keeping I'd say.


Oh yes to Derek thanks for the tips on the naturopath!

Also To Craig thanks for the link!

My Check up!

Well today I had my first check up since my last chemo! Other then the 3 and a half hour wait things went well. I asked why they check my blood work even though I'm done my chemo. The reason is there are certain indicators in the blood that can tip him off to whether or not the disease is progressing again. My indicators all came back normal.... thank god! Dr Chin-Yee (super cool doctor) was concerned about my weight loss and questioned me about it. He was comfortable with my answer, which was lots of exercise and proper diet. After all weight loss is a sign that the disease is progressing again. When he seen me 3 months ago I was 255lbs and today I weighed in at 215lbs. That's 40 big ones gone for those of you who don't do the math.  Chin-Yee checked all my lymphnodes like he always does, then at my wife's request he checked my moles. My wife a few checkups ago wanted the doc to recheck my groin... She gets a kick out of watching doctors feeling me up! Moles are good by the way! I'll get her back one day when a beautiful young intern comes in and I'll have her recheck my groin over and over again. I have a friend who has Follicular Non hodgkins lymphoma like myself. She has never been treated for the tumor that has been growing in her neck. It had grown a to a fair size and she had enough and wanted it gone. So they did a CAT scan to determine if she needed chemo or if it could be surgically removed. The CAT scan show no grow in the tumor in 5 yrs and I believe one little spot in the abdomen. So she's having that sucker removed. For those of you who read my blog regularly no that this is not an option for me because my cancer is more spread out. Anyways good luck with the surgery and you are an inspiration! Well got to take my girls to dance, Chow!

Stupid Cancer!

We had a stupid cancer camping gathering this weekend and it was funtastic. Big thanks goes out to Luke and Donna for organizing the outing. My girls had never been camping so I had no idea what to expect. After a bit of a rough Friday night (Marissa was sick!). Saturday turned into a dreamy day in which the girls truly enjoyed... They grew to love camping this weekend and I couldn't be happier. I quite enjoyed the whole stupid cancer camping thing. To sit by the camp fire was amazing, as well as a few beers and stimulating conversations. Myself and Donna managed to stay up until 3am Saturday night! We outlasted Melissa by 20 minutes or so. We listened to a few snore bears also. Now I thinks it's bed time I am so pooped and special thanks to my mom for camping with us. We were like a couple of stooges setting up that tent!

Hanging on!

I've spent a lot of time thinking and reflecting since my diagnosis. One thing I've learned is life is short... So I want to leave this piece of advice for my kids! Life is full of ups and downs... Recognize and enjoy the ups. The downs are harder, sometimes all we can do is hold on. But don't hold on for too long! Don't be afraid to let go and step right back out there! When I was diagnosed. I was crushed and all I could do was hold on... I've let go and now I'm pushing forward, it's time to kick ass! I can't be bothered about what might happen to me and let cancer control my life... I still think it's important that I educate myself and go to my check ups that's being responsible for my health. To dwell on what might happen does me no good. Some nights I worry about my kids without a father, but then I let go. I need to enjoy my kids now. One thing I can promise to you girls is we'll continue to have fun... That's why we're camping this weekend!

One thing that is very clear to me about Follicular Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma is it's not curable by modern medicine. Modern medicine has lengthened remissions and stem cell transplants have giving some people so called cures. Dr Chin-yee told me that they declare you cured after 10 years of remission, but it could still come back at anytime. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm not what I call a cure. If you die of something else before you relapse isn't a cure for me either. Because modern medicine can only give me so much and that much I'm thankful for... But as I've mentioned before I decided to attack my cancer with exercise and diet. I decided whether it works or not I'm still much better off with a healthier lifestyle. Not to mention that as a parent it important to show my children the importance of exercising and eating well. I'm now considering going to a naturopath Dr for help with longer remissions or cures. I have to stay open minded especially when modern medicine still has no cure. I've learned of a young woman in Windsor. She was in remission with breast cancer, but it relapsed as stage 4 breast cancer which means your going to die. She went back on the chemo but it couldn't slow the cancer down. She was in such bad shape she couldn't get out bed. Then came the visits from the naturopath, well the tumors are shrinking she now is healthy enough to go grocery shopping. They had a fundraiser for her a few weeks ago so she can continue to use the naturopath, which is expensive and not covered by OHIP. Seriously why are we not combining modern medicine with naturopathic and homepathic techniques. Drug companies are afraid of a cure shitty but true. So I'll try and figure it out myself. I guess you could say I'm " Hanging on".