1. Radically Changing Your Diet
The holiday season has provided wonderful temptations and I have strayed from the path. A resolution for the New Year is to return to a more plant-based diet, creating an internal environment that is not receptive to the cancer. I have also been using alcohol to mitigate the agitation from the steroids at night and am hoping that with the prednisone taper that will no longer be necessary.
2. Taking Control of your Health
As the time approaches for a shift away from the current treatment approach, I need to become more informed about the different alternatives. I was inspired by a recent book, Lifelines to Cancer Survival: A New Approach to Personalized Care by Mark Roby. He details the importance of taking charge of your care, forming a circle of friends and advisors and always having in the wings at least three alternatives to the treatment you are currently receiving. Such a plan would involve more research and engagement on my part and I am feeling ready to take that on.
3. Follow Your Intuition
I’ve had good reason to be open to intuitive leanings as I have grappled with the different ways of responding to this challenge. As there is more uncertainty moving forward, the way for intuitive seeking opens as the path is not so clear. Having an open heart and open mind helps.
4. Using Herbs and Supplements
I’ve been supplementing my supplements with probiotics, slippery elm, milk thistle and Chinese herbs as recommended by my acupuncturists and knowledgeable friends to deal with the side effects from the treatment. I expect this to continue but am hopeful that the side effects will not be so extensive.
5. Releasing Suppressed Emotions
Although I am not as emotionally raw as when first diagnosed, I find myself responding tearfully at different times as I am more open and vulnerable. As I seek for the underlying emotional contributions I become more clear about how my behavior has provided an opportunity for the cancer to take hold. My focus at present is on dealing with my sensitivity to frustration and the resulting anger. I feel called to try to be open to the emotions, not act them out and allow them to move through me in a way that is calming and soothing. I am working on my tendency to be critical and judgmental with myself and others and cultivating a more compassionate and forgiving response. I have a strong tendency to be somewhat self-absorbed which points me to the need to be thinking of others, offering prayers and concerns and trying to reach out to others in ways that I have not yet to date felt comfortable doing.
6. Increasing Positive Emotions
More focus on this front is called for! Seeking ways of experiencing joy either alone or with others is calling me. Nathan recently commented on a post by sharing how he can’t help but be carried in the wonderfully spontaneous fun that comes from raising three boys. Taking time out from seriously thinking about what needs to be done next would help and actively engaging in more enjoyable pursuits.
7. Embracing Social Support
Our community has been supportive and encouraging in so many ways. I hope to reach out more to be with others in meaningful ways. One avenue not yet explored is discovering a local support group for melanoma patients. I’ve been a pretty solitary and private person but my eyes have opened to how many wonderful people are out there. For me, accepting the bountiful support with gratitude has been transformative.
8. Deepening Your Spiritual Connection
Responding to this physical crisis has definitely deepened my spiritual practices. Being confronted with one’s mortality and the uncertainty of the time remaining has called for a clearer sense of what’s important and making choices based upon what is most meaningful. Truly investigating conventional understandings of cancer and being open to the experiences of Anita Moorjani and others who have defied the odds is important. Being mindful in the present moment is key.
9. Having Strong Reasons for Living
I have plenty to live for but getting really clear about why I wake up each morning has become something of a preoccupation with me. There are expectations about what may be experienced in the future but finding joy and meaning in each day as it arises is where my focus has been. What form the future may take is radically uncertain at this point although there Karen and I have dreams that are yet to be realized. We hope for the best and plan for the worst.