Don't Worry - Be Happy!

I received this gorgeous award from my friend Claire who indicated that the criteria for accepting the award was to list 10 things that make you happy. Sounds easy enough, right? Well...it seems that my perspective of "happiness" has changed considerably since I received my diagnosis. I guess that I would have to say that when it comes to happiness, I am much less "shallow" than I once was. Or am I? Hmmm...perhaps I shall offer up a retrospective on my perception of happiness.

1. Yesterday, my friend Rosie and I got into a bit of a discussion on happiness. We were discussing companies who, when you resign, offer you more money to stay. One company that I worked at for several years ago, did that to me. I looked at the woman who was making me the offer and I said, "Do you really think that the money will make me enjoy a job that I no longer have fun at?" She indicated that she thought it would help. So I asked, "Okay. Let's say that I accept the offer, and 6 months down the road, I realize that I am still unhappy. Will you offer me more money again when I resign?" She looked shocked, sat silent for a moment, and then said, "No."
"Okay then," I told her. "I guess that there is no need to make me the offer now."
Money does not make me happy. It fills voids, but it does not create happiness in me. The government of Alberta, in handing down the most recent budget, announced that they would not cut funding to health care. Instead, they would dump billions of dollars more into health care. That use of money made me very happy!

2. Those of you who have followed my blog may recall that I prefer travelling in developing countries as opposed to the developed ones. I don't know, maybe I have a wee bit of Angelina Jolie in me (minus the Brad Pitt!), but I love the simplicity of life in developing countries. Now, before any of you start shrieking at that statement, you are right - life is not easy for people in developing countries. They face hunger, violence, disease, neglect, victimization, etc daily. But still and all, there is a simplicity to their lives that is lacking here. Their stresses are very different from ours. They do not stress about climbing the corporate ladder, paying the mortgage, eating out in the best restaurants, wearing the latest designer clothing. They take life as it comes, and they are grateful for what they have. Everywhere I have travelled, I have witnessed smiles, laughter and joy being demonstrated in abundance. Watching children in tattered clothing, playing in the dirt, a stick their only toy, and hearing the sound of their laughter - that makes me happy.

3. Walking in nature makes me very happy! There is something almost spiritual about walking on trails in the woods, listening to the crack of twigs underfoot, the crunch of leaves and to hear the scurrying of small animals seeking shelter as you approach. I love the smell of the earth, the moss, the flowers all mixed together into a warm, comforting aroma. I love looking up at the sky through the tapestry of the tree branches - natures art work. Spectacular! As well, I am happiest when I am by the ocean, or by the mountains. My spirit is calmed by these things. When I die, I will be most happy if my family breaks Canadian law and scatters my ashes in the mountains.

4. I love the opera! It takes my breath away. It soothes my soul. It speaks to me. It makes me want to learn Italian. But happily, they provide subtitles so that I don't have to learn Italian! That makes me happy.

5. My family and friends make me incredibly happy. They piss me off from time to time, but overall, they make me incredibly happy! I am blessed. In my darkest hours, who was there for me? My family and my closest friends. Not one of them reacted to me with the horror that I felt when they were told that I had cancer. Not one of them ever made me feel that I would not survive. Not one of them abandoned me. They made me happy!

6. The fact that I live in a country where health care is accessible to all - that makes me happy! Never once have I worried that I cannot have a test or a procedure because my insurance won't cover it. Never once have I worried that I would not be able to afford the very expensive medications that are included in the cancer package. Never once have I felt that I would not be given the absolute best medical care that was possible. I am happy to live in Canada in general, Alberta in particular.

7. I am happy that Dr Robert Buckman from Princess Margaret Hospital wrote the book Cancer is a word, not a sentence, which was so helpful to me. I am also happy that Dr Jimmie Holland from Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC wrote, The Human Side of Cancer. These two books were integral in getting me through the first couple of months after my diagnosis, and I recommend them to everyone that I know who has been recently diagnosed.

8. I am happy that Washington D.C. got two huge dumps of snow, and Edmonton Alberta Canada did not ;)

9. I am happy to have been amongst the first 5000 people invited to view the new Art Gallery of Alberta, a phenomenal new gallery that vaguely resembles the Sydney Opera House. And I am happy that there are artists in the world, who open our eyes to new ways of looking at life.

10. I am happy that Daria introduced me, and then re-introduced me to blogging. You are a doll Daria! And an inspiration. I am happy to know you!

6 Ways to Prevent Colorectal Cancer

The following is taken from the March, 2010 issue of Canadian Living Magazine.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada, but it is the number 1 cancer that you can prevent with a healthy diet.

1 Choose fibre-rich whole grains. A 2007 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that dietary fibre from whole grains was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer than fibre by itself. So add some brown rice, whole rye or quinoa to your meals a couple of nights a week.
2. Get your fruits and veggies. They have beta-carotene, vitamins, antioxidants,minerals and plenty of phtyocemicals - all of which have anticancer properties, says Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian in Toronto and author of Foods That Fight Disease (Penguin, 2008). The cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower), in particular, helps your liver remove carcinogens.
3. Eat low-glycemic-index foods. Step away from the chocolate bar - simple sugars are not your friend, so enjoy a crispy apple instead. Eating too much sugar causes your insulin level to spike, and insulin can stimulate the growth of colon cancer cells.
4. Meet your daily requirement of folate. "It's essential for the production of DNA in cells," says Beck. "Without enough of it, the ability of colon cells to repair faulty DNA can become impaired, increasing the risk of cancer development.
5. Limit alcohol. It may stimulate cancer cell growth in the colon, says Beck.
6. Restrict your red meat intake. Try not to eat anymore than 18 ounces (525 grams) a week of beef, veal, pork and lamb. "When you cook meat to a high temperature, you form compounds called heterocyclic amines, and in lab studies these are carcinogenic," says Beck.

Doing Great!

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent kind thoughts and enquiries. It feels like forever since I have been in touch with you all, but you are constantly in my heart and on my mind.

I am doing well. I am back to work full time, which is turning out to mean 60 hours per week - a tad more than I had originally planned, but it is a busy time of year, and that will correct itself soon, I hope.

I am also involved in a few volunteer activities. I sit on the Ethics Committee at the Cross Cancer Institute, as I have mentioned before. I am also the Co-chair of the 2010 Relay for Life Survivor Dinner, and I will be a peer support to other women diagnosed with my type of cancer. As well, I am vlounteering with the 2010 Weekend to End Women's Cancers.

On top of that....I have joined Toastmasters, and have been assigned the role of Vice President of Education. I am loving Toastmasters as it is providing me an opportunity to meet new people, to improve my communication and leadership skills, as well as my long term planning skills.

I am managing to squeeze some family time into my busy weeks, but not as much as I would like. Once again, in January things should slow down a bit and I will be able to balance my life a bit better.

Healthwise, I am scheduled for a colonoscopy tomorrow morning, and I see my oncologist on November 12. I have been feeling really good, but I am for sure having some long term side effects, and the specialist is wanting to rule out the possibility that my cancer has moved into the colon. I am optomistic that whatever the outcome, I will continue to receive exceptional health care and that all will be right in my world.

I really miss you guys, and I am hoping to fit blogging back into my daily routine at some point in the near future. I am sending virtual hugs to you all, and want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Conscious Living

"At its simplest,

conscious living is the art of feeling your feelings,

speaking authentically,

knowing your life purpose,

and carrying out effective actions

that contribute to your own well-being

and the well-being of others...

Life comes to us freely;

we wake up one day, and we're in it.

Conscious loving is the art of

learning and loving in our relationships -

our relationships with ourselves and others-

so that we eventually feel

a continuous flow of love

inside and out."

-Gay Hendricks, "Conscious Living"

Slowing Down

Well, it seems that I am one of several people who is feeling the need to step away from blogging for awhile. Blogging has been a wonderful, and healing process for me. During the months after I finished treatment, blogging became my link to the world, and I have been so appreciative of it. I discovered friends that I never even knew existed, and the support that I received was truly overwhelming.

But I am finding now, that it is becoming a bit of a chore to post every day, and you have all probably noticed that I have slowed down considerably. I feel that for the time being, I need to slow down even more. My wellness now revolves around physical strengthening, and with the summer weather, I am increasingly finding myself out of doors and getting more active. This is a GREAT thing, and something that I desperately need to do. As well, I am gradually increasing the hours that I work, so that is taking me away from my computer.

I know that I will not stop blogging all together, but I am slowing it down for the summer months in order to focus on improving my strength and overall health. I will continue to post, but probably only once or twice a week at the most.

Thank you all for being such an amazing group of followers! I have enjoyed the stalking immensely, but it is time for a break.