Wellness Formula

Debbie did I already say what a great inspiration I think you are?

If not. Now, here: thank you very, very..... VERY much for all these tips. I truly hope many of the members will read this and take advantage of it.

Appreciating Time

Life gets busy at times that we don't appreciate the special moments given to us daily. Cancer will provide you with the opportunity to re-organize your priorites. Sharing your life with people you love becomes your concern in place of material things. Slowing down allows you to focus on the person you are with and to enjoy their presence rather than being preoccupied with activity. Perhaps you can color, read a story, or just snuggle close with your child or grandchild. Being selective with your time gives you the freedom to remove unnecessary "busyness" and focus on things that truly matter like tasting something good or smelling a freshly cut rose. People who live a life-threatening illnesses have said they can hear "the clock" ticking and the time getting away from them. Cancer patients learn many time management lessons and the most crucial one is to take time for the important things. You know what they are are for you,and if you are unsure, consider this. "Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Toady is a gift-that is why it is called the present." Anonymous

Reach for a Goal

As you are fighting to win. Set a goal for yourself and work on it every day. If it is getting more help.
Or eating better.
To just be positive.
I have found in my fight with Stage3 Breast Cancer I always told people,"I am going to win!" Every time I had times or chemo I said this. It help me out alot. Please be strong in your fight and know your not alone. Debbie

Rhythmic Breathing

Get into a comfortable position and relax all your muscles.

Close your eyes or focus on a distant object if you prefer to keep them open.

Breathe in and out slowly and comfortably through your nose. If like, keep a rhythm steady by saying to yourself,"In, one, two, Out.one two."

Feel yourself relax and go limp each time you breathe out.

You can continue this technique for just a few seconds or for up to 10 minutes.

Here are some ideas that have helped others deal with uncertainty and fear and feel more hopeful.

Be informed, Learning what you can do for your health now and about the services available to you, Can give you a greater sense of control.

Express your feelings of fear or uncertainty. Being open and dealing with their emotions helps many people feel less worried.

Work toward having a positive attitude, which can help you feel better about life now.

Find ways to help yourself relax.

Exercise and be as active as you can.

Control what you can. Some people say putting their lives back in order makes them feel less fearful. Being involved in your health care, getting back to your life.

Perhaps you feel emotionally exhausted and tired all the time. Some of it may be the lingering side effects of treatments, But some of it feels like your body and spirit are tired and need a long rest. It's been a long time since you could relax.

All of these feelings make sense, You have just been threw a difficult time, You have made some major life decisions. Your body has been assulted by cancer and it's treatment Your outlook and your whole way of life have changed, at least for the time.

You want to believe it is over and put the cancer behind you, But can you? You may notice that you are thinking alot about those aches and pains you are having in your body. You feel like a sitting duck.

It is easy to obsess about every ache and pain if you are worried about your cancer returning. In reality, there are a few major symptoms that could mean serious problems:

Return if
return of your cancer-specific symptoms(for example a new growth)
A persistant new or unusual pain unrelated to injury.
Weight loss without trying.
bleeding or bruising.
A rash.
Chills and fever.
Shortness of breath.
Bloody stools or blood in urine.
Lumps Bumps or swelling.
Cough that does not go away.
loss of appetite
Whenever you have a symptom, Your first thought might be that your cancer has returned. Remember that there are illness that have no relationship to your previous cancer. The doctor is the best person to determine the cause of your symptoms. You should also be aware that some cancer treatments may cause future health problems.

A Silver Lining

Not everything that comes from cancer is negative. Many patients experience what has been termed post-traumatic growth to describe the positive life changes that arise from traumatic experiences. More specifically, Cancer survivors perceive positive change in a number of areas, Including personal strength, Appreciaton of life, New possibilities, Relating to others and spiritual change.

Nurturing Your Inner Self

How we see ourselves often reflects how we feel. Even thoughyou may not feel well, Putting some make-up boosts your spirits and can make you feel better.

Try a bronzing powder or lotion to help you maintain a healthy glow.

If you have experienced tearing problems, Try using waterproof mascara and liners to eliminate running of makeup.

Eyebrows give expression to the face. If youlose your eyebrows or forget how they were shaped, You can purchase stencils(at some cosmetic counters) to use them in a pencil or powder.

The American Cancer Society offers a program called" Look Good, Feel Better"
at most cancer centers and its free of charge. These sessions provide make-up techniques, information on different wigs that are available and ways to wear hats and scarves.

Please check with the American Cancer Society were you live.

footprintsangel wrote:

Acts of Love

in the end it all comes down to this.

Hope

Optimism and hope are radically different attiudes. Optimism is the expection that things-the weather,human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better.

Hope is the true that God will fulfill His promises to us in a way that leads us to freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands. All the spiritual leaders in history were people of hope; Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and Gandhi all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without any need to know exactly what it would look like.

Make a choice to live with hope. There is always hope!

Forgiveness

Remember that you are a human with imperfections, weaknesses, and flaws like everyone else. Try to accept your mistakes and forgive yourself for them, Canceling the demands that you should have behaved differently. Remove the guilt from your life; it is a useless torment. Do the same with others; forgive the person, Not the actions. Recognize your limitations, And also give yourself credit for all that you have achieved in spite of them. Doing so will allow you to be more accepting of yourself and others.

Helps with disability http://www.disablitysecrets.com/conditions-page-1-43 html

Music Heals

Healing through music is an unconventional method of caring for your body. It soothing to the soul and has been proven to relax your mind in the most tense situations. Doctors and dentists use it in their offices to calm the nerves of patients. Businesses use it to sooth irate customers who are holding on the phone. Musicians are brought in treatment areas to play for calming effect and to comfort the weary. From listening to Mozart to strmming a guitar, many people can benefit from music's calmative effects.

A unique method of musical healing is known as the Tibetan singing bowls. These bowls diversify the possiblities for healing with vibrations and sounds. Testimony indicates that benefits are physical, psychological and spirital all at the same time.
Music can also help to accomplish the following:
1.Lower your blood pressure, heart and breathing rate
2.Help to prevent insomnia
3.Relieves stress and muscle tension
4.Provides relaxation

Sounds is especially powerful influence on the human nervous system. It can harm or heal. Whether you are ill or injured, facing a surgical procedure, suffering an emotional hurt or simply want to maintain optimum health, Music sound can help you heal.

No one knows exactly how music benefits the body, but one theory holds that our muscles,including our heart muscles learn to synchronize to the beat of music. Another theory suggests that music and sound distract the mind from focusing on pain and anxiety. In additional source of tranquility for the mind is listening to different sounds of water; raindrops falling a habbling brook, ocean waves, or mountain waterfall. Use the music resources available to quiet your mind, relax your body and elevate your spirit.

I have always felt grateful for the wonderful people and things in my life, And I continue to do so. Whether you appreciation of things is a part of growing older,or fighting cancer,or even what you don't know. I hope you will share your compassion, Volunteering, fundraising or whatever small part you can play will help you feel better and help others too.

Take care of You

To help you feel better, Take care of something. Buy some plants and keep them in good shape. Get a kitten and give it love and attention. The presence of living,growing things at times of great stress helps decrease the stress and gives you realities outside yourself and your immediate situation. The same thing is true of art. Go to a theater,a museum,a concert or ballet. Art can take us out of ourselves, lift us beyond our immediate environment, enrich us spiritually and aesthetically. Opening yourself to great beauty is always a life enchancer. In times of crisis,its also healing.

A positive attitude make such a differents, It is a fact that it affects survivor rates of cancer patients. Quality of life is also improved by positive attitude. How to stay positive? Take one day at a time, and deal with each problem as it comes. Don't let your mind anticipate new ones. They may never occur. You can even write down the positive things that happen and when you are low, You can read them.

I have three different colored wigs(one brown, one blonde, and one red). I also find fun hats at the thrift stores (I spray them with unscented sanitizer before wearing). Usually, just wearing one of those perks me up. When I'm feeling "evil" I wear the red wig with an outrageous hat to treatment. It really makes my day.

awesome sense of humours are a necessity for wellness
you need to be able to laugh at yourself
i can even laugh now at dropping my temp boob while in a shop trying on clothes devastated at the time it now makes me chuckle definitely not worth crying about

Hi Friend, Laughing is one of the most healing, Plus loving yourself even when you have been through alot. I would love it if you will please let me know want you are grateful for. I am gateful to have some friends like you folks. You know where I have been. I try and write in the Line we have here called grateful will you join me. Thanks for being you! God bless you, Debbie

Personal Journaling

Journaling provides the oppotunity for you to record events occuring in your life as well as your feelings and emotional response to those events. Writing what is significant to you at that time can serve as a healing tool. That allows you to observe what you are experiening through a different lens- a recorded commentary of your experiences.
Journaling is a wonderful coping mechanism. If you should decide to start journaling, The following suggestion may be helpful:

Find a journal that is personal to you. It could be an attractive bound book or a simple spiral notebook. How it looks is not important; what matters is that you have one place in which to keep your entries.

If you need help starting, try," I am thinking about...."or, " I was inspired by" or, "It touched my heart to.." or a funny joke..."
Do not worry about the grammar or spelling; just go with the flow of your thoughts and feelings.

Self-hypnosis

Trance is an altered state of consciousness(like daydreaming) and hypnosis is the method used to achieve it. You can be taught to get yourself into this hypnotic state so that you can control when the trance occur. You can use it to enchance relaxation and healing. Self-hypnosis, like meditation, involves an initial period of concentration on an object. Hypnosis does not try to keep your awareness in the present; instead, you enter into a deeply relaxed, somewhat subconscious state of mind. Try these suggestion for self-hypnosis;

Take a slow deep comtrolled breath, in threw your nose and out through your mouth; hear your breath.

Put your thumb and index finger together and take another slow deep breath.

With the next deep breath, apply slight pressure between your fingers; as you exhale, relax your two fingers and let your mind take you to your favorite place of soothing, peaceful surroundings.

Continue to breath patterns while maintaining the method of relaxing with each exhalation.

Stay there as long as you would like for optimum benefits.
Hyonosis is a valuable aid to controlling pain and helping to relieve stress and anxiety.

Helping with Fatigue:

Try to get eight hours sleep every night.

Take short naps threw out the day. Do not over nap or you won't sleep at night.

Plan your activities during the day in order to pace yourself.

Avoid doing things for long periods at a time.

Take short breaks during difficult activities.

Don't stand when you can sit.

Try to do the most important and fun activities first when you have the most energy.

Climb stairs only when absolutely necessary.

Wear comfortable shoes and loose fitting clothes.

Eat a well balanced meal and drink 8 eight ounce glass of water a day.

Listen to your body and be good to yourself.

Fear
The Fear is many questions,How,when,why? Or Fear is
F- Face it.
E- Examine it.
A- Ask for help.
R- Release it.

Please be good to yourself as you fight to win, And remember the good fear.

Today I think of the power of love to heal. I remember how powerful love was when we were small. When you hurt yourself, youe mother would say, "Let me kiss it and it will be better." We are always to remember about love and healing. Love is a powerful healer!

Keep on keeping on!

1. See the light in each day.
2. Share the beauty with friends.
3. Never give up!
4. Call a friend, tell them their
special.
5. Remember the good times.
6. Dont stay alone when down.
7. Treat yourself as you would treat others.
8. If you can, Go help someone or write them a card.
9. Laugh, Laugh, Laugh, Buy a joke book.
10. Have a grateful book you can write in and write down the bad in the back and close it. Like your telling someone.

Please be good to yourself as you fight. I know it can be hard, But you must remember.....You are a winner!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life! LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

Think Positive When Facing Cancer

You can reduce your anixety about treatment side effects by having a positive attitude, talking with others about your feelings, and becoming well informed about your cancer and treatment. In addition, planning ways to cope with possible side effects can make you feel more in control.

Many people have few or no side effects that keep them from eating. Even if you have had side effects, they may be mild and most go away after cancer treatment ends. In addition, you may be able to control side effects with a new drug. For more information on coping call the American Cancer Society or any cancer care and ask for the info.

Set Your Dreams

As you are fighting to win, Remember to set your dreams. Everyday is a go day to remember your happy times and the dreams that will be after you win! Make yourself a time to think, love and grow.

Make a list:
Your short term goals.(what you want to do this week)
Your mid range goals.(what you want to do this year)
Your long range goals.(someday I will)
Simple things and splurges.(what have you bee denying yourself)
People and things to be grateful for.

Life is a mirror: If you frown at it, it frowns back. If you smile, it returns the greeting. THACKRAY

We are more likely to say,"I love you,"laugh at corny jokes, and discover beauty where we least expect it. We choose to remain hopeful and nurture our spirits while tending to our physical needs. Strive for the healing of your mind-body-spirit.
It is important that you not only survive this experience, but as a result of it. It is not a life path that you would have chosen, but it is one that can enrich your life beyond measure.