MIND. BODY. SPIRIT
While on vacation a couple of weeks ago, something happened to me – something that has changed my outlook on how I live but in a deeper level. When I think back to how I arrived at that very moment while sitting on the beach that first morning, I truly believe it was God doing his work.
It all began one day about a month ago, when my sister sent me a notification via instagram. She wanted me to view a video that talked about cancer (If you are new here, I’ve been living with ovarian cancer since 2006 – you can read my latest post, here). It was there that she introduced me to the account of Dr. G (Dr. Christian Gonzalez). I thought to myself, hey this guy seems like he knows what he is talking about. I started going through his feed and viewing his insta stories. It was one insta story that he shared a book called Radical Remission – Surviving Cancer Against All Odds. The title alone is what caught my attention. I had no idea what the book was about but I told my spouse I wanted to buy this book and read it on the beach during our vacation.
So there I was, sitting on a beach chair under an umbrella. The sun was warm and the sea breeze would rustle the pages of my book. From the preface and the introduction, to the first chapter, I was already captivated. I found myself in awe of stories from cancer patients taking control of their health when they were told by doctors they had only a certain time to live. My loving spouse was so supportive and shared in my enthusiasm as I read parts of the chapters out loud.
I won’t get into specifics about the book, as it can be interpreted to everyone differently and therefore, may result in varying opinions. For me however, it was so eye opening.
Four chapters in, it was that day on the beach that I told myself I would commit to the nine key factor for Radical Remission. Will it work? I’m not sure but I’m keeping a positive outlook and I’m embracing the uncertainty. Afterall, your attitude determines your direction.
I have a CT scheduled for the end of October. My oncologist is keeping a close eye on one particular tumor that increased in size and two others that grew very slightly. So when we returned home from our end-of-summer vacation at the beach, I gave myself a 60-day challenge to take control of my health.
This is not to say that I’ve been horrible to myself…I’ve always believed in celebrating all of life’s joys – from special milestones to the smallest moments that have led to many joyous & happy times, and lots of laughter. I have a strong and compassionate spouse who has always and continues to cheer me on in anything I do or want to do. This journey I’m embarking is more about self love from deep within. I am active – I ride an exercise bike every day and I don’t eat anything and everything that is bad BUT… sometimes life just happens and circumstances sometimes lead to taking care of others and not making yourself as a priority. Or when you have moments of stress and/or anxiety, you tend to cocoon yourself. I’ve been living with ovarian cancer for over 13 years and while I scratch my head to wonder why it took over a decade to come to this moment, I think back to this quote…“Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear the path.” It’s not that I did not know what was good or bad for me, or that my spouse, my sister, and relatives have not attempted to gear me to healthier ways. I’ll just sum it up with this….“When you know better, you do better.” -Oprah Winfrey. Sometimes hearing things from people is not enough, sometimes that same message is presented to you differently so that it can have a better impact on you in a bigger way…that ah ha moment!
I’ve always believed in God’s timing and perhaps my time is now. I hope this to end as my rescue story, where Jesus never gave up on me and little by little as shown me the way to not only live life with cancer but to survive and conquer this disease without having to fight the battle it comes with.
My 60-days will include several changes. The first… changing my diet, which means eliminating sweets altogether! I have such a sweet tooth. Eating well is a form of self-love so no more sugary confections that I would eat on occasion. Sugar is not a friend of cancer. Ten days in and I feel differently on how I look at sweets now. They say knowledge is power and indeed I find that to be so true! When you are equipped with information, you make better decisions and it has been my armor in turning away from these guilty pleasures. Truth be told, I initially did think to myself…whoa, with the autumn season of gatherings and comfort food, this is a suckie time! I mean pumpkin pie, warm apple pie…lol. I’ve found ways to feed those cravings – hello dates! Incorporate these when making a dessert and you are good to go.
I eliminated all white bread and flour to wheat and whole grain. I’ve also limited my dairy intake that helps with lowering inflammation. I’ve been researching and keeping a journal on what to identify on the back of food labels and what to stay away from. I’ve started eating foods that are organic, non GMO, gluten free, and plant based. Living in Pennsylvania, we have access to fresh grown fruits and vegetables from local farmers so we decided to purchase through them verses grocery stores where the pesticides are high.
“Bring the right mindset and attitude can literally change your life.”
Having the right mindset and attitude can literally change your life. Between my health and as of late seeing my dad go through so much with his health, stressors and anxiety have been present. While I pray daily, I am learning mediation practices. I believe that there is a partnership between the mind and body. Gaining that intuition to guide me toward making the changes my body is asking me to make in order to regain my health, also helps me at a spiritual level. I am learning to get in tune with unblocking and balance my chakras.
Motivational podcasts have helped me to start my day in a more relaxed way. A few that I’m currently listening to are Heal Thy Self with Dr. G, Oprah Super Soul, Deepak Chopra Daily Breath, and Align with Aaron Alexander.
“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” -Buddha
I started sage smudging for energy, clearing negative energy and setting good intentions.
I’m taking baby steps in the hopes of being able to move on to bigger changes. Your attitude determines your direction so while nothing may change after 60-days from the results of the CT scan, I will still feel good about what I’ve done and hope to continue to do. Everything takes time and I believe I’m heading toward the right direction. Thank you for reading and being a part of my journey!
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