Basic List of What I Did and Do to be Healthy

This is not medical advice but outlines what I did and still do in my attempts to be as healthy as possible. There is so much information, now.  I recommend anyone told they have cancer to read “Radical Remission” by Dr. Kelly Turner along with finding Chris Beat Cancer on YouTube.  I also quite enjoy Barbara O’Neill from Living Springs (Australia). These sources give boundless amounts of information and inspiration that goes beyond what the medical system provides.  A list is difficult because I want to write a story about everything.  I should not be alive.  There is no medical reason. All glory be to God for my extended life.  God can cure instantly and sometimes He points us in the direction where we can find healing. Very briefly, this is what I have done and do …. Remember ‘baby steps’ and I did not wake up one morning and change my life. It was one step at a time.
 
I have had a very supportive family and a group of friends along with outstanding coaches, including a homeopath who had beat cancer 20 years ago.  She coached me and gave me lots of ideas on things to do to build up my immune system.  Having the ability to talk to someone who had also been given a timeline gave me hope and so was a great support for me. I also went to an alternative medicine clinic in Calgary, called Pure North. They have a cancer specialist (MD/naturopath) who helped me with supplements and alternative therapies. About a year ago, she looked at my blood test results and said. “I think you are embarking in a different direction”.  It is all about supporting your immune system and things are much easier if you have people who help you along the way.
 
 
Mental/Spiritual:
 
Control your thoughts.  Live fearlessly.
 
Get in touch with our Creator/God. Put God in control. Pray and pray some more.
 
I was anointed 3 or 4 times. (James 5)
Focus your energy on being alive. Find things that you can do to support you immune system rather than waste your valuable energy on being fearful.
 
Love my church family (they made me a ‘prayer project’ and I am sure that is a reason that I am alive).
Stay social and do things you enjoy.
 
 
Diet:
 
Hot lemon water first thing every morning
 
No sugar.  I still enjoy berries and fruit (an apple almost every day).
 
No processed foods. No dairy. No wheat. No coffee. No alcohol.
 
Mostly organic everything.
 
Mostly vegetarian (if I do eat meat, I am very picky about where it comes from). I consume no dairy products.
 
Salad every day. Lots and lots of vegetables.
 
Green juice (celery, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, lime etc.).
 
Berry shake with avocado, MCT oil and a green vegan protein powder (usually for lunch).
 
Ground organic flax (1 TBSP freshly ground in a coffee grinder with breakfast).
 
Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
 
Hemp Hearts - not so much anymore but I used to like to put them in my shakes.
 
Apricot Kernels (when I had active cancer)
Organic Homemade Bone Broth Soup (when I was on chemo) and when I want an energy boost.
 
 
Household/personal care:
 
No parabens or chemicals
 
Natural cleaning products and laundry soap
 
Natural (no fluoride) toothpaste
 
Natural shampoo/conditioner
 
Natural moisturizer
 
 
 
Exercise:
 
Trampoline/mini-tramp (2 times a day for 3 minutes). This actually would increase my blood counts during chemo so I still continue to use the tramp when I remember. 
 
Walking 30 minutes per day (recently changed to 10 minutes of walking after each meal).
 
Weight training (squats, lunges, bench press, crunches, etc. 3 times a week).
 
Cardio (warm-up (mobility work)  + 6 x 50-meter sprints, 3 times a week)
 
 
Supplements:
Vitamin C  IVs: I did these for a year after my last surgery. I continue with a vitamin C drink every day. 
 
Entire vitamin protocol suggested by my naturopath (multi, NAC  etc.) including ….
 
Vitamin D3
 
Glutathione
 
Medi-C Plus 2 x day
 
BroccoGen 10
 
CuraMed Breast by Terry Naturally
 
AOR Active Green Tea capsules
 
PQQ-10
 
Magnesium etc.
 
Cancer patients may wish to research  ….
 
Onculyn
 
Beta Glucan
 
Essiac Tea
 
 
More Alternative health:

Chiropractor
 
Acupuncture - I no longer do this 
 
Massage (more recently)
 
Infrared Sauna which I still do but now only about once a week.
 
Hyperbaric Oxygen and lots of other things (during my trip to Sanoviv in 2015)
 
This is the basics of what I did and do.  Each individual needs to pick and choose what works for them.  I did a lot of things. Honestly, I am not sure if one of them or all of them made a difference. I have been through a lot.  I am alive and cancer-free which probably has a lot to do with my faith, outlook on life, resilience, and efforts to be as healthy as I can be. 
 

Overflowing Gratitude

Friday, April 5th marks 2 years cancer-free for me! It is nothing short of a miracle.  For a while, I could barely go six months without another tumour popping up.  Being cancer-free is an amazing thing to celebrate! I cannot help but smile as I write this. 

Two years ago, I made a choice to lose my left arm and part of my left shoulder in order to remove a very aggressive bone cancer.  I have not regretted this choice for one minute because I am alive. Yes, I am alive. In the past 2 years, I have done a couple road trips to California in a Honda Civic with my youngest son and been blessed to watch him play a few basketball games. I have seen my oldest son graduate from university, fall in love, get married, and go off to pursue a doctor of chiropractic degree. I have also really enjoyed a few adventures with my husband including visiting Ottawa for the first time. I personally have received and mastered the use of my shoulder/arm/hand gift from heaven prosthetic. I have started writing my book and also applied and been accepted to the University of Calgary Masters of Education program. I will be going back to school!! Life has been so good to me. I certainly have learned to trust that God has a plan for me and to just go with it. If any worry crosses my mind, I hand it over to God. He loves me and as the Creator of the universe can handle things way better than I can.

My journey was 7 years of 6 reoccurrences, more than 100 chemo treatments, more radiation than any human being should ever have, 8 surgeries including a fourth-quarter dissection, 3 times I have been told, "You are done" and yet to the amazement of my doctors, I am alive. 

I tell the doctors, "God wants me alive". He has a plan for me and so I continue to speak by invitation and write my story. This journey was not just mine. It was a journey that encompasses everyone who knows and loves me. I am so grateful and filled with love for everyone who supported me through this trial.

When people ask me for advice, I will bluntly say ‘Do not listen to anything your doctor tells you when it comes to your timeline’. No one can predict the future except God. And “...What is impossible with man, is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). I put my faith in God.

Later this month, I will be returning to see a young doctor who told me in January, “No one is alive who has been what you have been through. I do not know what to do with you .... there is no protocol ... I need to scan you more .... I need to see you more.” 

At our next appointment, I am going to tell him, "No ... I am 2 years cancer free, I do not need to be scanned more than once a year and after the next one let’s go to one scan every two years". 

I will tell him about the message I had from an angel in November 2016 who distinctly told me, "You will have cancer one more time then you will be ok". I have had cancer one more time and now I can be OK.  If there is a list of who one should believe, I am sure angels are on the list. I am also going to give him a copy of a medical article on hope written by another one of my doctors because he has a responsibility, if he continues in his profession, to instill hope in his patients and not scare the pants off them them with statistics. I certainly am an individual and am very happy to not fit onto their graph.

One important thing that I have learned about cancer survival or even living a good life is that it is all about supporting our immune system so that our bodies can do what they do best. 

How does one support their immune system? 

1. Ask God to daily fill you with the Holy Spirit ... the peace and joy of heaven greatly outweighs anything that is here on earth
2. Control your thoughts ... focus on gratitude and spending your energy on being healthy and stay away from victim mode
3. Stick with your herd ... surround yourself with love and support
4. Find things that work for you to be healthy and be happy. ... diet ... exercise... sleep ... supplements... alternative therapies (infrared sauna, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, etc.)
5. If you are doing anything that you know damages the immune system ... stop it! 

Life is too short for too many and we all need to embrace each day. I continue to love and live each day ... I am on a gratitude high. Life is good! God is good! May we all find joy on our journey. 

Unscripted

Life is unscripted.  We can have the best thought out plans, only to be faced with changes that we would never expect or want.  I like to have a plan and to know what direction I am going in.  Growing up in Alberta where snowstorms that can keep everyone home actually happen, one could assume that I would have learned early on that plans are meant for changing or adapting to what is happening around us. However, for me, an unexpected punch in the stomach came when my 49-year-old brother passed away on November 2 of 2018. I discovered the pain of losing a family member whom I loved dearly. How does one adapt to such a heartbreak, except to be there for each other?

Now it is three weeks into the New Year and I know that my prayers for his family will never stop.  They are on my mind daily because I know that their pain is much more than mine.  I want things to be ok.

December 2015, I wrote a blog entry called 'Getting OK with Death', which actually covers the biblical interpretation of what happens with a human when they die and the comfort of knowing that it is not a permanent situation.  The bottom line is that the devil will cause as much pain and suffering as he can get away with but through a relationship with Christ we all have hope of a much better future. As long as we know Jesus, no matter our situation we can still have hope because the best is yet to come.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs without fear of the future". Proverbs 31:25
(I love this verse. Thank you Joanne for sharing.)

One year into my first year as a young teacher, on my first summer break I found myself standing on the edge of a cliff at South Point, Hawaii.   I had accepted an invitation to travel to Hawaii with a friend who I had met in university. We stayed with her brother who had married a 'local' and so cliff diving with locals was  part of the planned experience.  However, being from the Canadian prairies, I had never actually swum in the ocean before.  With the encouragement and actual cheering from the people on the cliff, I jumped over the 50-foot drop into the unknown and loved it.  This led to many more jumps that day and an adventure to remember.

We all need the support and encouragement of others.  Especially, during those unscripted and troubled times in life.  Thank you to everyone who have inspired and supported me.  May we all do the same for others.  Blessings to all for 2019.

Free Will

Summer has come and gone. Early winter weather visited and now we are back to autumn for hopefully a few weeks of reprieve. I had such a wonderful summer with weddings, travel, friends, family, gardening and personal development. My life is filled with so many blessings!

"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b  I certainly have found much joy in my life after cancer.

'Moon Set' taken Sept 25, 2018 approx. 8:00 am

My summer personal development included working with a nutritionist and personal trainer.   My motivation was to get rid off a few pounds and to feel healthier. I experienced success in these endeavors. 

The prosthetic training continues. A few delays occurred because my original elbow  was defective. After three mechanical failures it has been replaced with a brand new one which seems to be working well.  However, this has delayed my training because with every malfunction I  was without a working elbow for ten days while I waited for a substitute elbow. When I did have a working elbow again it was almost like learning from square one.   Now with the new replacement, as of last Wednesday, things should go at full speed ahead. The longer training sessions that I started with seemed to wake up the phantom pain to the point that I was avoiding my training exercises. With my occupational therapists permission, I now am training three times a day in 5 - 10 minute intervals.  I also continue with the mirror therapy as it is the only tool that I have found to effectively relieve phantom pain.

God has bestowed on each human the gift of free will. We choose.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve on another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13

I choose to continue prosthetic training and I choose to do my best to be healthy by my eating choices, walking and working out so that I can be here for my family, friends and anyone else who crosses my path.

We decide everything from our next act to whom we will worship. We are either with God or against Him.

The many disasters in our world remind us daily that Satan walks back and forth on the earth causing all kind of destruction and trouble. We choose whom we will call upon for safety.

We can choose eternal life.  It is our choice. The time is short so do not delay. Pray and tell God your choice is for Him.

Happy Happy Anniversary to Me!

I love this time of year! The flowers and birds and green growing all around reminds me of the joy and beauty that life can hold.

June 10, 2018 marked my 5 year anniversary of being told, "You have 6 months".  Perhaps this is something  some may prefer to forget. On the exact date of this anniversary, about one week ago,  I was honored to be speaking to a church congregation telling them how much God loves each one of us.  Five years ago, the statement predicting my imminent demise really bothered me.  Now I can wear it as a badge or an inspiration for others because it is God who decides how long we will live (Psalms 139:16) which no one can over rule.

A couple verses from Corinthians really speaks to me about this experience.

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (NIV) "Indeed, we had received the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such deadly peril, and He will deliver us again.  On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us."

I honestly can say that my journey happened so that I would learn to put my whole trust and faith in God. I will continue telling others and praising the Lord for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me.

I continue on with my prosthetic training. My latest project is to open and close my hand as many times as I can for half a hour 2 - 3 times a day.  This apparently will train my brain in the operation of the arm/hand.  Below is a really short clip of my hand opening and closing.  My left hand now proudly wears a 'rubber glove' which makes it look more like an actual hand. My elbow has gone in for repairs twice but I persevere.  I love having having my prosthetic and wear it from the time I get out of the shower in the morning until I go to bed at night.  At night it is plugged in to charge up just like my cell phone.  :)

Abundantly Above

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV

Do you see that? God can answer our prayers exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or even think.  I am truly in awe because the gift of an electronic arm/hand prosthetic is abundantly above what I could ask or even think of.  I could not pray for something like this because it felt wrong to ask for so much and yet I have it. I honestly, had no idea that the excessive expense of a prosthetic could get in the  way for amputees. Basically I had insurance coverage that I had no prior knowledge of, so I paid nothing. All I can say is 'Praise the Lord'! God is so good to me.

It arrived about three weeks ago and today was named Robie (with a long o sound) with the middle name Soundie.  The names were picked by a children's Sabbath School class that I am a part of each week.  They had fun brainstorming names and today a name was picked. :)

In the time that I have had it I have found it to be an amazing tool.  I am still mastering it and it does not always do what I want it to but I can pick up a cup, hold down the shift key on the computer, hold down paper so I can write on it, carry a shopping bag, open the fridge, entertain children and the list goes on.  It has also been an interesting distraction from phantom pain.  My left arm mimics the position and movement of the prosthetic which helps in the pain department.  It also helps balance my upper body so that I am not so lopsided.

I have also been blessed with an occupational therapist and rehab physiotherapist that I am working with as I master the skills needed to operate my new arm/hand.  There was talk  of sending me to Edmonton (about a 3 hour drive) but these keen and kind young women were happy to help me in Calgary.  I am their second upper limb amputee patient.

This brings to mind Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

May all our prayers be answered abundantly above what we ask or can even think. Amen. 

January Blessings and Prosthetic Education

 My January goals continue. My current focus is getting ready for my prosthetic arm/hand and to increases my stamina and energy so that I can eventually successfully return to work.


Things are coming together. My twice a week muscle training is paying off and the date for life with a prosthetic has been set for February 1, 2018.  Then I begin the work of the actual learning to use the hand and arm. I have been told that I will need one month of full-time training to get the hang of it.  I am also being referred to an occupational therapist to learn how to get dressed with the prosthetic.

Here a few snapshots from my time spent at muscle training:

Myoboy Traning Tool

The Myoboy training tool  is used for measuring muscle strength and what I was first introduced to. The coloured lights measure the amount of signal that my muscle is sending.







The electrode in the picture is placed on my back and once it is in place, I get to practice flexing that unique muscle. A sensor is placed on my back and another on my pectoral muscle on my front.

Temporarily placed electrode for muscle training

Below is a picture of the computer game that I play.  The object of the game is to drive a car and jump through gates without crashing.  Next week, I will focus on driving two cars, one for each electrode that I am hooked to.

Game for muscle training

 And finally! My new prosthetic  is coming together.  The electrodes are now implanted into the shoulder and this is what I wore for training this week.

My new shoulder and arm coming together

A prosthetic is actually a combination of both art and science that I see as a blessing for me.  Oh, just to have a useful left appendage. 

One of my doctors told me on Friday that I need to start giving myself credit for everything that I have accomplished so far.  Perhaps, it was her way of telling me to remember how far I have come.  I do maintain that it is not me but my faith in God that has gotten me this far.  The journey is not over but I am hopeful.  Today, I will pause and think about what has been accomplished and thank the Lord for being with me on this journey.

Hebrews13:5 "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

I hope you all have a safe and blessed week.  I better go work on the increased energy part of my goals now. :)