5/22/13 Spiritual Vacation

5/22/13
If you are into vacations that provide spiritual growth and a connection with nature/animals, then check this out.  Jonathan Ellerby is the CEO of the Tao Wellness Center which I visited in the Riviera Maya last October.  This was the trip I took the week after being diagnosed to help me sort out my thoughts with this cancer recurrence.  I have no doubt that the Canadian trip will be as special as it is unique.  I'm not sure if I can manage going myself due to my chemo schedule, but take a look at it for yourself.

During one of my first chemo sessions the first time around, my friend Jacqueline, asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate finishing chemo.  She consistently reminds me to incorporate fun in my life (day to day fun and the big fun).  Some of my top passions include traveling, animals, nature, time with friends and family.  So we decided we would take a trip after completing chemo.  Naturally, Spirit provided me with the details for a trip of a lifetime prior to me even knowing I would do chemo this time around.  My reward and goal with completing chemo is a different trip that Jonathan is leading, two weeks in Africa/South Africa for spiritual and physical healing with local medicine "men" and witnessing the great migration safari.  Big Bucket List item.  

Medical Update: I'm happy to report that my CA-125 tumor marker is now 7.  When I looked over all of my CA-125 results over the past 2 1/2 years, I noticed that I've only had 3 results in the single digits.  Along with this one, two results after I finished chemo in 2011 were 6.  This is a huge milestone in my book.  I'm so relieved that the chemo has been effective.  This 4th chemo round hasn't been quite as nice as the last one, as far as symptoms go.  I'm still needing to take the anti-nausea medication and feeling some yuck.  Each day is better though and I know "this too shall pass".  

Many of you have said that you are sharing some of my thoughts from the blog with others.  I appreciate this, as I would like to help as many people as possible through connecting with my journey and what I'm experiencing.  I created a facebook page that you can share, that includes a lot of what I share in the blog, minus the personal medical details.  Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think may enjoy it. 

www.facebook.com/DeniseSouthwickNp‎

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend,

In love and health

Denise

5/15/13-Soul Questions

5/15/13

I had an idea for this blog post.  I’m an avid Super Soul Sunday watcher on Oprah’s OWN network and she always asks a series of questions to her experts at the end of the show.  I always answer them for myself and the answers usually vary some from episode to episode.  So I thought I would share with you my answers from the episode I was watching this morning with Jean Houston.  

Hopefully this can be a thought provoking experience for myself and all of you.  

• If you don’t usually think about this, I challenge you right now to think about what do you want in the next 10 years of your life?

I want to remain healthy in body, mind and spirit.  I want to continue to develop deep, loving, fulfilling relationships with others.  I want to expand my platform to teach/inspire/share my life lessons and thoughts on holistic healing to help others on their journey.  I want to feel safe to pursue more creative endeavors in my life and accept the love of a partner in my life.  

• What is the soul?

I see the soul as the most loving and kind parent who is gently providing opportunity for growth in the individual.  Some of the opportunities may not be fun and may downright be considered tragic events in our lives, but nonetheless those events help us to evolve. The soul is there to help guide us to find ourselves and our purpose in life. The soul does not interpret any of our actions as right or wrong, it simply takes our decision and then provides another opportunity to help us on our journey.  The soul knows the potential of who we can be and the impact we can have with humanity and gently guides us to recognize that part of ourselves and the connection with all other beings. 

“The soul is the lure of our becoming.”  Jean Houston

• What happens when we die?

I believe our soul lives on.  I believe the afterlife provides the most loving, accepting way to be.  Having cancer, of course, brings up many thoughts of mortality.  I definitely think different now than the first time I had cancer.  I’ve come to realize that I don’t fear death and what happens when my body ceases to function.  More of my fear has been in the illness and pain that I fear would come from the cancer process.

• What is your definition of God? 

I often use the term “the universe”.  I believe God or the universe is an essence that is everywhere, in everything, AND everyone.  Our challenge is to see the God-likeness in ourselves and all of those around us. I don’t believe God is some being elsewhere that will pass judgement on us when we die.  

“The creator has planted within every creature a fragment of himself, a spark, a spirit of the same nature as himself and, thanks to this spirit, every creature can become a creator.” Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

• Do you pray?

Yes, regularly

• What is the central focus of your prayer?

I pray for guidance to be the best me through God to serve others.  I ask that I be able to recognize and be open to the guidance and messages that are from spirit.  

• The world needs....

Each individual to accept love and growth in their lives through all others.  In the past, I very much came from a place of doing everything on my own.  I now believe that living your life knowing we are ALL connected is the key.  There is no you and me; there is only US.  This one is a daily challenge for me.  

• I believe...

I believe in the spirit of all of us to become who we are designed to be, which is far more than what we could ever imagine. 

I appreciate all of you sharing this experience with me.  I know some of you may say, why does she share all of this and not just share her medical update. I believe true healing of the body comes from the person’s soul and as I express and allow my soul to BE through sharing my mind and spirit thoughts it is creating healing.  So just as the chemo is helping to rid the cancer cells now; all of you through this blog are helping me to express my soul and heal at the deeper levels that will bring a lifetime clearance of cancer cells and create health at all levels.  So thank you!

So for the medical update:  this time, I’m happy to say, the update is short because all has been going VERY WELL!  Since I last wrote, I had chemo on April 26th.  Unlike most chemo days, the pain “train” hit a few hours after chemo.  I had acupuncture the day after chemo which helped with the nausea and fatigue.  Dr. Shen (Acupuncturist) also gave me a Chinese herb to help my bowels and it has definitely helped.  Since I found the acupuncture to be effective, I went again the week after chemo.  With this round, I think I’ll go 3 times in the week after chemo.  I had the typical week after chemo of feeling down, but this time it wasn’t as bad.  This was the first round of chemo, ever, that I had no vomiting.  YEA!!!  With the diet modifications of mostly liquids and soft foods, I remained out of the hospital this time too.  My intestines are doing much better.  I’m happiest when I’m around friends and family and that has been possible the past few weeks with me feeling better. Thank you to all of you who I’ve been able to visit with.  

I had lab work done today to make sure my counts are acceptable for chemo, and so I will have my 4th round of chemo this Friday.  My oncologist wants me to do at least 6 rounds.  

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on today’s post. 

In love and health,

Denise