Radical Remission Book Club by Kelly A. Turner, Ph.D.

Carol, I was so sorry to hear you were feeling a void the other day regarding happiness. What you described is how I feel often these days. Here I am on summer vacation and today I have had the worst time trying to decide what to do with my day. I am a person with many hobbies, I used to love riding my bike, taking the kayaks out, shopping for a new pair of jeans. Nothing sounded fun or appealing. Then I feel guilty because I feel well enough to do all of these things and instead just hang around my house tinkering around. I like the suggestions here about practicing gratitude, it does help get me started. And as Momine says "being productive". I do get a certain level of maybe not happiness, but satisfaction out of that. Slowly but surely I pinpoint the things that perk me up and try to repeat.

Hi all.

I tend to post only once in awhile but I read the posts very often and appreciate all the strong and brave women dealing with this very challenging disease. The kindness, support and knowledge shared on these boards is amazing and I am grateful that we have the ability to communicate with eachother in this day and age of technology.

I am also wondering if anyone plans to attend the Radical Renissions weekend workshop in New York this October? I am planning on attending and recently learned that the current cut off to apply for a financial subsidy is in a week or two. Would be great if some of us went from this thread and could meet up.

Carol, I struggle a lot too. Some of the things that set me of....oh boy! And it is pretty hard to feel gratitude when all we can think about is what we are already dealing with. I have started hitting up my library a lot for books. Sometimes i just sit there and read a little. When I bring them home, if i can't finish it, i just bring it back and get another. One piece of info at a time. We can only do what we can do. I truly think the wine is a good thing although I am a pretty moderate drinker with liver mets. But once in awhile I just want to feel the warmth go down, you know? Getting motivated to get out and exercise takes me a whole lot of self talk. Having a job has it benefits but I wish at this point I could pick when I want to go, or not.... Getting up early and getting ready and working all day takes it toll as well. Steph has been a wonderful and generous resource for all of us! Keep plugging away Carol. I hope we all find our peaceful zone.

This is one of my favorite recipes.  I use half the maple syrup though.  http://minimalistbaker.com/white-bean-kale-salad-with-tahini-dressing/

http://minimalistbaker.com/white-bean-kale-salad-with-tahini-dressing/ 

Remembering that many of us took up the RR (Radical Remission) factors and wondering how we're all doing with our good resolutions.

This article came to mind:

Anne Lamott: 'Please Join Me In Not Starting A Diet January 1st'

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4518818

I continue to eat "as I please" - just had organic corn chips with organic homemade salsa. Could be better, could be worse, but sure was tasty and just enough.

Anyone else want to check in on your RRRs (radical remission resolutions)?

Warmest of healing regards, Stephanie

I try and eat mostly things with lots of nutritional value especially if they are purported to help cancer retreat or bolster the immune system. Lots of fruits and vege's mostly organic. However, I will still also myself to eat something if it just screams my name. A chocolate square or a piece of peanut butter bread. Corn chips are a favorite of mine. I get the organic ones with flax seeds in them. MMMMMM so good! tonight with a very healthy salad my Dh made me a BLTA. Only 1 slice of crispy bacon, lots of tomatoes, lettuce and avocado on whole grain bread.

I gave up most dairy too and definitely feel better.

Katjadvm... not yet, however, I have all the stuff to start doing it and plan to this week! Have you? Any tips?

I don't know why we're so focused on diet in this topic, when it's just one of Kelly Turner's 9 keys to surviving cancer against all odds.

I began with diet myself, but was already quite pure when my breast cancer adventure began at age 34 in 1990. I worked in natural foods collective, avoided toxins of all types, exercised outside and in the yoga studio, meditated and otherwise did the perfect cancer prevention lifestyle.

According to Turner, it's the perfect cancer remission lifestyle too, but the genetic odds are stacked against me as I've a lifelong rare genetic condition with a 93% risk of cancer in numerous organs.

Looking back, I'm glad I'd embraced the anti-cancer lifestyle because I don't have self-doubt about anything I did or didn't personally do to "get" cancer. And it's made it very easy to explore/experience a huge number of dietary and other lifestyle modifications. Self-discipline comes naturally and my comfort food and measures are health-promoting, not health-defeating.

I can only imagine how hard it is to change lifestyles in the face of a cancer diagnosis and have the deepest respect for all who attempt to go against their prior habits and the habits of those surrounding them.

Women who cook for a family accustomed to the SAD (standard American diet) have to undergo huge shifts and possible resistance to dietary changes. My heart goes out to you.

I've recently been considering Key 8, Deepening Your Spiritual Connection. The chapter started out with great promise! Everyone does have access to states of wonder, awe, surrender, joy, feeling/being enveloped and filled by the life force. Of course habit, addictions, depression, mental illness and environment can hinder our access. Yet, I believe life loves us because we are each and all surging, glorious manifestations of the life force.

Every time I reflect on the unlikelihood of human existence, I remember this Buddhist story as told in the Pali Canon:

The Buddha was speaking to a group of monks. He said, "Monks, suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole into the water. A wind from the West would push it East; a wind from the East would push it West; a wind from the North would push it South; a wind from the South would push it North. And suppose a blind sea turtle were there. It would come to the surface only once every 100 years. Now what do you suppose the chances would be that a blind turtle, coming once to the surface every 100 years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?"

And the monks answered, "It would be very unusual, Sir, that a blind turtle coming to the surface once every hundred years would stick his neck into the yoke."

And the Buddha replied, "And just so, it is very, very rare that one attains the human state."

We are truly blessed - or statistically unlikely beings, if you prefer number talk.

We may as well enjoy our rare and precious human state!

But then the chapter veers in odd directions. taking us first to brain research, then to a long story of a young man cured of brain cancer by John of God in Brazil - as if spiritual healing is something foreign, exotic, expensive and unattainable for most folks.

I just don't buy that!

Yes, I've had two close friends, both deceased from metastatic breast cancer, who went to Brazil for healing. One was wealthy and seldom satisfied with her international healing adventures. She wasn't happy with John of God, though our mutual friend, her companion, underwent a major life transformation and rated it worth the trip. The second was also wealthy and always enthusiastic about all things alternative. She went twice - once with an entourage of a dozen on a quest, again with just a couple of friends, one a native of Brazil. Both times, she encountered amazing healing, but she barely made it back alive from the second journey and died shortly afterwards. (aside - I attended, participated in, their after-death, at-home vigils. It's a different topic, but important in understanding what sort of person might go to John of God - someone willing to buck the system.)

Both sought physical cure, neither got it. The first didn't get a deeper healing, but the second certainly experienced great inner, emotional and spiritual healing. I don't know why the journey didn't work for one and not the other - I suspect basic openness and orientation???

So, John of God may be a miracle worker, but not all miracles are made in dramatic ways, in distant places, with identified healers.

Sometimes miracles come as quiet and beautiful unfolding - appreciation, gratitude, connection, love, tenderness, service, caring, relief, release and joy. Sometimes they come when sought and quite often by grace.

This is a long and rambling note to suggest that we seek and also remain open to the common, everyday, at-home, unremarked miracle of the precious gift of human existence. And to understand that sometimes that expresses as physical healing, other times as a deep and no less life-changing healing.

Anyone care to join me in reflecting on the Turner's other, softer keys?

much love, Stephanie

PS, I still don't understand why exercise wasn't a key factor, given how good it makes us feel in the short term and its scientifically proven long term benefits. Oh well, she wrote the book, I didn't.

Longterm, I do make a daily effort to notice and savor all the beautiful, nice and funny things happening along my path. I do think it is very important for living a good life, however long or short it turns out to be

I have a list of things to keep in mind. The usual eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. But also, and just as important, get out in nature, see friends, and spread some kindness and good will.

And one more point about Vitamin D....when I was first diagnosed my BS said he wanted to check my Vitamin D levels. I told him I was sure they were fine since I work with horses for a living and am outside most days for most of the day. He insisted. Well, I was very surprised to find out I was on the way low end of normal! He said it's because we use so much sunscreen. So even if you're already outside a lot, you may still need to supplement. He suggested 4000IU. I take 5000IU, mostly because that's an amount that comes in one pill. I've been on this dose for 2 years and have gotten up to the middle of normal range. So my point being, get your levels checked so you can be sure where you stand.

There can be "too much" Vitamin D, but generally multivitamins have only 400 IU in them. You can check your bottle. If you are getting your Vit D level monitored, I wouldn't worry about it. I take 3000 IU plus the amount in my multivitamin and get my level checked every year, and this is what works for me. Everyone is different, though.

eelder---I take 5000IU plus what's in my multi. That amount isn't a problem. I think it's when you start going over 10000IU that it might be too much unless your doc prescribes it.

Wendy3---I try to do a little bit of everything. My goal is 45 min a day minimum of something. Today I did an hour yoga class but then walked briskly for 15 more minutes. I do yoga twice a week, lift weights + body weight exercises 3 times a week and I get on the treadmill for 30-60 min about 4-5 times a week. Then every once in a while I swim. It sounds like a lot but it's not. I never lift weights on back to back days and I try to change it up or else I'll get bored. And for me, boredom would kill my exercising, which I don't need!! If at all possible, see if there are any "cancer wellfit" type classes at your local gym or even hospital. I went to a local gym and signed up for their PREP program (Physician Referral Exercise Program) which allowed me to join the gym and use all their amenities for 10 weeks for $60! As part of the program they show you how to use all the equipment and set up a program tailored to your needs. I spend every summer in another part of the country and the gym just keeps letting me do the PREP program for the summer so I don't have to pay the signup fees and such. I can use the weights, machines, track, lap pool, warm water pool, class pool, and take any cardio, yoga, karate, you name it class they have all as part of the membership. Best thing I ever did through my cancer journey.