When we are young, fit and healthy — how many of us would ever believe that perhaps … yes, perhaps … that the next few minutes, hours, or days, that “this good fortune” may just reverse? We all see many people dying or seriously ill, but how many ever “believe” that this may happen to us too? Most people will think that it happened to “them” but it will not happen to me. But suppose that this happens to us, would we ask: Why me? What bad things have I committed to deserve this? And say: God is not fair!

Today, there is a concept in psychology that says there may be something good in something bad that had happened. To know the good, we just need to search for it or experience it. How can this be? I believe that as we are lying on our back in the hospital bed staring at the empty ceiling, that is the time when we begin to realize that we are vulnerable, when life is severely at stake, and perhaps when our money or wealth that we had been accumulating may not mean much anymore. Perhaps this is also the time we begin to ask: where am I going from here?

Though I have not suffered serious illness before, my association with thousands of cancer patients have taught me to empathize with their plight. At times it is heart breaking. I often ask: why must cancer strike this young and innocent child? Why must it happen to a mother and then now, her daughter? Why is life so cruel? I find no answer except to accept that that is the way life is.

In early 2006, we asked cancer patients to write down their answers to this question: Have you experienced any other significant changes in your life as a result of your cancer experience?

Here are some of their answers:

Patient 1: Yes, unlike before, now I only do short term planning. I started to wind up risky business to regain peace of mind and reduce stress. My aim is to enjoy the remaining part of my life — to relax and stay happy. I now concentrate on getting more knowledge on alternative medicine, nutrition and health which I believe to be the missing link to my healing journey.

With the knowledge that I have gained I discovered that other people knew so little about taking care of their health and when they are very sick or told that they have cancer, they thought that their doctors can tell them what to do. This is what that leads them to their downfall.

With the knowledge that I gained I also give help and advice to other sick people — to encourage them, give them hope and teach them to decide what to do. I felt very pleased when I have given them hope. I wish I could give help and hope to more people.

Patient 2: I experienced significant changes in my life as a result of my cancer experience. Positively, my cancer has caused me to stop and think, to pray and know God better. During the period when I was recovering from the painful effects of radiation to my mouth and neck areas, I was unable to talk very much; even a sip of water was painful. The only person I can talk to then was God who provided all the consolation and blessings. On the negative side, the permanent damage caused by radiation to my physical self, has caused me to be socially less active significantly affecting relationships with friends and relatives. The change in my diet to one of only vegetables, fruits and fish is a tall order and my discipline in doing so has made me more reclusive and domesticated. Although I believe that it has helped me in my overall health, I do not quite like the present lifestyle that I have been compelled to live by. I would have preferred my previous lifestyle where I am socially more active and very flexible.

Patient 3: I am a Christian, believing that everything that God has allowed to happen in my life has a purpose. Since I was diagnosed with cancer, I was at first very confused and sad as of why it should happen to me. But I can only do what I can control and surrender the rest to God. Since then I really experience the real meaning of knowing how much He loves me and make me worthy in His eyes. Ephesians 3:17-19. What things happened, it is our reaction that matters the most: either I can cry, question and blame God or any other reason for the situation. Or I still can cry but ask God to help me and direct me the best way to handle the situation. I chose to do the latter. It has been a real soul searching, tremendous learning journey on health aspects and resetting my priority in life.

Patient 4: My cancer has helped me to focus on living rather than dying. It has also helped me change and cope with stress as well as my relationship with others. It has also helped me learn to be thankful for the daily blessings.

Patient 5: I have become very negative emotionally and am not receptive to people who try to help me. I always think that I am going to surely die of cancer and nothing can help me. I do not want to exercise or try anything that other people recommend, e.g. meditation. I always feel scared that the ‘end’ will come very soon.

Patient 6: Life has given me a new dimension and life gives hope in every sense. Many things have a greater clarity and I feel a sense of purpose for the years ahead as they impact on our children and grandchildren — they need us, so the target is to stay alive! We are in God’s hands.

My wife and I have found our Christian faith to be a huge comfort. I have become even more positive in my outlook and take matters as they come.

Understanding cancer, particularly your own, is important. Research is a key factor to obtain more knowledge and understanding of the disease and all the options open for complementary / natural / herbal remedies; to help those less fortunate as a member of a cancer support group in France.

Patient 7: Cancer may have brought me to the lowest and scariest. I know I have climbed out of the pit and am way beyond that. Having beaten / managed cancer, I feel that I can handle much more difficult issues.

Patient 8: Definitely yes. You treasure life more, is more attentive to other people’s view, sensitivities and mood. One tends to show loving feelings towards one’s close relative, children and of course, wife. Negative meanings to life would be the disease which is the top gun for your cause of death but one has time to prepare for it, spiritually, emotionally, physically and estate-wise.

Patient 9: I feel very lonely because my husband had neglected me after I had my mastectomy. He never asked about the treatment that I had or if I was feeling any better — he never did. The feeling of worthlessness made me feel so restless.

Before my cancer he loved me very much. I don’t understand this sudden change in my husband. I hate my illness and the attitude of my husband makes me hate him too.

At present, when I am working, I do not think much of my cancer. I put it in God’s hand.

The only thing is my relationship has changed. After I had cancer, I feel very lonely. I work from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m. — eat, go to sleep and take my medication. I do the thinking and do what is required. My family does not discuss much about my cancer.

I always pray to God to guide me. I pray in silence and I take each day at a time. Dear Chris, I feel better after writing my heart out! Thanks.

Patient 10: It has basically taught me to treat the disease as a ‘gift’ or a blessing from The Almighty. My cancer has made me appreciate the value of a simple smile from my youngest daughter, not to ignore her constant invitation to have fun and play games with her. It has taught me to appreciate how important ‘little’ things are to her — like talking to her Polly dolls, and make believe games.

I cry more over the beauty of the sunset, the countless blue hue of the morning sky, the smell of freshly cut grass, and the sound of rain hitting the roof. I have wasted so much time over ‘big’ projects in the office and at work. I now realize there are so much in life that God wants me to have the opportunity to appreciate in order to glorify His creation – this is an opportunity I intend not to miss.

My cancer has also helped me discover a ‘new’ mindset — that is to make positive thinking a habit until it becomes second nature to me. I now realize that God has given me so many gifts that I have yet to unwrap, and with this new mindset, I am discovering things that I never knew before existed or I was capable of – like how to be happy when everyone else seem gloomy and miserable.

I also learn how to control anger by forgiving others who hurt me. My cancer has been a huge blessing to me.

The responses above clearly show that many people have found the “good” in the “bad”. We encourage cancer patients to look inwards and discover these “gift” within them.

Chris Teo, Ph.D.
cacare.com cacare.com, CancerCare.com.my CancerCare.com.my

Tags: cancer patient, healing, mastectomy

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Tags: cancer patient, healing, mastectomy

I remember talking to one lady who had breast cancer. I told her this: I am glad that you are fine. You are indeed lucky. She replied: “I have cancer, what is so lucky about that?” And I said: “You are lucky because your arm is not swollen, your liver and bone are okay. There are many others who suffered metastasis after their chemotherapy and radiotherapy. And you are alright! That is why I said you are lucky, very lucky.” In contrast, a few patients had told me: “I am glad that I had breast cancer. Because of this, I got to know you!” There is one Dr. Shirley who had breast cancer and she once told me: “I am so happy. With this cancer, I have learned how to save my whole family. My children and husband are much healthier now than they were before. Before I got cancer I did not know anything about a healthy diet. Now the family enjoys good food.”

Cancer patients view their problems differently. It is up to each one to chose the positive and discard the negative. By doing this your perception on life and your illness will change. You will not feel that you are just an unfortunate victim. It will then dawn on you that in any circumstances that you may be in, there is always a positive or brighter side to things. Therefore, we need not always view things from a negative view point. A relaxed and peaceful mind is very important for you to regain composure. At the same time it also provides the very best environment for your body to heal itself. Fear, confusion and negative emotions within will impede the body’s healing process.

Many cancer patients who do not fear their cancers anymore ultimately enjoy a peaceful state of mind. They learn how to live with their illnesses and feel at ease. When you are calm and have attained this stage of consciousness in your mind, many good things can happen and flow from you.

1) More blessed to give.

You will learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive. You open your heart to others and share. By sharing you not only give and help others but you also heal yourself from within. Jee Sun had renal cancer and has been on the herbs for the last nine years. He is still doing fine today. He told me: “The old Jee Sun is dead. I am the new Jee Sun. I have found peace and at the same time am healing myself by helping others.” Many people unfortunately do not see this point. They prefer to hide in their own shell, refusing to talk and share. Selfishness or fear does not help you heal. It is most regrettable too that some people believe that if you are well after an illness, you must keep your mouth shut. Going around telling others about your recovery is to “invite the devil” to come back and have his “revenge” again. Many patients used to tell me: “I don’t want people to know that I have cancer. It is bad luck or it is a curse, and I am ashamed.” Let me tell you this: “There is nothing to be ashamed about. To get sick is also not bad luck or a curse by the devil or God.” Sickness is a natural process. Look at the branches of any big tree. Some branches are diseased and they rot away. Some are broken and snap off due to strong winds while others grow straight and healthy. That is what Nature is. In the same way we need to look at our life as a natural process like that of a tree. In the old days, some religions taught us that illness was a punishment from an angry God. I say to you, it is not.

My own experiences tell me that by giving my heart more to others, I also benefit more in return. While on this point, I am reminded of one young lady, a bank officer. She came to our house late one night because of her mother’s cancer. She told me: “Oh, you are helping people. Your God will give you all the points when you die”. I told her: “Young lady, I do all these without even thinking of wanting to collect points. Fortunately, I do not believe in a God who gives out points for good work. My God is Love.” My message is if you give with an intention or hope of getting back something in return, you will be disappointed. Worldly possessions do not necessarily bring real happiness. When I help others and they become well, there is great indescribable sense of satisfaction and joy in the heart that no money can buy. Generating such feelings in yourself is good for health and healing! It is medicine unto itself and is more powerful than herbs or drugs.

2) Count your blessings.

The events in life can be perceived differently by different minds. A mind full of hatred and anger sees things as always being destructive. The good is never seen or appreciated. A mind ingrained with love sees things positively and always sees blessings in any crisis or circumstance. My advice is: Learn to count your blessings. Give thanks with a grateful heart for each new day. Be grateful for what you are and what you have. Live one day at a time. And most important of all, try to seek the inner meaning of your illness. Your mind, soul or body is giving you a message for being sick. Seek that inner voice and understand its message.

Chris Teo, Ph.D.

For more information: cacare.com cacare.com CancerCare.com.my CancerCare.com.my

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, chemotherapy, healing

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, chemotherapy, healing

Many people seem to have a distorted and incorrect definition of the word “remission,” as it is used in relation to cancer patients. Most commonly people seem to believe that going into remission means that the patient is successfully treated and safe.

However, according to the American Cancer Society, cancer remission is a “period of time when the cancer is responding to treatment or is under control. In a complete cancer remission, all the signs and symptoms of the disease disappear…Complete cancer remissions may continue for several years and be considered cures.”

So, someone who goes into cancer remission is not showing signs or symptoms of the cancer. It doesn’t matter how many cancer cells are still going strong and growing in the body of the patient, for any time frame that it isn’t causing “signs and symptoms,” the patient is said to be in remission.

Oddly enough, there isn’t much discussion in the advertisements for traditional cancer treatments regarding the extension in the length of life for the patient. And there aren’t many discussions about the quality of life for the patient.

These two concepts are not factored in when talking about “cancer remission” in a patient.Typically speaking, cancer remission refers to shrinkage in the size of a tumor or to the change in some of the tumor markers. Tumor markers are substances, usually proteins, which are produced by the body in response to cancerous growth or tissues. However, a lot of the markers are also found in non-cancerous conditions so they aren’t really a good diagnostic tool for cancer.

Traditional cancer therapies are successful in shrinking tumors and reducing tumor markers. For this reason, cancer remission is used as the indication of “successful” cancer treatment.

Cancer remission doesn’t necessarily mean the patient doesn’t die. For example, a patient is said to have been successfully treated for cancer if the therapies put them into remission, even if they die from pneumonia. Despite the fact that the pneumonia was only fatal because of the cancer therapies, because cancer remission existed, it was successful treatment.

To most people, no treatment that still results in death should be considered successful. However, when it comes to cancer remission, that’s exactly what can happen when they pursue only traditional cancer treatment options.

Visit alternative-health-ebooks.com/” target=”_blank www.alternative-health-ebooks.com for more information and free articles. This article is available for reprint for your website and newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include the signature tag.

From the office of Dr. Laurence Magne, author of cancer-free-for-life.com cancer-free-for-life.com

My name is Laurence Magne, Ph D(c). For the past 25 years, I have been involved in the field of health and health research, investigating the reasons why we get sick, and whether we can get well outside of the medical field, using alternative solutions. I have read over 3,000 books on the related topics, counseled many clients and conducted many lectures and trainings.

Tags: cancer patient, cancer treatment

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Apart from the physical scars, most of the discomfort and physical changes from the treatment are only temporary. Once the cancer patient has worked hand in hand with her physician to come up with an effective treatment plan, the physician can provide assessments of the potential side effects and recovery time that the she will likely experience in relation to specific social responsibilities and future career.

The standard surgery for local control of breast cancer involves the removal of cancerous breast tissue. The underlying thorax muscles (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor), are left unresected. This advancement in breast cancer surgery has significantly reduced postoperative pain and recovery time, but, more importantly, patients are spared the long term disability of having muscles resected. If you underwent a lumpectomy (surgical removal of a small tumor or lump, which may or may not be benign or malignant) without lymph node dissection (a surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes are removed and examined to see whether they contain cancer), you will most likely have surgery and be discharged on the same day. Recovery from surgery will take much longer if the axillary lymph nodes are also removed. With the removal of the axillary lymph nodes, lymph flow of the breast is partially interrupted and a soft rubber tube is placed in the wound, which will serve as a temporary lymph fluid drainage. The length of hospital stay for lumpectomy and lymph node dissection or breast resection with lymph node removal is usually one to two days.

The temporary drain from the lymph node empties into an expandable container about the size of a softball. The container is usually emptied daily and the amount of fluid disposed is recorded. Several days postoperatively, the amount of fluid rapidly decreases, at which time the surgeon removes the drain. In the presence of dissected lymph nodes, most surgeons would advise immobilization of the affected arm, as much as possible, for a couple of days after the surgery to allow for quick wound healing and to keep lymphatic flow as minimal as possible. Once the drain is out with the surgical wound visibly healing, it is beneficial to begin gentle and progressive exercises of the arm to prevent limitation of joint motion from scarring and contracture. Some surgeons advise their patients to do active exercises, while others refer them for physical therapy, especially those patients who have undergone lymphadenectomy (surgical removal of the lymph nodes). It is usual for the cancer patient to discuss with her surgeon what the best option would be for her.

After the lymph node resection, most patients will experience numbness in the armpit area due to the cutting of the nerves around the armpit region. Sensory function will often return after several months postoperatively when the nerves have grown back and regenerated. On the other hand, some patients will have permanent numbness and sensory impairment here. For those who experience this disappearance of sensation, one must be extra careful particularly in shaving underarm hair. It would be wise to use an electric razor when doing this.

With lymphadenectomy, a small percentage of patients develop an obstructed vein along the inner side of the affected upper arm that feels like a thin cord and will likely restrict arm movement. If this happens, thermotherapy, specifically heat therapy and stretching exercises should be done to achieve the full range of arm movement again.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com/ Breast Cancer

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, healing

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