When Nature Calls

When the fears and anxiety of cancer haunt you, open a window, walk outside and let nature run its course.

BY Dana Stewart

PUBLISHED March 28, 2018

Dana Stewart was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 32. She is the co-founder of a cancer survivorship organization called The Dragonfly Angel Society. She volunteers as an advocate and mentor, focusing on young adults surviving cancer. She enjoys writing about life as a cancer survivor, as well as connecting survivors to the resources, inspirations and stories that have helped her continue to live her best life, available at www.dragonflyangelsociety.com.

Ever since I was a kid, I always found happiness outside. There is something about the fresh air, the sound of the birds and the freedom to go just about anywhere I pleased. The outside technically doesn't have four walls to surround us, so it always felt free. As I grew up, those feelings never changed. When I feel walled in, I'd try to get outside, and if that wasn't possible at that moment, I opened a window just to at least feel that fresh air. It always made a difference to me. It brought me back to the present, no matter what.

I remember one of the first things I did when I started feeling better after my bilateral mastectomy. I took a walk. My mom suggested that I get outside as soon as I could and walk. I remember thinking, sarcastically, that a walk would certainly solve everything. I was going through cancer and had chemotherapy waiting in the wings, so let me solve my fears by taking a walk.

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How to Build a Better Relationship with Your Doctor

By Marc Matrana, MD

Finding the right doctor can be compared to finding the perfect pair of shoes. Sometimes they just don’t fit, but when you find the right pair, your journey is more pleasant, you feel supported and you may even have a new bounce in your step.

Finding the right doctor medically and on a personal level can make your experience more enjoyable, robust and can make you feel more in control of your healthcare journey. For many, this is a relationship worth fostering and below are a few things to think about when looking for the right doctor and a few tips on how to strengthen your connection.

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Julie Yip-Williams, Writer of Candid Blog on Cancer, Dies at 42

By RICHARD SANDOMIRMARCH 22, 2018

Julie Yip-Williams, whose candid blog about having Stage IV colon cancer also described a life of struggles that began with being born blind in Vietnam and her ethnic Chinese family’s escape in a rickety fishing boat, died on Monday at her home in Brooklyn. She was 42.

Joshua Williams, her husband, said the cause was metastatic colon cancer.

Ms. Yip-Williams’s richly detailed blog, which she started writing after receiving her diagnosis in 2013, was more than an account of her siege with cancer. It was also a meditation on love and family as well as a message of openness to her young daughters, Mia and Isabelle, about her illness.

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Tip of the Day: Veggie Addition for Everyday Eats

Veggie additions for everyday eats. Whether it’s a sandwich or wrap, vegetables make great additions to both. For extra flavor, try tomatoes, romaine lettuce or avocado on your next sandwich or wrap. Recipes: Black Bean Wraps with Jicama Corn Salsa Shrimp Confetti Salad Sandwich

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The Phrase We Cancer Survivors Live With: "Fear Of Recurrence"

There are productive ways for cancer survivors to live with the ongoing fear of recurrence.

BY Barbara Tako

PUBLISHED March 28, 2018

Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.

Cancer survivors regularly face the thought: "I am afraid my cancer will return." It is our "new normal" truth, and yes, I still don't like that term. Still, it is helpful to honestly and openly face the fear, and every time I face it, a little bit of the fear converts from fear to wisdom. Fear of recurrence is a reminder of a couple of life's truths that most people do not want to regularly face:
1. We are mortal.
2. We are not as in charge of our lives as we like to pretend.

Humans do not like to live with uncertainty. We like routines and habits and plans and goals. Fear of recurrence consigns cancer survivors to a life of uncertainty. Facing this fear can help us to convert it to wisdom, regardless of our chronological age. Suddenly we are awake in a room full of sleepers. We can work with that.

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The Collective Loneliness of Cancer

By Laura Gentle

When someone faces cancer, they are told many things by medical professionals and loved ones. One thing no one tells you about living with cancer is the intrinsic loneliness that comes with diagnosis.

Amidst the slew of doctor visits, treatment plans and messages of support, there lies the ever-present enemy within, the strange and dangerous passenger we live with every day for the rest of our lives. What this uninvited guest brings to our life is not only illness but a palpable sense of isolation. We become remote from our own body, thrown from our core.

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30 minute Holy Week Yoga class

The latest Ignatian Yoga video embodies the movements of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum

Prior Posts in the Ignatian Yoga Series