JoAnne's Blog

Our New Toy

Today my husband and I bought a portable car navigator for our motorcycle.  You put in your address and the address of where you want to go and it maps the route for you.  It has turn by turn voice prompts and automatically reroutes you when you deviate from the route.  Isn't that just amazing?  If you have one, then you know it can also find entertainment spots for you, dining places, departments stores, grocery stores and lots more.  We can't wait to try it out.  I'll keep you posted.

Today I would like to respond to Maureen who made the following comment on my blog.
 
"I think Low Energy can come from a multitude of things - I really believe in the power of positive thinking. You seem to be a very upbeat, positive person. Aside from your faith (which you've commented on) what, who, or where else did you draw your energy from while battling cancer?
Were there any quips (saying you said to yourself) that kept you motivated."

To begin, yes, low energy can come from many things.  I only wished to draw attention to an area that perhaps people might not think about.  In my case, I had no idea that my adrenal glands were very stressed and in need of some TLC.

As for energy while battling cancer, aside from my faith, which is really hard to separate from, I only allowed myself to be around positive people like myself; people who believed that I would get well.  In my book, I have devoted a chapter to just that.  I have entitled it "Who's In My Boat?"  I also made a point of appreciating the little things and eliminating the things that really didn't matter.  I sang and laughed a lot more, especially about myself and began to appreciate who I was.  Being joyful brought great strength.

I said things like "I'm terrific!  I feel great!  I am so happy!  Tomorrow, I think I'll ......."  I always saw myself as well.  I would visualize the cancer cells dying or leaving my body every time I did something good or beneficial, like bouncing on a trampoline or drinking another carrot juice, etc.  In short, I did not give in to any negative thoughts  as I knew that no good could ever come from them.

The Power Within

At the end of my e-mails, I sign "We think life has limits; but the power within is limitless."  To that end, I believe that there is nothing that we cannot do if we put our mind to it.  Should problems arise, I have heard it said and I concur that there are no problems that do not have solutions.   We have all been uniquely and I might add miraculously created.

What is it that keeps us from accomplishing what we want in life, from achieving our dreams?  Could it be that we are waiting for the right moment?  That moment may never come.  Are we waiting until we are financially stable?  That feeling may never happen or at the very least take a long time.  Do we need more education, more knowledge?  The best school is the situation we are in right now.  We are constantly learning and everything we need to know is at our fingertips.

Truly, we limit ourselves by what we think or let others dictate to us.  To really succeed, you need to believe in yourself, and trust the wisdom that has been planted in you.

How Safe Are CT Scans

We can never take things for granted, especially when it comes to our health.  I just read an interesting article in the paper today entitled, "Can we trust imaging scans?"  I was particularly interested in what they had to say, having had a fair number myself.

The article was concerned about the increasing number of people having CT scans, MRI's and other diagnostic imaging tests, and whether or not they are actually doing more harm than good for some patients.  The reason is that these machines deliver radiation doses far greater than conventional X-rays, thereby sowing the seeds of hundreds of cancer deaths a year. In particular, young people are more sensitive to radiation damage and are in greater danger of contracting cancer down the road.

I wasn't surprised to read that patients are sometimes getting the tests when they do not need them.  I think we have all heard of someone who has undergone every test under the sun because the doctor really does not know what the problem is or just wants to be sure.  I had a CT scan at the end of my chemo treatments which showed there was no more cancer.  I was then scheduled for an MRI.  When I asked why, I was told, it was so they could compare the two scans.  Of course, I said no.  It seemed ridiculous to me to expose myself to further radiation, unnecessarily.

In this particular article, it stated that an abdominal CT scan generates 500 times the radiation of a conventional abdominal X-ray.   Even more alarming is the fact that it takes 1,204 days to reduce the radiation level to normal after just one abdominal CT scan.  In a 2004 study, diagnostic radiation accounted for one in a hundred cancers in Canada.  With the increase in CT scans, in 2005 a Health Canada document suggested that radiation from diagnostic imaging causes approximately 2,500 cancer deaths a year.

Should we be concerned?  I think so,  It is becoming more and more important that there be some regulation.  Radiation levels vary from hospital to hospital with some patients receiving as much as eight times the dose of radiation.  In addition, with such high demand, there is little or no inspection of the tool, at present.

While it is true that CT scans are of great benefit to doctors and patients alike, we need to be more aware of the risks involved and if possible, seek a different, safer type of imaging.

Update on Tava

Well, it looks like my granddaughter may get out of the hospital tomorrow, after 13 very long days for mommy and daddy. The lymph node is still quite hard and swollen.  However, the swelling is continuing to decrease; and she will still need to take oral doses of antibiotics when she gets home.  Thanks to all who asked about her and prayed for her.

Our Busy Lives

This past week has been a busy one for me.  I have been helping to look after my 4 year old grandson, while my daughter is staying in the hospital with my little granddaughter who is 2 1/2.  She has an infection in a lymph gland in her neck which has resulted in her neck being twice the size it should be.  They have put her on an IV drip so they can get the antibiotics into her system more quickly.  Very slowly, the swelling is beginning to subside; but It was quite a scare for everyone.  She had not been sick, prior to this; although daddy did have a strep throat infection. 

It just reminds me once again that we must not take our health for granted.  With all of the bugs and viruses out there; we really need to take care of ourselves and support our immune systems.  Get plenty of rest, exercise, eliminate stress as much as possible and of course, eat well.

Low Energy

Do you have low energy?  I was reading a very interesting article that suggested you should probably take a look at your adrenal glands.  What are they you ask?  The adrenal glands are responsible for the "fight or flight" response that happens in our bodies.  They can become exhausted through a combination of continually being stressed and over stimulated.  If the adrenals are not functioning properly, you could experience such symptoms as anxiety, fatigue, headaches, depression, hypoglycemia, insomnia and digestive problems.  In addition, poor adrenal function can aggravate symptoms of menopause and PMS.
If this is of interest to you, a simple urine test can tell you.  Ask your doctor or naturopath today. 

 

Food Combining

Just recently, someone posted a comment asking about raw food recipes and if I was familiar with food combining, ie: which raw foods are best to be eaten with other raw foods?

I am no expert in this area; but I did pay very close attention to the foods I ate while attempting to treat the cancer in my body naturally.  It was important at that time to not put undue stress on my digestive system.  I wanted my body to work as little as possible; thereby allowing more time for my body to heal.  For this reason, I ate no meat, wheat or dairy products for a while.  I concentrated on whole foods, raw fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts.  In my quest to support my body's healing efforts, I learned about food combining.

The reason for looking at food combining is that not all foods take the same amount of time for digestion.  In addition, various foods require different digestive juices and enzymes for optimal digestion and assimilation.  Therefore, it is best to consume these foods in simple and compatible combinations.  There are several books that have been written on the subject.  I found the "Recipes for LIfe" book, by Rhonda J. Malkmus to be very helpful, by providing a simple chart to follow.  This book, while mainly a recipe book, has a host of other topics, like food combining, devoted to getting well and keeping well.

Basically, when eating, you should not combine starches and carbohydrate foods with protein foods.  Starches and carbohydrates go well with vegetables and/or salads; proteins go well with vegetables and/or salads.  Starches and proteins, on the other hand do not go well together.  Oils and fats should be used sparingly.  Fruits should be eaten on their own and not combined with vegetables  or grains.   Acid fruits combine well with sub-acid fruits; but not with sweet fruits.  Sweet fruits combine well with sub-acid fruits; but not acid fruits.  Melons should be eaten on their own, as they do not digest well with any other food. 

Now that I am well, I am not as strict about food combining as I used to be, nor do I eat all raw food. However, I am very aware that enzymes are present only in living (raw) food and are destroyed by heat.  For this reason, and because our body's ability to produce natural enzymes slows down as we age, I take an enzyme supplement regularly.  There are several on the market and if you are looking for a good one, you can check on the Nutronix link to the left.  It is called Biozyme and contains all natural plant enzymes essential to maintain normal enzyme levels.  The price is comparable and delivered to your door.

Now, I do eat lots of whole foods and salads, avoiding packaged food as much as possible.  During the winter months, I also prepare more cooked food and homemade soups using fresh wholesome ingredients when available.  If possible, I try to implement the rules of food combining, as I believe food combining is one way of improving and maintaining good health.

Baby Carrots

I received this e-mail today from a very good friend.  And I thought I would post it. 

Here it is:

"Did you know this about "baby" carrots?

The 'cute' cocktail carrots that you buy in grocery stores come from deformed crooked big carrots. They are put through a machine to become small cocktail carrots. This part everyone knows. After they are cut to size they are soaked in large vats of water mixed with chlorine to preserve them.....The same chlorine you use for your swimming pools. The reason for this is because they don't have the protection of the skin so they use a good amount of chlorine. Notice that after you have stored them in the fridge for a while ,a white film forms on them.....it's the chlorine coming to the surface.

At what cost do we risk our health to have esthetically presentable VEGGIES .....?????? Well Folks...... I think after reading this we will all start making our own carrot sticks out of fresh carrots and keep them in the fridge in water (a few at a time), right?'

I don't know where the original source of this e-mail came from.  Does anyone know if it is true?  I have always wondered why the little carrots do turn white.  Could this be the reason why?

Here's an update:

I have just checked out a site called "scopes.com' and it appears that the above e-mail has been circulating for quite some time and is definitely not true.  I sure am glad to read that.

Ah! Spring!

What a beautiful day it is here on Vancouver Island!  The sun is shining and the temp is warming up.  I say hooray, after a long, strange kind of winter.  Just last week it hailed and snowed and it has been very cold.  I am looking for the nice weather to recharge my batteries.  It seems over the winter I get 'sluggish',  not just physically; but mentally, as well.  We have a lot of cloudy days with rain, here on the island.  I go to work and also the gym; but when I get home that's about it.  Now, with spring in the air, I feel like doing more and it seems my mind is sharper.  Perhaps, it has something to do with the sun.  Whatever, I like it.   Now, what should I do today?