Integrative Cancer Care

Last night Casey and I went to a talk on integrative cancer care put on by the Hearst Cancer Resource Center. The speakers were Dr. Spillane, who is my oncologist, Nancy Walker, who owns the Wellness Kitchen, a nauropathic doctor and a breast cancer survivor whose names I can't recall. As we were leaving Casey said " Now I know everything you have been talking about and doing is right, and you're not crazy!" It was very good to hear them talking about everything I've been reading about and incorporating into my life: organic whole foods, yoga, meditation, exercise, detoxing baths, dry skin brushing, laughter, a positive attitude...by the way, after just a few days of dry skin brushing my skin is much softer. It makes me feel younger!! I feel very fortunate to have a doctor who recognizes the importance of alternative therapies alongside western medicine. He's an excellent doctor, and Casey and I respect him, trust him, and like him. That's very important!

The talk was from 6-8. They had food there, and I was hungry. I resisted the rolled sandwiches with meat in them, but I did eat some of the cheese. I love cheese - who doesn't? - but I haven't had any dairy at all in awhile. After the talk, Casey was hungry and it was late and he didn't want to have to wait for me to cook. I had a gorgeous salad and some cold avocado and cuke soup already made at home, but to Casey a meal has to have meat. So, we went to our neighborhood restaurant, the Guest House Grill. It's a really good place - very crowded on a Thursday night - but not very veggie. I didn't want a veggie burger or a sandwich, so I had calamari. Not veggie, but a favorite of mine. Casey had a gin and tonic. I had sips. Result of this cheese, seafood, gin sipping adventure? I felt like crap by the time we got home, right around the corner. I feel a bit hung over this morning. When my diet stays clean, I feel great. When I blow it, I feel crappy. This is all the testament I need on how important it is.

Casey heard many things at the talk he has heard from me but been skeptical about. One is organic food. Nancy made an excellent point: when your body is already fighting cancer the the effects of chemo, why do you want to waste energy fighting the toxins in your chicken? She also talked about white rice, and how they take all the nutrients out of it and then put them back in. She said to change one thing to start with, so Casey decided he will quit eating white rice and switch to brown. I've been trying to get him to do this for years! Of course, last week he bought an enormous bag of it at Costco. I suggested we donate it but he says we should keep it in case of an emergency like an earthquake. We talk sometimes about the thin veneer of civilization and what would happen in the event of a big natural disaster, or other event that throws society into chaos and leaves us without resources. Americans would not handle it was well as the Japanese have. Good to have rice, canned foods and water around all of the time. Good we have an earthquake preparedness backpack, thanks to my friend Natalie who is the director of the SLO county chapter of the Red Cross.

I saw Nancy Buck on my way out last night. Her husband is the band teacher at AJHS, I taught both of their sons, and she's an oncology nurse. She said she'd see me on the 30th (teacher fund raiser) and that she's on the clean up crew. What a great village I have!

Read a post and series of replies on the Ovarian Cancer Alliance site this morning about cancer devastating your finances, having to choose treatment options based on insurance company decisions...and it just made me feel so blessed, so lucky, so grateful and so honored. Thanks goodness I'm a teacher with excellent insurance. Thanks goodness I have so many people who love me and are willing to help. It makes me feel so happy and so positive!

MY computer doesn't seem to want me to post an image today - photo button won't work!

Namaste,

Jill