Reflections2017

 On average, 565 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer every day. On average, 221 Canadians will die from cancer every day.* I prefer to say that 344 survive every day! The silent majority.    I am one of the silent majority. A new friend of mine feels the same way. "I am experiencing so many emotions post-surgery and post treatment." A fellow survivor who became a dear friend of mine whom I met during Radiation Treatment shares her thoughts on "The silent majority." With her blessing, they are incorporated into Reflection 30 .   Following my diagnosis, I decided to fight. My weapons of choice are family, friends, knowledge and modern Eastern and Western medicine. My entire blog is part of my therapy.   "Our bodies have been assaulted by cancer and it will take time to readjust to Life after Cancer. My main focus is on being health mentally and physically, in that order," writes my new friend.   She continues:    "I feel reli...

Dear reader, I consider myself to be in a very fortunate position. I am both a college teacher who stands in front of students’ day-after-day teaching Microsoft Office and Google Docs to health care wannabes. I am also a cancer survivor. So, I have observed both sides of the health care profession; what we teach and how my former students practice. What a window of opportunity I have been handed. These people who sit in front of me will be within a year working in a medical clinic, on a ward in a hospital, or perhaps an 'old folks' or extended care home. Perhaps they will be working in a hospice. They will be nursing the very people I spent some time with during and following my surgery. This brings me to the point of this blog. The heath care textbooks that I am familiar with are long on protocols and short on caring, compassion and empathy; the feeling that you understand and share another person's experience and emotions. The importance of empathy is understated in the ...

Sarah:  I hope that you are receiving this transmission, my lovely daughter, for the weather in this dimension is playing havoc with many of my thought transfers. I feel that too many have not gotten through. The latest barrier has been Hurricane Irma that made a shambles of Puerto Rico and Florida. You may be aware of it. There has been three or four others in that area lately. Trying to communicate between dimensions can be challenging, to say the least.    Something has been happening to me and I want to share it with you. For the last couple of weeks now, I have been feeling as if I have a new lease on life. I know that sounds silly. But it is true! I am not making it up. I feel closer to you. I feel closer to most people. I feel a renewal. I feel as if I am looking through fresh eyes. It is almost a feeling of joy to be alive.  It is quite amazing. I have never felt this way before in my entire life. Everything is new and fresh and I want to give everyone a hug...

 A longtime colleague of mine called unexpectedly, stating she wants to come to Winnipeg to see how I was doing with my recovery. Her and her two children now live in Toronto.  "Are you sure? It is quite a distance."  "Yes, I know that," she stated. "But we haven't seen each other for ages. Your recovery is a perfect reason to come out west and visit. Why not organize a dinner with our old gang from the Food Bank? It would be great to see the three of you."  Our telephone conversation ended with her request.   Gee, I really don't know, I thought. I would love to. But this will be the first time I will be attending a dinner party following my operation. But it is not as if these people are strangers. We worked together for over three years, I reasoned. But...   I reluctantly agreed to carry out her wishes. I told her I would. I am not going to call her back and tell her I have changed my mind.   The first person I contacted about our litt...

 To tell you the truth, I didn't really expect to go back to teaching until 12 October. But here it is a few days before 11 September when my supervisor, the Director of the Health Care Department at the college where I teach contacted me to find out if I was well enough to substitute teach for a colleague. The Director was in a corner and reaching out to me.   With confidence I said, "Yes."   Shortly after I put down my cell, the demons arrived. There were many. Self-doubt crept into the recesses of my mind, crowding out my positive frame-of-mind. Am I really well enough? I haven't taught since late-May. Four months is a long time! How will it go? What about my hearing? I found some comfort in knowing that I would be teaching Microsoft Office Level 1, an entry level course. The curriculum is not a problem...ever. But the class size is so big. There are 22 registered. What about the physical classroom? Some classrooms have a lot of background noise; particularly...

 "Oyez. Oyez. Oyez." This Middle English phrase means "Hear ye. Hear ye. Hear ye." Along with shouting these words, the Town Crier rings a bell. He is dressed in eye-catching, colourful clothing and wearing a tricorne hat. The attention of citizens is captured almost immediately. Important public announcements are then made.  CancerCare Manitoba employs this proven Medieval English practice in the Radiation Department. Each patient when they have completed their last Radiation Treatment is invited to ring the bell. The staff that are present in the room smile and clap indicating their approval of the individual's accomplishment. People within ear-shot hear the bell ringing that acknowledges a milestone has been reached by another survivor.  This is a worthy tradition. The morale of all individuals goes up. There are smiles all around! ***  The bell ringing indicates the closing of a chapter in the life of the survivor. It also indicates the opening of a new one....

When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark At the end of a storm There's a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown* *Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers  ***  In the early morning of August 20th, many of the world's population were both surprised and saddened to learn of the passing of Jerry Lewis in Las Vegas Nevada. For so many years (1966 -- 2010) he was the main cheerleader for the Multiple Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Telethon. During those 44 years, the Telethon raised the staggering $2 billion for 'Jerry's kids.'   Jerry's signature song for the Telethon was You'll never walk alone . Thinking about that song and fetching the lyrics from the Internet, I could not help but reflect on the CancerCare MB team that each and every person who gets cancer automatically receives.   I learned early...