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redfox
4-1-13, 11:59pm
I was over the moon to find this upcoming retreat over the weekend. I was offered a very generous scholarship, and will be participating in prep for my surgery, which is next week, the 11th, and in prep for the rest of my journey with cancer & regaining my health.

I am posting this as a way of celebration, and in case anyone in the PNW is interested. I'm also quite interested in your experiences of mindfulness & big life challenges. I am a lazy and intermittent meditator... Quite clearly, I have an opening for more practice!


Awake & Alive: Mindful Living with Cancer | April 4 - 7, 2013


This life-affirming, empowering retreat offers anyone with a cancer diagnosis the opportunity to explore what it means to live fully awake and alive– even while facing serious illness. Gentle and insightful mindfulness practices provide a way to investigate the inner world of our experience of illness and help us navigate its emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges. In a safe and nurturing environment, where everyone shares the same diagnosis, we will take time to listen deeply to ourselves and to one another and to encourage and support inner exploration, discovery and growth. Respecting each person's unique way of approaching cancer, we will reflect on how it may be possible to embrace life with zest, courage and vitality...no matter what!

Facilitators


Erica Rayner-Horn M.A., L.M.H.C.A., is a mindfulness-based psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle, and specializes in mindfulness as it relates to health and wellbeing. She trained at the Center for Mindfulness in Massachusetts as an instructor of the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, and leads workshops on mindfulness, stress reduction and related topics throughout the Northwest. She has taught at cancer support groups for CancerLifeline, local hospitals including Evergreen, Northwest, and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; as well as presenting at the University of Washington. Recent activities include: instructing an 8-week Mindful Eating program as part of a research study for the V.A. Hospital, an interview on the subject of mindful parenting by Seattle Child Magazine and an appearance on the About Happiness Show on Alternative Talk Radio.


Elana Rosenbaum, M.S., M.S.W., B.C.D., is a psychotherapist, cancer survivor and long-time teacher of mindfulness-based practices. She has worked directly with Jon Kabat-Zinn and is a pioneering teacher of mindfulness-based stress reduction that has helped thousands of people world wide cope with physical and emotional difficulties. In 1995 she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and subsequently underwent stem-cell transplantation. Her ability to thrive and embody mindfulness in the face of adversity led to the development of a mindfulness-based intervention for bone marrow transplant patients at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Emory University and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Her personal experience and professional expertise has inspired many to live well regardless of the circumstances of their lives. She is an internationally known speaker, consultant and workshop leader as well as author of Here for Now: Living Well with Cancer through Mindfulness (2005) and Being Well (even when sick): Mindfulness Practices for People Living With Cancer and Other Serious Illness. (2012)

Mrs-M
4-2-13, 12:03am
You are in my thoughts and prayers, Redfox.

Wildflower
4-2-13, 12:08am
Praying for good healing, redfox.

Rosemary
4-2-13, 5:56am
I hope you gain some valuable tools for your healing journey!

Suzanne
4-2-13, 7:34am
Best wishes, Redfox.

catherine
4-2-13, 7:46am
Wonderful idea--so great that you are getting the scholarship. Enjoy and be well.

Float On
4-2-13, 9:43am
What a wonderful opportunity.

Valley
4-2-13, 9:49am
You'll have to come back and share with us...I'm glad that you were able to get scholarship assistance to make this possible for you!

Lainey
4-2-13, 10:26pm
The timing is really fortuitous - you were meant to attend this retreat!

Charlie WA
4-2-13, 10:58pm
Redfox,
I just finished reading the book Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.
http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic/dp/1609618955/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364956825&sr=1-1&keywords=mindfulness
I also completed the eight week program in the book. It's an excellent book! I find that I handle stress differently now.

You can listen to the guided meditations that are used in the book online http://rodalebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/mindfulness/index.html
A lot of people find Meditation 8 - The three Minute Breathing Space Meditation a useful tool for reducing stress.

Good luck with your surgery!

redfox
4-2-13, 11:21pm
Thanks, Charile! I will fnd the book.

puglogic
4-2-13, 11:29pm
Oh so perfect! Glad the universe (and its minions) are taking such good care of you :)

leslieann
4-3-13, 9:34am
It sounds great. There's a mindfulness-based healing circle in Halifax: they have a book and meditation DVD but it sounds similar to your PNW program. I hope it gives you lots.

Here is the link to the Canadian material in case you are interested: http://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Circle-Dr-Rob-Rutledge/dp/B004GLAX5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364996018&sr=8-1&keywords=the+healing+circle

puglogic
4-3-13, 9:40am
I so wish we had an organization like this near me: http://wellspringcalgary.ca/ Best people ever. Do you have something like that up there?

Float On
4-3-13, 10:08am
I have a friend who went to CTCA in OK and he loved how they treated the whole person not just the cancer. http://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-hospitals.cfm

larknm
4-3-13, 11:46am
I love people who give scholarships to things like this. They are angels. Let us know what you come up with that's important to you from the event.

LilyB
4-3-13, 10:05pm
Redfox, I am so glad this blessing came your way. My prayers and good thoughts are with you as you begin your healing journey.

Blackdog Lin
4-4-13, 7:56am
That is a wonderful opportunity for you, and I wish you learning and peace from it. And ditto all the prayers and thoughts going to you for your surgery.....

Zoe Girl
4-4-13, 9:14am
That sounds wonderful, so glad you get to go.

I have 20+ years of meditation although many stretches of time I have slacked off. Let me tell you that going through the tough stuff it seems that you never have time for meditation, yet it is very supportive to have that practice while going through it. I got an opportunity to teach a 10 week class on meditation (2 more weeks left) and I have emphasized that while sitting in meditation you have a sensation or emotion or thought. Focusing on the breath you are putting that space of one breath or many between you and a reaction. Sometimes it floats away during that breathing and other times it sticks around. By putting the breath between the sensation and the action you are more likely to act instead of react, and see if you need to act. This can help often with strong emotion but it also helps with physical discomforts. That practice comes off the cushion as well and affects our daily life, we get the practice of putting a little space between ourselves and what is happening to us so that what is happening is not everything.

I hope that makes sense, i would love to hear how the weekend goes if you want to post publicly or send me a message.

redfox
4-8-13, 11:30pm
Well, my four day retreat was pretty incredible. Got home last night. Tomorrow I start prep for surgery, and go in on Thursday. Hopefully home on Friday. I'm too tired to write much more... Cancer is exhausting. Will see y'all on the flip side!

gimmethesimplelife
4-9-13, 12:42pm
Best wishes with your upcoming surgery!

There is a park here in Phoenix called the Cancer Survivor's Park, and when I walked by there the other day I spend some time there and thought of you. It is such an insprirational place about empowering yourself as a patient and putting yourself first at this time.

Like I said, Best Wishes! Rob

redfox
4-12-13, 8:37pm
I am home & very tender. Surgery went well. What natural remedies have you tried to move anaesthesia effects out of the body?

ApatheticNoMore
4-13-13, 2:51am
Sounds good, your made it through the surgery (haha, that's pretty blunt, but really it is an incredibly good sign isn't it?). Dont' have any answers, getting some food in me helps with local anethesia, imagine you probably had more than that.

Wildflower
4-13-13, 3:19am
Redfox, so glad you're home and your surgery went well.

Chicken noodle soup and hot tea has always made me feel much better after surgery. It always takes me about a week for my brain to feel normal again. I think I read somewhere it takes that long for the anaesthesia to clear your system. It leaves your head a little fuzzy for a few days, at least for me it does. Alot of fluids will help the process along...

I wish you good healing, redfox. :)

Lainey
4-13-13, 10:10pm
I have had the same experience after anesthesia, Wildflower, and I second your recommendations on lots of fluid.

Take care, redfox.

LilyB
4-14-13, 5:18pm
Redfox, Glad your surgery went well. Treat yourself gently as you heal. You've been through a lot both physically and emotionally.

rosarugosa
4-14-13, 8:51pm
Redfox: So glad that surgery is behind you and that you're on the mend. Please keep us updated; we're all rooting for you!

redfox
4-15-13, 12:22am
Thanks, all. Today I got off the narcotics. Yay! Just Tylenol, and almost no pain. Tomorrow our dear fried CB comes to stay for a week. Good thing too, because my DH, who has been carrying the load, had his mid-back go into spasms while he was grocery shopping, and he came home in intense pain. He's currently immobilized beside me in bed, taking my drugs.

I am being very attentive to my own limitations, and not doing too much. I said yes to a friend who offered, and she brought dinner over & hauled the full laundry basket upstairs. I am learning to ask for assistance. I'm also reading a very good book, called How to be a Friend to a Friend Who is Sick, by Letty Cottin Progrebin. Highly recommended.

I have my next appt. on the 29th,to get the full pathology report. I'll find out if I will need further treatment. The surgeon said that it all looked very contained, and she only took 2 pelvic lymph nodes on either side, rather than the 4-6 she originally was going to take. I am guardedly optimistic that the cancer was all gotten out in my poor ol' uterus. If I need additional treatment, I'll move through it... Will keep you posted. I do very much appreciate the kind words.

Rosemary
4-15-13, 4:38am
I hope that more good news awaits you and that your recovery goes smoothly.

Float On
4-15-13, 7:40am
Continued good thoughts and prayers for your healing process and that the pathology report will be good news.

Jilly
4-15-13, 7:56am
More good wishes for your continued recovery.

Life_is_Simple
4-15-13, 11:12am
I am glad the surgery went well and you are recovering. Yes, continue to be kind to yourself. *** hugs ***

You may find additional friends who would do just one thing. People are usually happy to help. You may also find services that you didn't know about. In my area, there is Peapod which delivers groceries. In my mom's area, her local grocery store delivers, but it is unadvertised.

I am wondering about the book you are reading. It sounds good. What have you learned from it?