Linda wants to get to the bottom of the phlegm..it is having a great impact on her...this is the toughest condition at the moment...and has been for a while...at her meeting with the oncologist Friday, she wants him to help her figure out a solution..which may mean him conferring with colleagues such as a pulmonologist...the cough medications, etc. etc. don't seem to help....
Tonight we went to the St. Charles Medical center DEFEAT CANCER dinner.... the featured speaker was Barbara Buchan, a two gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics in '08. Barbara was an inspirational speaker....she suffered severe brain damage in a bicycling accident during a competition when she was young, losing part of her brain and speech, etc. She chose to go forward and became a para Olympics competitor rather than resign herself to a nursing home for the rest of her life.
We heard:
With patience, things can happen.
She has no time for the negatives.
Take each day as you can.
Her turning point was being blessed with family and friends...surround yourself with family and friends.
Choose to go forward.
Part of the evening was spent building commitments to EXERCISE (the "E" in DEFEAT)....with the idea that personal physical improvement leads to improved health, well being and having fun...
It was a well spent evening..we are grateful for this opportunity to connect with others with cancer/caregivers.
Linda with Barbara and her two gold medals:
.
When daughter Janine was here, she gave her mother a "rainbow box" with scraps of paper that started with "I am going to beat this because..." and the idea is that Linda is to complete the sentences as she feels ready and put them in the box...over and over as thoughts or feelings come to her about beating the cancer. Linda has called it her "reflection box" because of the tiny mirrors and that it allows her to reflect on where she has been and where she going with the cancer......
5 comments:
Linda, have you tried Mucinex for the phlegm? I've had really good results with the Mucinex DM. Kelly mentioned just yesterday how little I've been coughing lately and I don't seem to have a "heavy feeling" in my chest any more. None of the cough medicines seemed to help me either.
Sorry I don't write oftener but my sight is really "blurred" because of the Macular Degeneration and my eyes tire easily. I'm going to have to get back to my Pyrography, instead of reading, because I can do that without "concentrating" on it like I do when reading. I've got plenty of wood placques and patterns so I'm all set to go.
Keep up the good work on the Blog David.....I read it daily. Give one another big hugs for me
Loads of love to you both, now and forever......Mom
Sounds like you had an inspiring evening. I always appreciate the pictures posted on the blog. Linda, you look amazingly good. Must be all that great care-giving by Mr. Wood. Rest up.
Marilyn
Dave, you have no idea how much good you do by posting these stories and reviews of the evenings and events you attend. They are inspirational to anyone at any stage or condition of their life. Take heart. You are spreading good for many others even as you work through this.
Love and prayers,
Marge and Larry
Hi Linda and Dave,
Welcome back to Oregon. Wish it was for a better reason. Wanted to let you both know that my sisters, brother and me are all thinking of you.
Your flight home was very eventful. Enjoyed the story - Dave is a very good writer!
take care,
Love,
cousin, Joanne Le
I love that reflection box. What a great idea! I think we could all use something like that to remind us of why we should always keep moving forward.
I think I said this yesterday, but I'm so glad the two of you get out and do these things together. It gets you out into the world, opens your horizons and gives you new perspectives. Those are the most vital aspects of continuing to stay positive. It's when we sit still too long and do not expose ourselves to new ways of looking at the world and our challenges that we begin to head into negative territory. Seeing someone else's point of view always gives us something new to explore and apply to our own situation.
You two are on the right track and you give all of us so much inspiration and perspective. Really, you help us as much as we help you. Don't ever forget that fact.
Love to you both, as always.
Post a Comment