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Re: Life as it is given to us

Great post Joe

I agree with you. Living for to-day and making the most of every minute is as important as what you eat. There is so much good and beauty around, but so many of us look at the half empty glass and ingnore the half full part.
For the last 8 years after RP I have been on intermittent Casodex. The last on period gave a nadir of my psa 0.7. Over the last couple of months I decided that I would no longer deny myself the satisfaction of a strong cup of coffee or gobbling down a tub of ice cream. Low and behold my last psa test came back at 0.5. Living with PCa is like living with any other disease. Diabeties comes to mind. I will let not my cancer dominate my life.

Yester was history, tomorrow is a mystery, the present is a gift

Lenny Hirsch
Israel

Re: Life as it is given to us

Very wise posts from Joe and Lenny, Thank you both.

I have found myself burned out after over 4 years of constant concentration on beating this illness.

I am now of the opinion that my lack of concentration and general tiredness and depression is more conected to the psychological strain of these years rather than effects of treatment.

Yes, the constant bowel troubles were bringing me down, but I now seem to be coming out of the problem with careful use of loperamide and fybogel.

This lack of clear mindedness, and inability to think fast and be decisive as in my first 3 years after diagnosis could be because my brain has been on overload for too long.

I have such worrying responsiblities within my family, such as a youngest daughter who is handicapped, and a 3 year old grandson who will eventually need a heart transplant, that I have felt torn. I was desperate to be well enough to deal with it all, but I found I was failing. I felt overwhemed and sinking.

I had always been so strong, but found myself unable to focus and take everything in my stride.

David, our new member, who also happens to have been born in my hometown, emailed me lately saying that meditation and exercise works for him.

I tried the exercise in 2007 and 2008, 3 times a week at the gym, but ended up totally exhausted after a few months each time.

Now I think it's time to start trying meditation as mentioned by Joe. He has had terrible problems but has regained a positive attitude to life, as has Lenny.

Any guidance you could give me about this route would be hugely appreciated.

Warmest Wishes,

George

England

Re: Life as it is given to us

Aloha George,
I've read a number of books on meditation, the one I referenced at the start of this thread is as good as any and has some relationship to hard science, as it is written by a Medical Doctor. See if you can find this book (has a CD) in England or perhaps amazon.com;
ISBN 978-59120-246-2
Hopefully David can also relate some of the following to you. The problems you face are difficult and you (and I) spend a lot of time thing about them and the future. Meditation is clearing your mind of any thoughts. Sit or lay comfortably and close or unfocus your eyes. I start with a short prayer asking for God's presence. On the out breath, allow a natural low volume/tone hum. When you realize you are thinking, discard that thought. You are not trying to accomplish anything, just clearing your mind of thoughts.
After ten months of 20 to 50 min/day, 6 to 7 days/week, I find more and more time will pass very quickly during meditation. I do not see physical healing. I do see living more in the present and being more calm in my decision making. The night voids I had last summer are gone, but I believe that problem was in my mind (anxiety), which was probably healed by a med I was given. I'm off the med, and quite possibly the meditation is also helping.
Faith, Hope, & Love,
Joe

Re: Life as it is given to us

Thanks Joe,

I'll look into that. I've nothing to lose and everything to gain. It's great to hear that something is working for you.

Very Best Wishes,

George

England

Re: Life as it is given to us

George (and Joe),
My sympathies are with you. I have struggled with depressive anxiety at various points when health crises have arisen (fortunately not too often!). I'm going through a difficult time right now - still coping with diagnosis; assuming the IBS that I've encountered over the past 12 weeks could be bowel cancer (one cancer I can just about deal with but two??), etc. As a result I'm finding it very difficult to meditate. It's hard to keep focussed when your brain is whirring, but of course that's precisely the time that you need to meditate.

I can also recommend hypnotherapy, since that requires little or no effort on your part, just a willingness to go with the process.

The best introduction I found to meditation was this:
Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation by Larry Rosenberg. Even if you don't do the exercies, it's written with such wisdom that I found it very calming.

George, you've been an inspiration to me. Your single-mindedness in conquering the physical aspects of PCa has come at a (temporary) price. The mind-body connection is so strong that I'm not surprised the strain of the past few years has caught up with you.

But you'll get through this, and then your life will be in true balance!

David.

Re: Life as it is given to us

Yes, that's it, David,

I need the balance back. It's been too much on the downside for over a year now.

I'm trying to take it easier, trying not to worry about things I can't change, and getting into the garden for some physical activity, which I do find calms me down. I thinks that activity is about the closest I have got to a type of meditation.

Typing emails or any type of paperwork takes me an age, so I'm just doing little bits when I can, then leaving it when my mind starts to whirl and concentration becomes impossible. I do catch up eventually and try not to beat myself up when I fall behind.

One day at a time, I suppose. I WILL get there!
Thank you all.

George


England

Re: Life as it is given to us

George,
I was delighted to find this week that St James Oncology Institute in Leeds has its own 'Natural Healer' who has an open-door policy. She's quite an amazing woman and has been working with cancer patients for 25 years. She also gives away free CDs, so if you email me your address I'll send you a copy.
I told her that I was struggling to get back into meditation and she had me calm in no time!

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