Jean, Barbara, Stray, my thoughts are with you in your dealings with pain and discomfort...I was diagnosed with breast cancer two and a half years ago and meditation was a mainstay throughout the whole surgery/chemotherapy/radiation process. One of many challenges in a situation like those described yesterday is sitting with the notion that your body has betrayed you. I had always been the one to take care of everyone else and now the role was reversed. Doing fine now, but the whole experience has been a reminder of what Barbara was talking about...
Much love to everyone who is coping with pain and illness right now. Meditation is really the one thing that helps me with the emotional distress that accompanies illness for me.
Stray, I had benign uterine tumors for many years, and they contributed to very painful periods. Acupuncture helped me a great deal during the last two years I coped with this, and, along with dietary changes (no caffeine, little sugar and refined foods, higher fiber diet) allowed me to nearly eliminate the painkillers. Finally I had a hysterectomy at age 42 - to which I had been very resistant - but I am so glad that I did. My sister-in-law had the same thing you do, and finally chose to have the ovary removed. I know it is a very hard decision, especially when you are young, and I am not suggesting that you shoudl do that - just trying to tell you I know some of what you're going through. Thank you for telling us what is going on - it makes it easier to hold you in my thoughts with a clearer awareness of what you're dealing with.
And Jean - I'm so sorry about the migraines. Life should not be the way it is - you are like the canary in the mine, reminding us of that. I hope eventually you can get into a situation that helps create more calm and less stress on an ongoing basis. I've almost stopped reading the news these days... it's just too much.
sitting with the notion that your body has betrayed you
... and, for me, sitting with the notion that I probably betrayed it first!
I've found one of the most provocative (positively) aspects of meditation to be that my mind and body are joining up. That seems to be creating impetus to stand up for my body in ways that I never would have in the past, but also to reconsider the ways I've (not) looked after it too.
I'm glad you're doing ok now Bitterroot. There were a scary few weeks some time ago when I was between diagnosis and my first surgery and they were talking in percentages and probabilities, and using the C word more than I was comfortable with.
One thing that resonated with me overnight regarding Jean's points yesterday about western vs traditional medicine, was that conventional medicine has virtually no history to rely on for long term prognosis. My doctors cheerfully tell me that the various treatments they have thrown at me have "no long term side effects" despite the fact that most of them have only been available for less than a decade. I am lucky that my next consultant is going to be female, and I will finally be able to look her in the eye and say "if it was your body, what would YOU want?".
As a real beginner in this stuff, I'm still shocked daily by the real, practical, physical, tangible changes in my life that emerge simply from being able to sit still and observe my feelings and the world around me. Most of all, I am starting to see (sometimes!) where I can and where I can't and where I just might be able to change a situation. I did say sometimes ... lol.
Beth - thanks so much for sharing. I'm sorry you went through that. Words like period pain just don't cover it do they?
I'm really encouraged by your experience with the dietary stuff, I know I could work better on that area - my bad habit is not eating enough, which isn't fair on a body trying to mend itself. I might go back to the acupuncture as well - or seek out some more shiatsu.
I am happy for them to take the rest of the worst ovary out any time they like. Hopefully soon! Then we wait to see what happens to the other. The thought of losing both, going into menopause in my early 30s, kind of freaks me out. Not from the fertility aspect - but just a kind of undefined resistance that I feel very strongly and can't put my finger on. Perhaps because my mum didn't seem to find menopause exactly easy! But it would give me so much of my life back not to be dealing with this.
I really appreciate you thinking of me. It's odd how much difference it makes considering how geographically spread we all are :)
Just in from a mercifully strenuous yoga class. Brought me back into the body after a day of living almost entirely in the head. Our teacher puts great emphasis on breathwork and observing the breath and the thoughts that come and go .... it was a meditation session in itself. Have booked for a second class on Thursday.
Stray, Jean and Barbara: thinking of you all. Bitterroot, so glad you are OK now.
Re alternative therapies I have benefitted enormously over the years from different ones, including shiatsu and cranial osteopathy. It can be trial and error finding the right one, because one size definitely does not fit all in this area .... but in my experience it was definitely worth persevering. And most benefit the whole person - spirit/mind/body/emotions - which ties into the work done in meditation.
5 Comments:
Jean, Barbara, Stray, my thoughts are with you in your dealings with pain and discomfort...I was diagnosed with breast cancer two and a half years ago and meditation was a mainstay throughout the whole surgery/chemotherapy/radiation process. One of many challenges in a situation like those described yesterday is sitting with the notion that your body has betrayed you. I had always been the one to take care of everyone else and now the role was reversed. Doing fine now, but the whole experience has been a reminder of what Barbara was talking about...
Much love to everyone who is coping with pain and illness right now. Meditation is really the one thing that helps me with the emotional distress that accompanies illness for me.
Stray, I had benign uterine tumors for many years, and they contributed to very painful periods. Acupuncture helped me a great deal during the last two years I coped with this, and, along with dietary changes (no caffeine, little sugar and refined foods, higher fiber diet) allowed me to nearly eliminate the painkillers. Finally I had a hysterectomy at age 42 - to which I had been very resistant - but I am so glad that I did. My sister-in-law had the same thing you do, and finally chose to have the ovary removed. I know it is a very hard decision, especially when you are young, and I am not suggesting that you shoudl do that - just trying to tell you I know some of what you're going through. Thank you for telling us what is going on - it makes it easier to hold you in my thoughts with a clearer awareness of what you're dealing with.
And Jean - I'm so sorry about the migraines. Life should not be the way it is - you are like the canary in the mine, reminding us of that. I hope eventually you can get into a situation that helps create more calm and less stress on an ongoing basis. I've almost stopped reading the news these days... it's just too much.
sitting with the notion that your body has betrayed you
... and, for me, sitting with the notion that I probably betrayed it first!
I've found one of the most provocative (positively) aspects of meditation to be that my mind and body are joining up. That seems to be creating impetus to stand up for my body in ways that I never would have in the past, but also to reconsider the ways I've (not) looked after it too.
I'm glad you're doing ok now Bitterroot. There were a scary few weeks some time ago when I was between diagnosis and my first surgery and they were talking in percentages and probabilities, and using the C word more than I was comfortable with.
One thing that resonated with me overnight regarding Jean's points yesterday about western vs traditional medicine, was that conventional medicine has virtually no history to rely on for long term prognosis. My doctors cheerfully tell me that the various treatments they have thrown at me have "no long term side effects" despite the fact that most of them have only been available for less than a decade. I am lucky that my next consultant is going to be female, and I will finally be able to look her in the eye and say "if it was your body, what would YOU want?".
As a real beginner in this stuff, I'm still shocked daily by the real, practical, physical, tangible changes in my life that emerge simply from being able to sit still and observe my feelings and the world around me. Most of all, I am starting to see (sometimes!) where I can and where I can't and where I just might be able to change a situation. I did say sometimes ... lol.
Hope all are well, hugs xx
Beth - thanks so much for sharing. I'm sorry you went through that. Words like period pain just don't cover it do they?
I'm really encouraged by your experience with the dietary stuff, I know I could work better on that area - my bad habit is not eating enough, which isn't fair on a body trying to mend itself. I might go back to the acupuncture as well - or seek out some more shiatsu.
I am happy for them to take the rest of the worst ovary out any time they like. Hopefully soon! Then we wait to see what happens to the other. The thought of losing both, going into menopause in my early 30s, kind of freaks me out. Not from the fertility aspect - but just a kind of undefined resistance that I feel very strongly and can't put my finger on. Perhaps because my mum didn't seem to find menopause exactly easy! But it would give me so much of my life back not to be dealing with this.
I really appreciate you thinking of me. It's odd how much difference it makes considering how geographically spread we all are :)
Just in from a mercifully strenuous yoga class. Brought me back into the body after a day of living almost entirely in the head. Our teacher puts great emphasis on breathwork and observing the breath and the thoughts that come and go .... it was a meditation session in itself. Have booked for a second class on Thursday.
Stray, Jean and Barbara: thinking of you all.
Bitterroot, so glad you are OK now.
Re alternative therapies I have benefitted enormously over the years from different ones, including shiatsu and cranial osteopathy. It can be trial and error finding the right one, because one size definitely does not fit all in this area .... but in my experience it was definitely worth persevering. And most benefit the whole person - spirit/mind/body/emotions - which ties into the work done in meditation.
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