Monday October 23 More Cookies, Resources

Cookies...YUM!
A treat from my youngest... all of a suddent Tai Chi became more fun, Yin Yang Fudge.

Resources
I have been using the term resources quite a bit… and I am quite surprised at how fortunate I am with respect to these resources. They allow for me to maintain a even keel and move my recovery forward.

"In For Treatment"
While I am In for Treatment , I have entered a new phase. This phase began last Tuesday 10/17/06 and it is something upon which you can easily focus. During the investigative phase, that occurred during late August, September and early September Jen and I and the family were really up and down Through this treatment phase my goal and efforts are much more focused on dealing with the clear goal at hand, which is to remove the tumor from my tonsil. The trips to the hospital are something that are quite predictable and satisfying. The visits are a routine to which I look forward since my treatments move me forward to wellness and recovery. This is also a much more placid time period, as I can focus on my own personal health and care. As my radiation is in the neck area and there a number of organs and activities that are affected, it is important that I look after myself. This encourages a closer connection to the body and is somewhat personally satisfying. "You only get one body so you may as well take care of it," so Marisa used say to the children when I worked at a treatment centre for children with severe emohtional disturbances.
Incidentally if you ever have a chance to see the Dutch Film, Opname "In for Treatment" about a cancer patient make sure you do. I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival in 1979 and met the actress/director Marja Kok http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=109608 It has one of the most touching moments, that I have ever seen in a film. It occurs between the doctor and his paitient. It is not quite like Chaplin's "City Lights" but it is touching.

Peaks, Valleys, Plains
So this is where I am at… trying to keep my state of mind at an even keel and moving forward in a positive manner. So far I have been lucky enough to keep maintain this state.
At present I am subscribing to the words of Jeff Suppan who pitches for the St. Louis Cards after winning the the NLCS said, “ The season is filled with peaks and valleys. We just tried to make them into plains.”

Resources
Some resources that allow me maintain my progresses are: Tai Chi as exercise is a form that suits my personality and state of mind. It is a form that focuses on relaxation and is a form of moving mediation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Chi_Chuan

I am presently able to continue to work half time which keeps my mind busy and active. I am able to maintain the library and have the good fortune of interacting with very energetic and innocent children who provide a kind of positive energy for me.

Socially in the past three days, I have had the resources to have dinner with my family after radiation treatment on Friday, go out for a rare coffee on Queen Street West and our for breakfast with my brother and sister in law on Sunday (Of course I then went home and had a short nap from 1:30 to 5:30).

In addition, I have had numerous calls from friends and family. The warm wishes and gifts (especially the gag gifts) from my co-workers and my principal provides me with the confidence and security in my work place.

In the past 3 days I have found soups, roast beef, biscotti, muffins and fudge brownies on plate (not all at the same time). In addition I have family members shopping for appropriate foods as recommended by the literature as suggested by the nutrition department of the hospital. I hope to keep getting out as long as possible without over doing.

This blog is a also a resource that allows me to communicate with friends who live a block away and with friends who live across the world. It also lets me access the resources of the Internet to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to communicate in new and innovative ways. I find it stimulating to use these resource and use digital images add interest to my postings.

I am also able to mediate and practice Chi Kung. Chi Kung is something that I used to pracitice about 20 years ago as part of my Tai Chi development. This has been such an important skill and has provided a form of peace of mind. It also provides for a daily opportunity to be still and contemplative. I was pleasantly surprise when I was able to meditate and mediate a rather bad headache. I felt fine afterwards. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong

Well that's it for today. Tomorrow I meet with my Radiation Oncologist and she will give me a bit of an update on my condition and what to expect. I would imagine that in the next week or two I will begin to experience some side effects but I am keeping an open and positive mind. I will need all the resources I can get.

Eat well, sleep well and don’t work too hard. There are ways to work smarter, not harder. And if you are hungry... just head down to here. Always plenty of goodies for all :-))