October / November 2011 THE VITALITY QUESTIONNAIRE
This questionnaire is designed to highlight specific areas of your life that you may want to change. To give yourself a score from 1 – 10, it is necessary for you to imagine what it would be like to score 10.
The decision is yours if you want to achieve a different score. Establish your goal, do what ever it takes to achieve it, and remember to enjoy it along the way.
INTELLECTUAL LIFE SCORE 1 – 10
Do you read books? .
Are they mentally stimulating of informative? .
Do you attend seminars, TAFE, or other learning programs? ..
Are you well informed on current affairs, social and moral issues? .
Do you attend exhibitions, concerts, galleries? .
Do you practice art or craft? .
SOCIAL LIFE
Do you have many close friends (if 10 is a lot?) .
How well does your closest friend know you?
Are you interested to meet new people? .
Do you easily make friends? .
Do you entertain, or dine out with friends regularly?
Is your social life stimulating, and energising? ..
EMOTIONAL LIFE
How positive, and pleasant are your emotions generally?
Do you easily resolve your negative emotions?
Are you aware at the time that your emotions are influencing
your behaviour? .
How well do you manage emotions that might tend
to ‘carry you away’?
5. How free are you to express and accept feelings of affection?
6. How well do you handle embarrassment?
PHYSICAL LIFE
How good is your relationship with your body? .
Are you satisfied your normal diet is a reasonable one?
How appropriate is the exercise you give your body? ..
Do you frequently allow your body to relax? .
How free is your body from the need for alcohol, tobacco, medication?...................
How do you rate the energy level of you r body?
SPIRITUAL LIFE SCORE 1 - 10
How strong is your belief in a supreme being?
How helpful to you is prayer, or meditation?
Does your spiritual life promote your awareness of self-worth?
Does it bring you closer to others?
Do you feel your life is on course towards its ultimate purpose? ...
FAMILY LIFE
How good is communication within your family? ..
Do you enjoy the time is spent with your family?
How free are you to express your affection with your family? ..
Are arguments fairly and satisfactorily resolved? ..
Do you have joint projects, goals, play or outings? ..
Do you feel loved, as someone who really matters, by your family?
LOVE LIFE
To what extent is your loving free from possessiveness or jealousy? .
Is your expression of your affection warm and spontaneous? .
Are you comfortable receiving affection from others?
Do you readily forgive and hold no resentment? .
Are your relationships sharing and cooperative? .
Do you appreciate your own worth? .
SEX LIFE
Do you have good communication on the subject with your partner?
Is intercourse an expression of mutual love between you? .
Are you free from inhibitions, guilt, fear or other hang-ups?
How positively appreciative are you of your partner?
Is love making still as meaningful as ever?
Does your partner make you feel secure and appreciated?
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Are you satisfied this is the right career for you?
How adaptable would you be if this career were no longer possible? ...
Has your income been satisfactory and up to expectations? ..
How eagerly do you anticipate the challenges and opportunities? ..
How promising does the future look? ..
How well are your talents utilised in your present work?
RECREATIONAL LIFE
1. Do you have a lot of different ways to play? ..
2. Do you allow time for daily recreation? ..
3. How much fun is the child in you allowed to have?
4. Is it easy to ‘act the goat’ with friends? ..
5. Do you play with as much enthusiasm as you work? ..
6. How frequently do you allow yourself to do things ‘just for fun’? ..
July / August 2011 Do It In Style: Hope & Healing, Living & Dying
HOPE
"In the absence of certainty there is nothing wrong with hope". Bernie Siegel.
Hope is the essential pre-requisite prior to the commencement of any healing program. There is no cancer from which someone has not been cured. Why not be the next?
However hope for survival is often driven by a fear of death, and while there may be improvements in the short and medium term, hope needs to progress to the next stage for a better long term outcome. Hope for a better future is based on the belief that there is a solution to current problems, and this a much more positive approach.
The next stage of hope (another rung in the ladder) is the hope for understanding. This is meaning an understanding of not just the illness, but really of life itself. Progress to this stage does not happen overnight; it requires patience, resolve, study, help from others, as well as a personal practice of reflection and meditation.
The final stage is the hope to be content with the present moment ie. to achieve peace of mind. This is the ultimate in doing it in style, and those who reach this stage inspire us all.
HEALING
Healing has occurred when there is peace of mind. This distinguishes it from curing which does not necessarily lead to this point. So healing is beyond curing, and may take place even when curing is not possible. On the other hand healing provides the perfect environment for curing to happen.
LIVING IN STYLE
This means accepting what can’t be changed, being courageous enough to change what can be changed, and having the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.
It may mean accepting limitations, and adjusting priorities. It does mean enjoying simple things, and working on having satisfying relationships with family and friends.
It means remembering that forgiveness is simply giving up on having a better past!
It also means time for ourselves: slow down, pause, breathe, be still, turn inward, and listen. This requires discipline and practice.
DYING IN STYLE
Sooner or later, whether from cancer or some unrelated cause, the death rate becomes one per person. Eventually we all run out of loopholes and escape clauses. However, preparing for the possibility of death does not interfere with the fight for life. In fact taking care of these things releases energy for living.
Those who love you will remember the way you die. Therefore it needs to be done in style. A lot of things that used to matter don’t matter anymore. If dying is our final stage of growth and development, then we will leave good memories behind us.
June 2011 Find the meaning of life: the journey continues
Life has a taste of mystery to it. No-one understands all its secrets, and none of us really knows where we are going. According to Thomas Edison we don’t even begin to understand 1% about 99% of anything.
There are some who search for pieces to the puzzle. But many never really get started. Instead we hang on to some sense of immortality, knowing that one day everyone must die, yet behaving as if an exception will be made in our case!
George Sheehan – once a doctor, runner and writer – suffered from cancer of the prostate, and came to see that as a blessing. He said it put a sense of urgency into life, makes us see life as a gift, and inspires us to think more of the human condition. Living becomes a matter of life and death, and the search for meaning becomes paramount.
Many would argue that what gives meaning to life has more to do with how an individual stands in relation to his soul than to his physical frame. Scott Peck, author of "Further along the road less travelled" argues that everyone has a spiritual life whether they like it or not. Some may try to ignore or avoid it, bit basically the puzzle is a spiritual one.
Spirituality may be found both inside and outside religious frameworks. Either way it is often through meditation that we come in touch with something deep inside. New insights can occur, and changes in our lives result.
Peck agrees that we learn best when we have a deadline (what a wonderful word, he says) and that struggling with the mystery of death leads to discovering the meaning of life.
It is not an easy journey, but a worthwhile one. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, an American psychiatrist, defined the stages of dying in her pioneering work in the late 1960s. She found that people often respond to news of life threatening illness by denial (no, it can’t be true) then pass through the stages of anger (why me?), bargaining (if I live, I promise to ) depression (it is true), and perhaps finally acceptance (it is true, and it’s OK). Peck says that these are also the stages we go through any time we make a significant step in our spiritual growth. Often we retreat back into denial, anger and bargaining.
The purpose of life, wrote Emerson, is to acquaint man with himself. That education should be interrupted by our dying breath. We are here to learn, and it is the search for meaning that is meaningful.
Growing spiritually is an ongoing process but according to Peck we cannot lose when we realise that everything that happens to us has been designed to teach us something we need to know on the journey. Progress is sometimes slow, and sometimes rapid. If the meaning of life seems elusive, simply give meaning to life. To have a death worth dying you must have a life worth living. Many aspects of a person’s life have spiritual significance but in particular relationships with family and friends have spiritual qualities. Through them we are able to add meaning to life.
Probably the puzzle will never be complete, but perhaps there will be sufficient pieces to give a glimpse of the big picture. When we are on the right track, if only fleetingly, we know.
May 2011 Be Happy: Just for Fun?
"Life is a tragic comedy, a quirky combination of glory and grief, laughter and lows, joys and sorrows. Laughter lightens the load". R. Holden
There is not much that’s less funny than being sick – and having cancer must be down the bottom of that list. Good grounds for being miserable and unhappy, mixed with self pity. "Just leave me alone I don’t want to talk about it".
In 1964 Norman Cousins suffered from a rheumatoid condition involving his spine and joints that kept him flat on his back in pain. Although not medically trained, he researched the literature avidly to find that negative emotions have negative effects on body chemistry. He wondered if positive emotions might just have positive effects. Could laughter enhance body chemistry? He decided to find out by watching funny movies, episodes of Candid Camera, and the Marx Brothers’ films. Ten minutes of laughter gave him a pain free sleep. This was the beginning of his recovery.
Many years later modern medicine can only agree that laughter is good medicine. It is now known that endorphins (the body’s own morphine-like substances) are released, and that the activity of the immune system is boosted.
So it would seem that being too busy to have fun is really serious.
In ‘Laughter is the Best medicine’ R.Holden (1993) makes the following observations:
Happiness is an attitude which happens inside out – not outside in. It is something to be enjoyed along the way, not a destination, an essential lubricant for relationships which gives pleasure, even when things are less than perfect. Laughter is a symbol of full, spontaneous, creative, and peaceful living.
To become happy it helps to act happy. Being silly is not so silly. "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men".
Donate a smile; give and you shall receive. Laugh, and the world laughs with you.
One essential ingredient for happiness is thankfulness. Make a list of things usually taken for granted for which you should be thankful. Share memories of happy occasions. Play games. "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing."
Begin a library of books and DVDs. Is there something you could do right now to enhance your happiness? Don’t wait – look at every area of your life. Be reminded of the need for enthusiastic living. Celebrate. Have a happy hour, a happy day, a happy year.
And do it just for fun!
April 2011 Getting Rid of Excess Baggage
There is no peace of mind with a troubled soul. Unfinished business, and holding on to even the most righteous of indignations, ties people to painful pasts.
Achieving peace of mind means letting go of angry and defensive thoughts, judging thoughts, guilt, resentment, bitterness and hate – all excess baggage. None of these brings inner peace. The chain of attack and defence is endless. Anger is nothing more that an attempt to make someone else feel guilty. No-one else can change our thoughts for us.
It might help to ask yourself the following question: :
"Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be right?"
Being right does not necessarily lead to happiness. The argument may not be worth winning. The decision, after raising the above question, may be to let it go.
Judging thoughts do not bring peace of mind either. Our perception of others must be incomplete. Would we be any different given their experience of life? Guilty thoughts might also destroy any sense of peace of mind.
The antidote is forgiveness – starting with yourself, and then extending it to others. Forgiveness is an essential ingredient in a loving relationship. Without it, love becomes conditional, founded on getting and giving to get, on bargaining and trading "I will love you, if you " Unconditional love has no expectations or boundaries, and sees the other person as either giving out love, or sending out a call for help requesting love.
Forgiveness is an exercise in our capacity to forget, relinquishing unhelpful trains of thought. It does not imply approval of someone else’s behaviour, or assuming a position of superiority to pardon sins. It sees beyond the more superficial motivation of an individual knowing that deep down they yearn for exactly the same as we do - peace of mind.
To experience forgiveness we need to offer it to others, and then find that to give is to receive. Cross the bridge of forgiveness together, and offer it to the world.
March 2011 Relationships with family and friends
Cancer is a blow to every family it touches. How it is handled within the family depends to a large extent on the way that family has functioned in the past. Those who are used to sharing needs and feelings generally find it easier.
Cancer gives the opportunity to talk about many things that might otherwise be left unsaid. Out of the fears, anxieties and frustrations may come a rapid time of growth for members of the family.
On the other hand new roles and demands may overload them, and resentment can arise so easily. Old difficulties will not just evaporate. Conflicts may not be readily resolved, and the equilibrium of the family might be threatened. There are no easy solutions, but most people with cancer find the best choice is to share the diagnosis, and give those closest to them the opportunity to offer support. Rather than trying to hide fears it is easier in the long run to confide them. In this way foundations of mutual understanding and trust are built. It pays to solve problems together rather than struggle with them separately.
Different people operate on different emotional timetables. Some are ready to talk, while others are still coming to grips with the situation. They might prefer to remain withdrawn for the time being. No-one should be forced. Clues to when is a good time to talk may be non verbal language, with gestures and looks often conveying the real message. Talking may include expressing anger, fear and confusion, and those closest to each other often bear the brunt of outbursts. It’s okay to admit when you have had enough, with a promise to return to the conversation later on.
There is a need to be prepared to be a good listener – being silent, and perhaps feeling powerless. Good listening means paying attention, not thinking about other things, or what you might say before hearing the whole message. It is especially important to stay tuned to the feelings behind the words, and then check out that you are receiving the right message by restating what you have heard.
There are some common barriers to communication. False cheeriness "everything will be all right", and responses like "don’t worry" or "that’s silly" deny people the opportunity to explore their feelings. Neither should you tell someone else "I know how you feel" – this is so unlikely.
Children should be given the opportunity to be involved in discussions. They are sensitive to changed circumstances, and need comfort, reassurance, affection, guidance and discipline when routines are disrupted.
The person with cancer needs family and friends as a constant in a changing world. Some friends may not call for a variety of reasons. Most will want to help, but feel unsure how to go about it. They may be waiting for some clue as to how to behave, and be very grateful if there is something concrete they can do to show their continuing friendship. It might be helpful to think of your requests for assistance as a way of letting friends feel useful. Lost friendships are one of the real heartbreaks that some people with cancer face. Answers are not easy, but it is best to be philosophical: "I have some friends for when I am well, and other friends when I am sick. I need them both".
February 2011Be Practical: Diet, Exercise, Coping Day to Day
General advice about diet, exercise, and coping may need to be varied according to the individual person, and the stage of the illness.
There is a mountain of conflicting evidence about what to eat. While there is no evidence for a diet that will cure cancer, there is a way of eating to help our bodies function as well as they can.
Saturated animal fats are associated with some cancers in the first place. They lead to a sluggish circulation which is less efficient in carrying oxygen, thereby depriving the cells of the body of what they need to function properly. This includes the immune cells which we rely on to help us resist disease.
A diet should therefore be low in fat and cholesterol, contain a variety of foods including particularly those high in complex carbohydrates (present in vegetables, fruit, bread, cereals like oats, rice, pasta) and contain an adequate supply of protein (lean meat such as chicken, fish, and low fat dairy products).
Eating should remain an enjoyable experience. A flexible and reasonable approach is necessary which may mean forgetting the traditional three meals a day. If there is poor appetite, nausea, or weight loss, small frequent meals, favourite foods, and high energy drinks can be helpful.
When it comes to exercise, try not to become a spectator! Use large muscles in a rhythmic fashion at your own speed. Walking requires no special skills or athletic abilities. Others might prefer swimming, or bike riding.
Make no mistake, there is good evidence for the benefits of exercise; it is both a physical and mental tonic. Four times a week for half an hour is about what you need to do to make it worthwhile, but tailor it to needs, abilities and circumstances.
Coping day to day is not always easy. There may need to be an adjustment of priorities. There might also need to be a willingness to accept help from relatives, friends, community support services, and other resources.
Educational support groups have a lot to offer – knowledge, understanding, and companionship. Through them there is often access to relaxation/meditation, massage and volunteer assistance for you and your family. There might also be the opportunity for you to help someone through your own experiences.
January 2011 Psychoneuroimmumology! (Mind over matter)
"No great achievement is accomplished without a great dream preceding it".
This relatively new specialty proposes a link between the mind, various hormones and the immune system. This balance has been shown to have an effect on the body, which will respond in either a positive and negative way, depending on the underlying stimulus. For example, in one study medical students were found to be more prone to infections near exam time because of the effect of stress on their immune systems.
A medication, if prescribed with enthusiasm by the doctor, works better. This is the well known placebo effect, and is another example of mind over matter. We should make the most of this ability to influence how our body works. If the immune system also has a role in the in the control of cancer, then perhaps positive attitudes will improve the chances of a healthy outcome. This is not to say that you must be thinking positively all day every day (probably not possible!), but that working on a positive attitude overall will be better for us (and for those around us).
Mental Imagery
Mental imagery, or visualisation, is a technique used by serious sportsmen and women. In a relaxed state of mind they visualise the event for which they are training, taking it through to its successful completion. Before playing a shot, the golfer sees the ball driven straight the middle of the fairway. This doesn’t guarantee a good shot, but it does improve the chances of one, more than hitting off half expecting a slice, or a hook.
Similar techniques have been recommended for cancer patients. Using mental pictures while in a meditative state of mind, to see how effectively the cancer treatment is working, with the immune system mopping up, is great preparation for chemotherapy; much better than fronting up in fear of being sick!
See the cancer cells to be weak, while the treatment is strong and powerful. Any healthy cells that are damaged recover quickly, and the vast army of white cells finishes off the remaining cancer cells, getting rid of them from the body. At the end of the imagery see yourself with improving health.
There is increasing evidence now available to support the use of such psychological resources as complementary in the treatment of cancer. As quoted once before, the best results are obtained when the patients own resources of mind, and will, and spirit are combined with the efforts of the physician, surgeon, and radiotherapist.
December 2010 The Time for Action
Cancer often stops people in their tracks. Three possibilities arise – some deny it, some become depressed, but then some do something. Doing something demands change – it’s time for action. If you like, cancer can be a reason for doing anything!
This is an opportunity to review your life, to look at it for its meaning to you, your family, and friends. Explore your best moments, and set up life to include more of them.
It’s probably too much to expect to be positive all the time, but using the power of the mind to think positively can help to resolve problems, and establish new goals.
The use of positive affirmations is often helpful. These are statements about the future, made now, as if they had already happened! For example the smoker who is about to quit might repeat to himself "I am a happy, healthy non-smoker." Make up your own affirmation eg. "I am getting better, and better every day."
Attitudes are so important. Consider the different feeling generated by the thought that "my life is full of problems", compared with "my life is full of challenges". It is very easy to find the negative in any situation. It is not so easy to decide that if life hands you a lemon, perhaps you should make lemonade!
Peace of mind comes from within, and depends more on what we are thinking and feeling, than letting events in the outside world have too much impact. Fear puts you into the future, whereas resentment locates you in the past – both of which might spoil today, and reduce your chance of peace of mind.
Be someone, at home, going somewhere.
‘Being someone’ means retaining your sense of value as a person. Think of yourself as state-of-the-art man (woman) kind, with all that life experience.
Being ‘at home’ means having someone to love, and someone who loves you in return. The meaning of life has much to do with harmonious relationships; they are worth cultivating.
‘Going somewhere’ means having a sense of purpose, and the discipline required to achieve your goals. This is the time for action!
November 2010 - Coping with cancer
Meditation
Having cancer is a stressful experience. One of the better ways of dealing with this is by including meditation as a complementary therapy.
Some argue that meditation is foreign to Western cultures. And we haven’t got the time! This has been described as ‘active laziness’ – lacking the discipline to interrupt our busyness.
Even so, there can be brief moments where the mind naturally approaches the meditative state. Day dreaming, just staring out the window, or being absorbed in a piece of music are moments to build on, that allow us to pause, to be still.
Meditation is the most effective means of breaking the vicious cycle of stress and disease. Even those critical of complementary therapies agree that meditation improves the ability to cope, reduces the appreciation of pain, can make relationships between patients and families more harmonious, and have beneficial effects on overall well being.
It is interesting to note that the Dutch Health Insurance Company Silvercross has reduced its premiums to those who meditate. Their decision was based on documented evidence that meditation reduces the incidence of a wide variety of diseases.
Meditation is the pathway to another state of consciousness – neither awake or asleep.Normal thinking processes are suspended in a state of mental stillness. There is nothing to do! But we all have nimble minds, so it is useful to have a technique to stop catching all the trains of thought that come along. Progressive muscle relaxation, focussing on breathing, listening to music, and mental imagery have all been recommended.
Don’t expect every meditation to be a peak experience. There is still some benefit in just sitting still. Start by spending just a few minutes, once or twice a day. With practice people tend to lose sense of time, and enjoy meditating for longer.
For some there is more to meditation than just health. Positive attitudes towards life and death develop as it becomes an experience that goes beyond the intellect, and into the realm of spiritual awareness.
October 2010 - Living With Cancer
For many people cancer becomes a chronic illness. And there is still much living to be done.
However there are times when this is not easy, particularly if the cancer treatments have taken a toll. The side effects of surgery, radiotherapy and /or chemotherapy sometimes seem worse than the initial disease. It can be difficult to be optimistic, and plan for the future in the face of uncertainty and anxiety.
There is a new personal time scale – B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis). Each day has its ups and downs with alternating feelings, fear and frustrations at slow improvement, sleep problems, mad thoughts, self pity, even despair. Being human means complicated, unacceptable emotions – none of us is immune. It may feel like coming up against a brick wall.
However, sooner or later decisions have to be mad about living with this chronic illness. It is often helpful to understand that we are part of a dynamic process which responds to both positive and negative influences.
Cancer gives the opportunity for reassessment. Is it time for a change, to do things differently?
If the cornerstones of health are considered to be a well body, a smart mind, a passionate heart and a live spirit, then notice should be taken of the stepping stones to take towards these goals.
A body that has not been so well can be encouraged by attention to nutrition, exercise and rest, sunshine and sleep, and various preventive health measures.
A smart mind has nothing to do with IQ, but more to do with making good choices, and having the discipline to stick with them. An understanding of your health problems, setting goals, handling change, and achieving balance are all tasks for a smart mind.
The passionate heart is the home of your enthusiasm, attitudes to life, motivation, and purpose, remembering the importance of laughter, and doing things just for fun.
The live spirit is nurtured by both solitude, and relationships with family and friends. The spirit responds to meditation, and the practice of mindfulness, transcendence (feeling part of something bigger, religious or not), nature and music, forgiveness and cultivating richer relationships.
Approaching life in this way encourages people to regain control in their lives, to reorganise priorities, and to gain new perspectives with the focus on living better.
Time acquires its true value when we recognise that it is not infinite.
August 2010 - The Doctor-Patient Relationship
Like any relationship, a good doctor-patient relationship depends on communication, which is a two way street. As the management of your condition progresses you will probably see a variety of specialists, hospital doctors, and other health professionals.
It is therefore important to have someone who will provide continuity, who knows you well, can make the appropriate referrals, write the prescriptions, and can answer the questions that inevitably arise in between. This person is your General Practitioner, with whom you should maintain contact throughout.
Different doctors suit different personalities. Taking time to make the right choice of General Practitioner for you is a good investment. Pay at least as much attention to it as choosing a car!
While word of mouth may assist in choosing a doctor, it remains a personal choice. Use your senses to check whether or not your doctor is with you emotionally. Is he/she paying attention to the right issues with the right words? Do you prefer your doctor to be relaxed or formal, young or experienced? Hopefully it will be someone who listens, meets your eye, achieves immediate rapport, is humane, helpful and interested, and makes you feel better, whether or not you get a prescription.
Once chosen, establish a good working relationship with your doctor by keeping up your end of the conversation. Prepare for your consultation with your symptoms loud and clear in your mind. Write down any questions you have, and get to the point by expressing your underlying concerns. Doctors will snap into action if you state clearly what you are worried about, and ask for your mind to be put at rest.
Do not withhold information out of fear of hearing things you really do not want to hear. Bad news now is better than worse news later. If necessary practice gentle assertion, and do not be afraid to ask for a second opinion if you still feel concerned.
At times, having a family member or friend with you to listen in, will help you with later discussions and decisions.
You should be able to come away from a doctor’s consultation knowing what is wrong, or what will be done to find out, what is the recommended treatment, its effects and side effects, and whether there are any alternatives.
Better understanding of your illness, with the help of your doctor, is all part of being more responsible for your own health, and leads to a feeling of being more in control.
July 2010 - The Treatment of Cancer
Many cancers can be successfully treated. Treatment may be curative, or palliative – the latter term meaning that the aim is to improve quality of life, if cure is not possible.
Treatments may be considered under the headings of orthodox medical treatment, complementary therapies, and alternative treatments.
Under orthodox treatments are surgery, radiotherapy (destroying cancer cells with high energy radiation eg. xrays), and chemotherapy (using drugs to destroy or inhibit cancer cells).
The type of cancer, the stage, and sites of any spread will determine the type of treatment that is possible, and whether a combination of treatments is necessary.
Curative surgery generally depends on the cancer being accessible and localised at the primary site. Follow up is necessary, and on average claims of cure should be postponed for five years.
Radiotherapy is designed for localised cancers as well. Curative treatment often requires daily sessions, only lasting a few minutes each, but over a period of around six weeks. Palliative radiotherapy eg. for the relief of pain, is usually given over just a few days, and so is less disruptive to family life if travel to a distant facility is needed.
Chemotherapy is particularly useful for cancers that come from blood forming cells such as the leukaemias, and lymphomas. It is also used in conjunction with other treatments for other cancers. Different regimes are prescribed, often intravenously and intermittently, but sometimes orally. Side effects are not uncommon, but may be able to be treated in advance. They include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sometimes hair loss, easy bruising and infections.
Some cancers are sensitive to hormones eg. breast, prostate, so control may be sought either by giving hormones, or surgically removing glands that produce hormones.
Another approach for certain cancers is to boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells by immunotherapy.
Complementary therapies encourage patients to be involved in their own treatment, and include such approaches as meditation, attention to diet, exercise, educational groups, positive thinking strategies, and other life style measures. They aim to promote health, and improve quality of life.
On the other hand there are unproven alternative treatments that seem to offer so much that a struggle is created between the emotions and the intellect. In general treatments that claim to cope with all cancers, are said to be harmless, non toxic and expensive, and not easily available, should be considered as unlikely to meet expectations.
June 2010 - Know Your Disease
Cancer is one word, but it is more that one disease. There are over 200 different types of cancer which can occur in almost any part of the body.
Each cancer starts from an abnormal cell whether it be in the breast, bowel, lung or wherever. Normally cell division in the body is a healthy process essential for growth or repair, but cancer cells divide rapidly and haphazardly, outside the normal controls. Ultimately this is due to faulty genes, sometimes acting alone, but mostly in combination with damaging environmental factors eg. cigarette smoke, fatty diets, asbestos, excessive sunshine.
Cancer cells differ from normal cells in that their continued division damages nearby normal cells, and they also have the ability to spread to other parts of the body via the blood stream or the lymphatic system. There may therefore be damage at both the primary site of origin, and at the secondary site eg. liver, bones, brain. Secondary cancers are called ‘metastases’.
Cancer cells may also secrete harmful hormones which contribute to poor appetite and weight loss. Further harm to the body may occur through various biochemical changes, or by secondary infections eg. pneumonia.
The different types of cancers may be broadly divided into two groups – the ‘solid’ cancers, and the cancers coming from the cells in the bone marrow that make the blood.
Solid cancers are mostly carcinomas (85%), or sarcomas. Carcinomas include cancers of the breast, bowel, oesophagus, lung, prostate and skin, while sarcomas occur in bones, and connective tissues.
Cancers from the blood forming cells include the leukaemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma.
There is no one simple way to diagnose all cancers. The ease of diagnosis depends to a large extent on the site of origin – a visible skin cancer is more readily detected than a hidden bowel, pancreatic or ovarian cancer where warning signs may not be specific.
For accurate diagnosis, a sample of the abnormal cells (biopsy) must be examined under the microscope. A variety of blood tests, Xrays, CT scans, MRI scans, and procedures eg. colonoscopy may be necessary before a biopsy can be obtained.
In addition to diagnosing the type of cancer, it is also important to determine the extent of the spread (if any) ie. the ‘stage’ of the cancer, as this will have a bearing on deciding the most appropriate form of treatment.
Next instalment: Understanding the Treatment Alternatives for Cancer.
May 2010 - Life After a Diagnosis
After a diagnosis of cancer, life will never be the same again. It will be different in many ways – more worrying, more challenging, perhaps even more rewarding – but never quite the same. One of the more frightening aspects is the feeling of loss of control and sometimes helplessness, with no guarantee of survival.
Stories abound concerning the various treatments and their side effects, and there is the fear of spread or recurrence. All of this turns life upside down, not only for the person with cancer but also family and friends. Cancer is a life threatening illness and successful coping means not only adapting to the disease itself, but also to the alterations in life brought about by the disease. One of the central problems is living with uncertainty, and a feeling of insecurity. Time frames can only be expressed as probabilities.
Yet it is worth remembering that 60% of all people diagnosed with cancer will survive. They will have overcome such common reactions as disbelief and denial, anger, blame and guilt, and dealt with the fears of isolation and vulnerability. They will have acknowledged the seriousness of cancer, faced up to reality, and then realised that things can be done.
Coping with cancer has been compared with rafting down a river. While the ultimate direction is determined (it’s no good rowing upstream), manoeuvring the raft to avoid disastrous collisions is possible so that the trip can end safely.
