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My journey: Living with and overcoming Synovial Sarcoma. A rare and nasty Cancer. Not a how-to guide but ideas and observations during my experience so far. There are only a few SS survivors publishing and I've found their information helpful and reassuring. The site is also to update my wonderful supporters on my progress. Image above was pre-diagnosis by my daughter of the 'Alien Baby'. This tumour has been removed but the battle to eradicate the disease continues.
When I grew up I wanted to be on the cover of Rugby World, Rolling Stone or even the Business Review. Alas the best Ive been able to manage so far is pinup boy for the Cancer Society. Remember to support and donate to the Cancer Society on Daffodil Day this year.
ReplyDeleteWow - what a fabulous write up - certainly you and your family had to do the hard yards creating this narrative but what an uplifting read. Makes me feel it is possible to overcome any hurdle. Great photo too, you still have the young boy cute smiley charm face! The read more link didn't work for me, don't know why, so I read it on the pdf, http://www.daffodilday.org.nz/assets/DaffodilDayMediaPack14July2011.pdf
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynn, the link is now fixed,thx. This initiative has now led to me being on "survivor program" with DHB. NB not the TV program. The hospital has decided that although they are very good at the treatment for cancer (which I agree with), they are not so good at wellness and getting people back and integrated into life and work. There is a small group of us going through the course and critiquing the content. I'm looking forward to it as there is so much more than cutting, drugging and radiating to get a successful outcome e.g. mental toughness, your family support, rehab and dealing with physical disability. My blog post "How is your Hauora today" summarises for me what health is and I guess a wellness program needs to teach you the practical steps required to get to this healthy state.
ReplyDeleteCiao
Gary
Most people are NOT living a healthy lifestyle now and we all have stuff (Mind, Body, Soul)to work on. Cancer is the great wake-up call and a challenge to get our 'life' sort out. Your life becomes very important to you after a Doctor tells you its under threat. You certainly want to make best use of time whether is 4 months or 40 years. But our goal wellness shouldn't be limited to get you where you were prior to treatment, but become weller the well. Better than we were before cancer. The added challenge is your new normal may include disabilities, a longer term prognosis that's not that great, your cancer and treatment may have created financial issues. But often cancer opens our eyes to the wonder and majesty of the world and all things in it. Past worries fall away and no longer hold priority. Live life now; you don't need to get cancer to get to this state of realization.
ReplyDeletehey Gary - I have been invited to be on a pilot 'survivor' program too - maybe it is the same one - in conjunction with the Cancer Society as well. Definitively something that is needed as you are not the same self as the one before diagnosis and treatment. Some things for me have improved - feeling fitter through doing more exercise but other things have decreased, like energy - there is no longer a 'reserve' to tap into.
ReplyDeleteThat's very exciting Lynn, they might have trouble shutting the two of us up. :-)
ReplyDelete:-), not to mention the power points, written reports, graphs and flow charts we will produce, lol.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the survivor programme starts next Monday @ 1-3, Sue said we get the all important cuppa tea too. See you there.
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