Kirjahaku

As a child in the 1960s, my biggest and happiest influences were: - living in the mountains of Colorado- experiencing Brownies and Girl Scouts- Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House' books- Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan- observing myself and others- caring for my baby sister- creative expression in dance class- going to Sunday SchoolIn 1978, as newlyweds, my husband, Kevin, and I set out for the wilds of Canada intending to live the 'Back-to-the- Land' homesteading lifestyle in the tiny log cabin we built before winter set in.The cold, darkness and silence were crushing. The isolation and poverty intensified Limitations.Could I somehow overcome the Limitations and seek Possibilities?Volunteering opened ever-expanding community, creativity, and Possibilities.

As a child in the 1960s, my biggest and happiest influences were: - living in the mountains of Colorado- experiencing Brownies and Girl Scouts- Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House' books- Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan- observing myself and others- caring for my baby sister- creative expression in dance class- going to Sunday SchoolIn 1978, as newlyweds, my husband, Kevin, and I set out for the wilds of Canada intending to live the 'Back-to-the- Land' homesteading lifestyle in the tiny log cabin we built before winter set in.The cold, darkness and silence were crushing. The isolation and poverty intensified Limitations.Could I somehow overcome the Limitations and seek Possibilities?Volunteering opened ever-expanding community, creativity, and Possibilities.

The meaning of the butterfly: First you are 'that.' Then you wrap up, 'alone.' When the time is right, you become 'this.' There is no going back. There is no resisting the future. You will become what you are meant to be. If this miraculous transformation is true for so simple a creature, if something so drab and low and slow can become something so colourfuland swift and high, surely the Creator had something equally marvelous inmind when He created me?

As cancers continue to be diagnosed, research is ongoing, and complimentary therapies gain momentum, this memoir may become even more relevant.Let's be honest.Nobody wants to hear the word 'cancer.'Everybody knows the standard treatments: surgery, radiation, medication, are intended to save the life of the Body.Yet, they will not save a life if the patient is too overcome with fear to accept treatment.How will the patient: find Facts to steady the Mind? find resources to nourish the Heart? find meaningful ways to encourage the Spirit?Fear: Eleanor could barely see, hear, eat or sleep. So terrified, she considered refusing treatment. Facts: How could one cell gone rogue threaten death? Through research she gained clarity.Fantasy: Counseling saved Eleanor's life. She developed habits and skills to calm herself enough through complementary care to agree to standard medical care. Faith: What to believe in? Three days before her last radiation appointment, Eleanor found the missing Piece and restored her missing Peace.Why a Second Edition?Since her diagnosis, Eleanor has agreed to interviews, written magazine articles, participated in research and patient feedback groups, and was chosen to speak at the 2024 national conference for the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, in Calgary, Alberta.Included in this second edition are: links to interviews and articles, charts Eleanor adapted or designed, a prologue and epilogue, as well as Book Club discussion questions and tips for Writing Your Health Journey Memoir. The new introduction and recommendation are written by a radiation therapist.Readers discover Eleanor's coping skills: Visualizing a scene. Meditating on words of wisdom. Sketching and Journaling. Holding symbolic objects. Comfort and confidence from nature, friends, gifts, and the steady reliability of her husband, Kevin.

As cancers continue to be diagnosed, research is ongoing, and complimentary therapies gain momentum, this memoir may become even more relevant.Let's be honest.Nobody wants to hear the word 'cancer.'Everybody knows the standard treatments: surgery, radiation, medication, are intended to save the life of the Body.Yet, they will not save a life if the patient is too overcome with fear to accept treatment.How will the patient: find Facts to steady the Mind? find resources to nourish the Heart? find meaningful ways to encourage the Spirit?Fear: Eleanor could barely see, hear, eat or sleep. So terrified, she considered refusing treatment. Facts: How could one cell gone rogue threaten death? Through research she gained clarity.Fantasy: Counseling saved Eleanor's life. She developed habits and skills to calm herself enough through complementary care to agree to standard medical care. Faith: What to believe in? Three days before her last radiation appointment, Eleanor found the missing Piece and restored her missing Peace.Why a Second Edition?Since her diagnosis, Eleanor has agreed to interviews, written magazine articles, participated in research and patient feedback groups, and was chosen to speak at the 2024 national conference for the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, in Calgary, Alberta.Included in this second edition are: links to interviews and articles, charts Eleanor adapted or designed, a prologue and epilogue, as well as Book Club discussion questions and tips for Writing Your Health Journey Memoir. The new introduction and recommendation are written by a radiation therapist.Readers discover Eleanor's coping skills: Visualizing a scene. Meditating on words of wisdom. Sketching and Journaling. Holding symbolic objects. Comfort and confidence from nature, friends, gifts, and the steady reliability of her husband, Kevin.