I spent most of today tweaking my blog so as to make it easier to navigate. I’m on unfamiliar territory here, but hats off to WordPress for making it much easier than I had anticipated, due in no small part to their little instructional videos (pleasantly narrated by a gentleman with an English accent). I have attempted to group posts by subject, with the broadest category being “Living with lung cancer”. That shall be the default position for those posts regarding day to day matters.
It was good to have some busy work today, as I am feeling too emotionally tapped out to have done anything more creative. I have been on edge regarding my next scan, which is tomorrow. My own anxiety has been increased by the fact that several of my friends and acquaintances have recently learned that their cancer has progressed. It’s that whole team mentality; hard not to feel that we’re all passengers on the same bus. Sadly, David’s mom joined that team last week; she has just been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. And then on Friday, a good friend was petting our dog Buddy and noticed that he had a large lump on his lower jaw. I took him to the vet this morning, and on Thursday he will have x-rays and a biopsy for what is quite possibly cancer.
At times, it is just so very difficult to stay positive.
To that end, I will take a cue from the title of todays blog. I have just about finished reading Anti Cancer, (click on the book title should you wish to go his his website) by David Servan-Schreiber. A number of people have recommended it to me, and I have to say it is an amazing book. The author, a survivor of brain cancer, also wears the hats of scientist and medical doctor. He has written an incredibly generous and easily understood account of steps each of us can take to build up our immune system and counteract the mechanisms of cancer. He does not propose that these techniques should replace traditional medicine, but rather go hand in hand with it. His methods include modification of diet, a regular exercise routine, as well as awareness of the mind-body connection. His is a very holistic approach, and there really is no down side to it: they are all healthy lifestyle choices, whether or not you have cancer.
life and breath: outliving lung cancer 
Just wanted to quickly wish you the very best of luck with your scan tomorrow. I deeply relate with what you say about the increased anxiety produced by hearing about others, as I have gone through similar experiences recently. But allow me to remind you that we are individuals. Allow me to remind you of the Carl Sandberg poem which Dr. Servan-Schreiber quotes (in a footnote in the translated book). Yes, we are all 0n the same train, but some think they’re on their way to Omaha. And regardless, remember that we will each arrive at different times!!!
All aboard to Omaha, Linnea!!!
Susan, thank you for the gentle reminder as well as the empathy. Ginger and I made a toast to you today, BTW. Linnea
Hey, I am thinking of you and really hoping you get good news.
My sister in law begins chemo this thursday and I so much wish she, and everyone else, didn’t have to go through this.
Katherine, thank you for the good wishes, and I send them your sister in law’s way as well. Linnea
Linnea congratulations with the new blog categories and articles by date.
I expect your scan to be good like the recent ones, you are in good hands. You say that some of us are progressing, you are not, ironic to be against progress.
My old dog had lumps but was just fat, if Buddy has cancer he may be more human.
Are we all passengers on the same train?
Yes, and I prefer to arrive late.
In my recent cruise I visited Tapachula, a small city in southern Chiapas, Mexico, near the Guatemala border. The rail line from Tapachula north is the main passageway for a flood of men, women and children heading towards the mythical El Norte, as the U.S. is known. I was told that every night, “La Bestia” (The Beast), also known as El Tren de Muerte (The Death Train), pulls slowly into the rail yard. Over a hundred people scramble to jump on board, being pulled on top of some cars. On the way north, many fall off. Some will lose their grip, others will be robbed or raped by armed Mara Salvatrucha gangs and thrown off. Many of these people will be sucked under The Beast crushing bodies loosing arms, legs. Some will die crossing the Rio Bravo, many in the dessert trying to live like us.
I came to El Norte in a Boeing 747, you are lucky born here.
I wish you luck with the scan, anyway we ride in first class.
Guillermo, good to hear your voice (twice now). It’s all semantics, no? I have always laughed about the terminology descendant, as in “we have descended from the apes”. No shame there, but in general, I prefer to ascend.
And yes, we are all on a train to somewhere with basically the same objective, and I have no reason to complain about my status as a passenger: I have been treated very well (and as you know, I also have a window seat).
By the way, my dashboard allows me to see what terms people have used to search for my blog, and yesterday someone was searching for “life and breath Guillermo”. I ‘m not the only one who missed you. Linnea
I read and reread Anti Cancer soon after I was diagnosed with lung cancer and the book has been my bible since. I’ve been following his approach with diet and exercise. It’s a very encouraging book for all of us with cancer. I’m glad you read it.
My old dog developed a big lump on her neck, too, but it disappeared within a few month. I didn’t take her to a vet (because I didn’t have money and she didn’t look sick) so I didn’t find out if it was cancer. My point is, don’t freak out yet. It may be nothing to worry about.
Yuki, thanks for the reassuring words about Buddy. I am feeling more optimistic, and we will have the results of the biopsy in a few days. I should have read that book even sooner. I have been practicing most of what he suggests for some time now, but he really puts a fine point on it all with his in depth explanations. Hey, I hope you are doing well. Linnea
I am in the same situation as you are, having diagnosed of Bronchogenic carcinoma of the lung stage lV, really needs inspirational message to someone like you. pls guide me.. as I guide you also.