| Process and SurvivalOn October 30, 2004,
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| | "twice it's size" left leg made me cry.
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| I will mark an anniversary of sorts. On
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| | And then there was the visit with the
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| this date a year ago, my life changed
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| | discharge nurse. A nice lady with a
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| dramatically. I remember small details
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| | friendly smile as she spoke about chemo
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| like the doctor's matter-of-fact voice
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| | protocols that I'd be starting in three
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| discussing major surgery, chemotherapy,
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| | weeks, all of which would cause loss of
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| losing my hair. I remember the
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| | hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. I cried. I
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| "dear-in-the-headlights" look on my
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| | felt so compromised, so vulnerable and SO
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| husband's face, a look probably mirrored
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| | ANGRY! Picture an armful of IV's shaking
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| in my own face. I remember the day was
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| | a fist at the sky. Looking back, I think
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| beautiful, warm and sunny. I don't
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| | finally getting angry and crying was good
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| remember much of my drive back out to
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| | for me. After all, this wasn't fair, I
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| work or exactly how I told my co-workers
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| | didn't deserve this and the whole thing
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| that I scheduled for surgery in
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| | was overwhelming!The next day was a
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| approximately three weeks for what was,
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| | little brighter. I went back to listening
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| almost certainly, advanced ovarian
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| | to my tapes, practicing my meditation and
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| cancer. I've been asked to share some of
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| | using the techniques that Sabrina and
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| the things that I found and did that
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| | John had taught me for pain and stress
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| helped me on this journey that began
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| | relief. The CT scan was negative. No
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| almost a year ago.My first reaction was
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| | blood clots. My body was just
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| probably pretty standard - DENIAL- "This
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| | redistributing fluids. I increased my
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| can't be happening to me. I'm healthy. I
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| | walks around the halls and the swelling
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| eat right. I exercise." Then came -ANGER.
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| | started to dissipate. The pathology
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| I had just had a complete physical with
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| | report showed, to the surgeon's surprise,
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| my doctor (which included the OB-Gyn
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| | that there was no lymph node involvement!
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| exam) on August 28th. I had been
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| | I felt like I had gotten an A+. And,
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| complaining to her for months about
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| | after 10 days of hospitalization, I was
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| bloating, increased waist size, and
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| | going home.That first breath of fresh air
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| fullness. But she had assured me that
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| | was heaven! San Francisco was at it's
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| everything was fine and that my exam was
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| | prettiest-clear blue sky, warm sun on my
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| normal. (How could she have missed a
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| | face and a cool breeze caressing my
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| tumor the size of my fist?) -FEAR
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| | cheeks and tousling my hair. My brother
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| followed anger. I have never had surgery.
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| | carefully loaded me and my pillow into
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| Chemotherapy? A nightmare! I don't want
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| | his car and I was, thankfully, on my way
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| to be sick. I don't want to lose my hair!
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| | home.My husband, sister Nance and my mom
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| What about work, my family, my LIFE?Fear
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| | welcomed me with a clean house, lots of
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| can be a great motivator. It motivated me
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| | tasty treats and loving arms. My sister,
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| to learn as much as I could about ovarian
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| | Laurie, would arrive in a few days. The
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| cancer, the surgery, the chemotherapy
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| | house would be decorated for Christmas
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| protocols and the newest treatments and
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| | and I was preparing to embark on phase 2,
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| clinical studies. Surgery was scheduled
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| | recovery from surgery and starting
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| for November 24th, two days before
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| | chemotherapy.The second part of the story
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| Thanksgiving. In the three weeks prior to
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| | will be published in a future newsletter.
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| surgery, I organized my work load in my
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| | It describes the chemotherapy, finding
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| department in preparation for being gone
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| | clinical studies, complimentary
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| for 6-8 weeks. I spent hours gleaning
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| | approaches to beating ovarian cancer that
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| information from the internet and
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| | have been work for Barbara.Ovarian
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| library. I turned to friends and family
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| | Cancer: a not so silent killerOvarian
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| for support and positive energy through
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| | cancer has long been considered difficult
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| prayer and visualization. With the help
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| | to detect with vague symptoms that look
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| of my husband and a very dear friend,
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| | like other conditions such as Irritable
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| Sabrina, I started preparing for the
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| | Bowel Syndrome and PMS. I had been
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| surgery. We made pre and post operative
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| | experiencing bloating, gas, fullness, and
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| tapes for stress relief (anxiety
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| | urinary tract problems for several
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| control), relaxation, pain relief, and
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| | months. I complained to my doctor. She
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| healing. I practiced visualizing an
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| | suggested dietary changes but never did
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| uneventful, no complications, very
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| | any follow up testing on me. A simple
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| successful surgery with minimal post-op
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| | blood test called CA-125 would have
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| discomfort and rapid recovery. My daily
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| | alerted her to the problem before it had
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| meditations included messages of
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| | advanced to Stage III. An elevated CA-125
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| self-healing and images of my powerful
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| | (above 35) is indicative of ovarian
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| immune system already fighting and
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| | cancer, especially in conjunction with
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| destroying the cancer cells. I continued
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| | the other symptoms I had. New research
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| to exercise and, in fact, went to my
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| | points to a clear sign of the disease:
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| favorite exercise class the day before
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| | the presence of three specific symptoms
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| surgery. Exercise has played a very
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| | simultaneously- increased waist size,
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| important part in my recovery from
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| | bloating or gas, and the urgent need to
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| surgery and chemo. I went into surgery
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| | urinate. Since my diagnosis, several
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| feeling stronger, mentally and
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| | friends and my sister have requested that
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| physically, almost as if I'd been
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| | their doctors do a baseline CA-125,
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| preparing for a marathon. In addition to
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| | especially, if they had symptoms of gas
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| increased exercise that included walking,
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| | or bloating. Fortunately, they are fine.
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| step class, and weight training, I
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| | I urge you to do research, get
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| increased my vitamin intake to boost my
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| | information and if you have any symptoms
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| immune system and energy levels. And just
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| | or concerns, talk to your doctor and be
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| like an athlete preparing for an event, I
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| | assertive about what you want.Vitamin and
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| endeavored to prepare myself emotionally
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| | supplements that Barbara researched and
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| and spiritually. "I feel myself strong,
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| | used in her fight with ovarian cancer,
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| healthy and completely cancer free, now
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| | Phase I.The following is a list of
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| and forever," became, and still is, my
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| | vitamin and supplements that I took to
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| mantra. I gathered all the good wishes
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| | prepare for surgery and to speed
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| and positive healing energy from friends
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| | post-operative healing.Vitamin A: 25,000
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| and family like a cloak around me. I
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| | IU daily- numerous studies have shown the
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| worked very hard at controlling my fears
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| | beneficial effects of Vit.A on healing
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| about the surgery, chemo and my future
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| | after surgery.Vitamin C: 2,000 mg per
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| instead of letting the fears control
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| | day- essential for collagen synthesis
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| me!The morning of November 24th dawned
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| | which is part of normal wound
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| clear and cold. Six AM found John and I
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| | healing.Zinc, magnesium, B Complex: wound
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| on our way to UCSF to check in for
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| | healingVitamin E: speeds
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| surgery. I remember feeling somewhat
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| | healingHomeopathy:
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| disconnected to what was happening,
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| | Arnica montana 30x, 3-4 pellets twice
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| surrounded by a sense of unreality. "I
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| | per day on the day before surgery and
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| should be getting ready for work and
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| | also as soon before surgery as possible.
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| shopping for Thanksgiving and decorating
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| | Then take them as soon as possible in the
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| the house." Instead, we are speeding
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| | recovery room. Take for 1 week following
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| toward a big unknown. I practiced some
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| | surgery. Arnica is very good at
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| "grounding" and "centering" techniques
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| | preventing ill effects from any kind of
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| that Sabrina had taught me and kept deep
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| | physical trauma. Refer to: Women's
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| breathing whenever the "nervous
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| | Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Christine
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| butterflies" fluttered around inside of
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| | Northrup, MD for further information
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| me.Checking in went smoothly. In my
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| | about these and other supplements. She
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| meeting with the anesthesiologist, I
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| | also has a script example of four healing
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| requested that he follow a script I had
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| | statements for the surgeon and
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| written up for him to use while talking
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| | anesthesiologist that I requested they
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| to me during the surgery. The script had
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| | say to me during my operation.I also took
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| messages like: "Everything is going
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| | Cat's Claw. I found information about
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| smoothly, Barbara," you'll wake up
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| | this herb on the internet and started
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| feeling minimal discomfort," You'll have
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| | taking it as soon as I was diagnosed. I
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| a speedy recovery and nor complication."
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| | continue to take it daily. Cat's Claw is
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| He agreed to my request and I was off to
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| | indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and
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| surgery.The next few days are a blur, as
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| | other tropical areas of South and Central
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| I was in and out of sedation and on pain
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| | America. It has been used for over 2,000
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| medication. A few memories do stand out-
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| | years by indigenous peoples for a variety
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| many, many beautiful flowers being
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| | of conditions including wound healing,
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| delivered, gentle hands and voices taking
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| | cancer, internal cleansing, and
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| care of and reassuring me; the faces of
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| | "normalizing" the body. It has been used
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| my loved ones looking stunned and scared.
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| | in Europe and Peru since the early 1990's
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| I must have appeared pretty scary with
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| | as an adjunctive treatment for cancer and
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| tubes and IV's everywhere! All seemed to
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| | AIDs as well as other diseases that
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| be progressing smoothly until three days
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| | target the immune system.A good
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| before my discharge. I was alert and
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| | information website for further research:
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| moving around my room, sitting in the
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| | Raintree Nutrition-Tropical Plant
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| chair, and walking the hallways. And I
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| | Database.Link to Part III used the guided
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| experienced my worst day! Up until that
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| | relaxations/visualizations CD's from the
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| time and for what seemed like for weeks,
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| | Stress Education 1. #209 Stress
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| I'd been consciously putting on a good,
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| | Management for Pre and Post-op Survival
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| strong, positive front. My theory was
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| | 2. #208 Stress Management for
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| that the more positive energy would be
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| | HealingReference:
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| reflected back to me in the form of: "It
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| | Health Update from SELF Magazine by
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| wasn't cancer, but just a benign cyst.
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| | Jennifer Nelson November, 2004
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| Well, it is cancer, but we caught it
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| | Ovarian cancer: a not-so-silent
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| early. The surgery will go great, and
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| | killer"Early diagnosis is crucial. When
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| I'll recover quickly. I'll get back to my
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| | disease is caught before it spreads, 80
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| regular life!" That day started with a
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| | percent of women will survive."by Barbara
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| visit from my surgeon. She said I had had
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| | Ehlers-Mason, RN and L. John Mason,
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| Stage IIIc ovarian cancer and she did not
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| | Ph.D.Look for Part II .... If you wish
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| know if there was lymph node involvement.
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| | more information.Stress Education Center
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| She was waiting for the report. She said
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| | (707) 795-2228 website: John Mason,
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| a discharge nurse would be by to discuss
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| | Ph.D. is the author of the best selling
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| chemo, wound care and at home follow-up.
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| | "Guide to Stress Reduction." Since 1977,
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| In her exam, the doctor found that my
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| | he has offered Executive Coaching and
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| left leg was very swollen and she was
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| | Training. His wife, Barbara Ehlers-Mason,
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| sending me to have a CT Scan to rule out
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| | RN, was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in
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| a blood clot. Also, my wound was infected
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| | October, 2003. More information will save
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| in one area. She removed a few staples
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| | more women. Get your CA-125 blood test as
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| and started me on IV antibiotics. The
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| | early as possible if you have any
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| staple removal procedure was very painful
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| | question about whether you have Ovarian
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| and I cried. Getting in and out of the
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| | Cancer.Please visit the Stress Education
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| wheelchair and up and down off the table
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| | Center's website at for articles, free
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| for the CT scan was painful and I cried.
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| | ezine signup, and learn about the new
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| Looking down at my 13 inch abdominal
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| | telecourses that are available.Please
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| wound which was stapled except for a 3
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| | take good care of yourself!
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| inch open area and seeing my swollen to
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