Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
hopefulandstrong
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 7:11 pm

Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby hopefulandstrong » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:34 pm

I had a talk with my cancer yesterday. Told it that it that as much as I have grown to appreciate the preciousness of life in the past six months, it no longer sparks joy. I thanked it sent it away.

Kidding aside, wonder what others' experience with visualizing the disease leaving your body -- vaporizing, dying, disappearing --- whatever you've experienced. Love to hear about it. That conversation felt empowering, and I keep repeating it to myself...
54, female
1/8/19 DS Stage 4 with Liver Mets; Successful Colon Resect
2/18/19 Started Folfox -- CEA 70
5/8/19 - BRAF mutation -- switch to Triplet Therapy: Encorafenib, Binimetinib, Cetximab
6/13/19 - CEA dropped from 214 to 22
8/29 - CEA jump to 30-- scans reveal liver spread, though still confined. triplet therapy abandoned; some concern about PIC3 mutation interfering with BRAF treatment
9/1 - 10/4 -- no treatment
10/4 -- folfoxfiri to stem further progression; pump placement in January (hopefully)

User avatar
CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby CRguy » Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:24 pm

I will share my experience with you, from a number of years ago ...
Re: Anyone do any guided imagery or anything during chemo?

I also recall other topics which many folks weighed in on, so perhaps you will get more replies !

This one is from a dear friend jmarie, with a couple of great visuals !
Re: Hi I'm FOLFOX...how do you like me so far ?

The song she refers to is one of mine Lyrics as requested !
I guess I also use what passes for humor :shock: to help me deal with things ! :mrgreen:
BUTT like I always said .... Humor = 1, tumor = zero !

Cheers and Harmony on the Journey
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

zephyr
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:31 am

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby zephyr » Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:29 pm

I regularly do a healing shift Yoga Nidra meditation. I really like Kamini Desai’s IAM Yoga Nidra app. Dale Evans at the Virginia G Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale, AZ also has an excellent Yoga Nidra meditation CD with healing bowls.
Nov-2009 Early stage CRC, routine colonoscopy
2010-2014 F/U colonoscopies, all clear
Jun-2016 CRC during F/U colonoscopy, surgery, Stage 4, KRAS, MSS
Aug-2016-May-2018 Folfox, 5FU, Folfiri & Avastin
Aug/Sep-2018 YAG laser surgeries (Germany), 11 nodules removed
Nov-2018 clean CT scan
Mar-2019 New lung nodules
Apr-2019 Dec-2020 Xeloda/Avastin, SBRT, cont. Xeloda/Avastin
Mar-2021 Forfiri/Avastin
Mar-2022 Ablation & Thoracotomy
Feb-2023 Folfiri & Avastin
Nov-2023 Xeloda & Avastin

User avatar
henry123
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 3:25 am

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby henry123 » Sat Jun 08, 2019 10:44 am

I used to imagine immunotherapy eating away tumors like Pacman video game.
46yo M msi-high Lynch +ve
5/16 lap AR 14/21 L nodes +ve
T4N2M1
7/16 Capox 9 cyc
9/16 cea 2
1/17 550
PET CT mets in lung & peri
iri+ avast fail
3/17 10577
4/17 regro fail
5/17 cea 28800
5/17 CT inc in size of mes nodes ,onset of multi nodules in liver
6/17 Opdivo start
7/17 26754
8/17 5623
9/17 497
10/17 52
CT all clear exc a nodule in Lung. liver norm
1/18 3.6
Aspirin start
6/18 1.5 CT clear
12/18 1.1 NED
1/20 NED Opdivo stop
8/23 1.0 All ok

User avatar
LPL
Posts: 651
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:49 am
Location: Europe

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby LPL » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:17 am

hopefulandstrong wrote:I had a talk with my cancer yesterday. Told it that it that as much as I have grown to appreciate the preciousness of life in the past six months, it no longer sparks joy. I thanked it sent it away.

Kidding aside, wonder what others' experience with visualizing the disease leaving your body -- vaporizing, dying, disappearing --- whatever you've experienced. Love to hear about it. That conversation felt empowering, and I keep repeating it to myself...

Someone posted the following on another forum and it really hit home for me! Your words have the same meaning!
Dear cancer, thank you for making us stop and listen and remember what’s truly important. You can go now...please...
DH @ 65 DX 4/11/16 CC recto-sigmoid junction
Adenocarcenoma 35x15x9mm G3(biopsi) G1(surgical)
Mets 3 Liver resectable
T4aN1bM1a IVa 2/9 LN
MSS, KRAS-mut G13D
CEA & CA19-9: 5/18 2.5 78 8/17 1.4 48 2/14/17 1.8 29
4 Folfox 6/15-7/30 (b4 liver surgery) 8 after
CT: 8/8 no change 3/27/17 NED->Jan-19 mets to lung NED again Oct-19 :)
:!: Steroid induced hyperglycemia dx after 3chemo
Surgeries 2016: 3/18 Emergency colostomy
5/23 Primary+gallbl+stoma reversal+port 9/1 Liver mets
RFA 2019: Feb & Oct lung mets

User avatar
LPL
Posts: 651
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:49 am
Location: Europe

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby LPL » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:34 am

Dear CRguy,
Thank you for The Folfox Prison Blues!!
& the ‘imagine’ an episode of Star Wars - I wish hubby had read all the Star Wars books our daughter had :wink:
(I did make a great queen Amidala costume for the new years party 2000 - I hope that counts on the scale...)
DH @ 65 DX 4/11/16 CC recto-sigmoid junction
Adenocarcenoma 35x15x9mm G3(biopsi) G1(surgical)
Mets 3 Liver resectable
T4aN1bM1a IVa 2/9 LN
MSS, KRAS-mut G13D
CEA & CA19-9: 5/18 2.5 78 8/17 1.4 48 2/14/17 1.8 29
4 Folfox 6/15-7/30 (b4 liver surgery) 8 after
CT: 8/8 no change 3/27/17 NED->Jan-19 mets to lung NED again Oct-19 :)
:!: Steroid induced hyperglycemia dx after 3chemo
Surgeries 2016: 3/18 Emergency colostomy
5/23 Primary+gallbl+stoma reversal+port 9/1 Liver mets
RFA 2019: Feb & Oct lung mets

Dionca
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:04 am

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby Dionca » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:45 am

CR Guy

The FOLFOX Prison Blues is brilliant - it s/be the Colon Talk anthem :)
stage 3b T3 N1b MX 2/27 nodes (surgery 4/2015)
moderately differentiated
PNI - positive
LVI - positive
Folfox 12 sessions (w/out oxi for 11 & 12)
Neulasta with 3-12 due to low WBC count
CEA at diagnosis 8.6
CEA after surgery 1.2
CEA during chemo 4.6 / 3.3 / 2.3
CEA after chemo 1.5 / 1.2 / 1.2 /1.2 /1.2 / 1.4 / 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.9 / 1.3 / 1.6 /1.4 /1.5
neuropathy
recurrence in left lung (surgery May 2020)

User avatar
CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby CRguy » Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:45 pm

Hey what can I say :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

chemo does strange things and if you are already a bit quirky ????
...Well anything can happen
Glad y'all liked it

Cheers
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

User avatar
Maggie Nell
Posts: 1151
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 1:57 am
Location: Central Highlands, Victoria, Oz

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby Maggie Nell » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:35 pm

hopefulandstrong wrote:I had a talk with my cancer yesterday. Told it that it that as much as I have grown to appreciate the preciousness of life in the past six months, it no longer sparks joy. I thanked it sent it away.

Kidding aside, wonder what others' experience with visualizing the disease leaving your body -- vaporizing, dying, disappearing --- whatever you've experienced. Love to hear about it. That conversation felt empowering, and I keep repeating it to myself...



I've always liked this take on meeting illness and befriending the places of pain by John O'Donohue. This is an extract from his book
Eternal Echoes: Exploring our Hunger to Belong, 1998. It gives an example of how you can language an energy of healing and
adapt it to your unique circumstances, and personalise the experience.


When different places within us are in pain, we should extend the care of deep friendship towards them. We should not leave them isolated under siege in pain. A friend of mine went to hospital to have a hysterectomy. A priest friend came to visit her on the evening before her operation. She was anxious and vulnerable. He sat down and they began to talk. He suggestd to her that she have a conversation with her womb. To talk to her womb as a friend. She could thank her womb for making her a mother. To thank it for all her different children and who had begun there. The body, mind and spirit of each child had been tenderly formed in that kind darkness.

She could remember the different times in her life when she was acutely aware of her own presence, power and vulnerability as a mother. To thank her womb for the gifts and the difficulties. To explain to it how it had become ill and that it was necessary for her continuing life as a mother to have it removed. She was to undertake this intimate ritual with tenderness and warmth of heart.

The operation was a great success. Her conversation with her womb changed the whole experience. The power was not with the doctors or the hospital. The experience did not have the clinical, short-circuit edge of so much mechanical and anonymous hospital efficiency. The experience became totally her own, the leave-taking of her own womb.

When a part of your body is ill, it must be a lonely experience for it.



Upping the ante on quirky, must be so lonely being a cell that's a malignant neoplasm. Nobody loves you, you get hammered with gamma rays and poisons then
there's that shiny sharp cutty thing and giants wearing masks ..... then all your family is gone!! Your friends!!! They were just there a moment ago......then
there's a blast of cold air and ....the Light! Bright light bright light....then .... you're being squashed between two pieces of glass and squirted with dye and then....oh no!! .....there's an EYE at the end of a dark tunnel....and you feel so naked and exposed, like the EYE can see right through you.....then you spend the
rest of your life in a box in a cupboard.
DX April 2015, @ 54
35mm poorly diff. tumour, incidental finding following emergency R. hemicolectomy
for ileo-colic intussusception.
Lymph nodes: 0/22
T3 N0 MX
Stage II CRC, no adjuvant chemo required.

User avatar
ginabeewell
Posts: 565
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:30 am

Re: Visualization and Other non-medical stuff

Postby ginabeewell » Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:15 am

Since diagnosis I have been visualizing tiny stars flowing into my body and nipping away at my cancer. I’ve asked friends and family to do the same and have a FB group called We Are All Made of Stars where supporters can “send me stars.” It’s kind of amazing - people post pics of stars from their day to day life, travels, etc.

When I got an infection I pictured the stars nipping away the tumors and knitting new cells together to repair the damage: “nip, nip, nip; knit, knit, knit.”

The quote someone posted above sounds like it could be from this meditation. I used to do this quite often and still use it occasionally.

http://74.62.111.169/kaiser/files/fight ... ations.mp3
49 YO mom of twins (11) lucky stepmom of 16/19 year olds
9/17/18 DX stage 4 CRC w inoperable liver mets CEA 931
Currently NED!

Join me on a lookback of my journey via my Strive for Five on Substack here:
https://ginajacobson.substack.com

All treatment details here:
https://www.weareallmadeofstars.net/col ... nt-journey

My favorite posts here:
https://weareallmadeofstars.net/favorite-posts


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 109 guests