My Hope & Focus Cancer Organizer: Planning for Survivorship

          

                My aunt recently successfully finished her breast cancer treatment and we couldn’t possibly be happier. She is now a survivor. Getting a cancer diagnosis is terrifying. It completely changes your life. However, hearing the news that you are cancer free is something that is also life changing. You beat one of the hardest experiences life has to offer. You would think that the journey ends there but there is still more to be done. In Puja Thomson’s “My Hope & Focus Cancer Organizer”, there is a section specifically about survivorship when treatment ends. In this section, Puja talks about how this new stage in a cancer survivor’s life can be scary. She lists out ways that your healthcare providers and doctors should help you during this time. I showed this part of the book to my aunt and interviewed her.

“I was so relieved that all of it was over,” my aunt told me. She was so nervous during her treatment that getting the news that her cancer was gone was something that she really needed to hear. However, she couldn’t erase all of her fears. Going through something like that is life altering and it is hard to go back to the way things were before the diagnosis. “I remember sitting there with my doctor and thinking…okay, now what? A part of me just wanted to get along with my life but I also wanted to make sure that everything was in order.”

After talking to her about how she was feeling, I showed her Puja Thomson’s cancer work book/ organizer. She looked through it and I could see her nodding along to the things she agreed with. “I can tell that she knows what she’s talking about,” she said after reading it. My aunt agreed that she did feel vulnerable now that she wasn’t able to see her doctors on a regular basis. She confirmed that her doctors have reviewed her past treatment with her and told her what she could do for an after-care survivorship plan. “I was lucky enough to have really nice providers during this time. They were extremely caring and made sure that I was feeling comfortable with everything.” Cancer physicians are now required to provide a post treatment care plan to discuss with you. This is something I had no idea about and I was curious if she knew that this was something she should have expected.

“I didn’t know this was something they had to do,” she admitted. “But I’m so grateful that they did. I would be so lost without them.” Puja lets her readers know that the survivorship plan is something that is extremely important and that it “will provide recommendations for your future care to guide your progress both to prevent a recurrence and to support you towards where you want to go to maintain good health.” This new section of the workbook is very informative and helps those who have never gone through cancer before and are coming to an end of their treatment.

“This book is really helpful. I didn’t know anything about aftercare and I could imagine that other people are probably in the same boat…I would definitely check out her other books.” After going through cancer, you deserve to feel at ease. This workbook will put you on track of achieving this.

               

 Written by Heather Salerno, SUNY New Paltz Intern 

Roots & Wings for strength and freedom

          

                Puja Thomson’s products all focus on ways to better your life. Whether it be through organization or through finding inner peace, she writes with the intent of helping others. In her CD, or downloadable track, and companion workbook “Roots & Wings for strength and freedom”, one section involves how we are all connected. To get an even more immersed in this process, listen to the CD first. The CD guides that book and is a must have if one wants the full experience.

                It is hard to not see bad news all around us recently. Wars and hate is running rampant as we go through our everyday lives. People are suffering and it seems like it might not end anytime soon. After all, as Puja reminds us “We are all children of Mother Earth, each a cell of the planet, affecting the health of the whole”. Even though we come from different areas with different languages, cultures, and religions, we are all part of the human race. We are in this together and when we accept ourselves we’ll be more able to accept others despite their differences.

                You might ask how one could do that. Sometimes, it seems hard due to how different we can be. Puja has pointed out that if you are happy with yourself, you are more likely able to accept others. “As you become more grounded, receiving nourishment from the best of your roots, you will develop the confidence and strength to fly in accordance with your own gifts and vision”. Once you realize your own gifts you can offer to the world, you’ll be able to do many things.

                Her companion workbook gives you plenty of space to think and consider what exactly you’re thankful for in life and how important it is to understand all the changes in your life. With her prompts and questions, you’ll have the opportunity to be able to think about these important issues in life and to make sense of them. This CD is designed to “support you in the inner work of transforming your life - so that you may carry forward the best of your roots, and fly according to your own truest vision.” This CD has Puja Thomson guiding you through the book and has Richard Shulman's music. This music can create a vibration that helps us calm our fears and find peace of mind by focusing what we wish for ourselves.

                This book has so much to offer. From figuring out your own self and your connection to the world to remembering things such as family and places, you’ll feel extremely enlightened by the end of it. It can help get your mind in order and with a peaceful mind comes a peaceful life. 

Written by Heather Salerno, SUNY New Paltz intern at Roots & Wings

Meditation Blog

There may be times when the stress may seem like too much. You may not know what to do to make that strong feeling any less intense. However, there are many ways to calm your mind. Different forms of meditation can help overcome stressful situations. The one that I use on an almost daily basis is a breathing meditation.

This is a relatively simple form of meditation. To begin, find a quiet place where you won’t be distracted. This could be your room or your garden or anywhere you find peaceful. Then, find a comfortable and relaxed way to sit because you don’t want any body pains to take away from this experience. The goal is to only focus on the present. close your eyes to make sure that nothing will distract you.  If your mind wanders, sit there and concentrate on breathing. Keep track of how you breathe and how your body moves while you breathe. It does not need to take too long. You could start by setting aside a few minutes out of your day to do this. Once you start, you will find that your stress levels have decreased.

Here’s an example of how I have used this technique. Living with five other people can add stress to any person, no matter how much you like your housemates. I’m a full time student and after hours of classes and homework, I’m already feeling a bit on edge. Coming home to even the simplest of inconveniences can set me off on some days. Recently, I had a very stressful day of school. I came home to a sink full of dishes even though we have a rule about cleaning dishes right away. After seeing this, I wanted to just scream. However, I know this wouldn’t solve anything. I went to my room and sat down on my bed. I closed my eyes and just concentrated on my own breathing. It took a few minutes but I did feel the stress leave my body. After this, I was able to calmly ask my housemates to clean up. When we’re in a bad mood, we can lash out at the people around us. This is something I want to avoid because having loved ones around me is extremely important.

               There are many different types of meditation. I haven’t had much experience with more advanced meditations but I’m able to enjoy the benefits of simpler ones. Thanks to the internet, it is relatively simple to find one that is right for you. The advantage of meditation, such as understanding your body, relaxation, and enlightenment can help anyone in their day to day life. 

Written by Heather Salerno, SUNY New Paltz intern at Roots & Wings