How Comfortable Are You With Yourself?

I have come to realize through the years that how you deal with bad news or a life changing blow depends on how you've grown as a person. I have always had an open mind, and have fed it through reading about a variety of issues and concepts.

If I was to be honest, I'd say that I wasn't always a confident person. There were times in my early years that I didn't feel good about myself at all. But I always had the strength and self will to feel better and carry on.

Part of my life journey was probably learning and growing . I have read and learned a lot over the years, and had an open enough mind to experiment with what works with me. By the time I was in my mid forties, and was diagnosed with cancer, I had the confidence and willpower to deal with the news.

As a parent, I find you need the fortitude and wisdom to know how to deliver.......or not.............this news to your children and family. Not all families are in the same position, and I realize there are reasons why some cancer patients don't want to share this particular journey with their children.

But my decision was made at the start. My three girls were going on that journey with me. It was my way of providing them with an example of how you deal with any type of bad news. My daughters saw me at my best, and at my worst........and they were told about every bump on the road.

This created a bit of a comfort zone amongst us, and from it, we had a few laughs. One of them was the discussion about whether or not I should go out in public with my wig. My younger two, who were 7 and 10 years of age at the time couldn't care less if I left it at home. The older one, being 12, and heading into her teen years, wanted me to look normal. She would insist that I wear it.

So it's not only being physically fit that enables you to get through a serious illness, but how you've exercised your mind.

Crazy, Busy Life

There are times in my life, and certainly with my career, that the wheel of life increases its pace to an extremely fast and crazy speed. This past week was one of them. I haven't run since last Sunday, and I didn't write a blog all week either! My job just had too many demands.....

One important task I did accomplish that wasn't work related was that I registered for the Ottawa Race Weekend Half marathon. Good thing I did, as registration for the Half was officially closed yesterday, with 10,500 runners signed up!

There's an important change in this year's race. The Canadian Breast Cancer Network is officially partnered with the Ottawa Race Weekend 2011, and anyone that wants to fundraise for this important organization may do so by registering through the Running Room. There's still room for anyone who wishes to run a 5 or 10k or the full marathon.

The Canadian Breast Cancer network is the national network and voice for breast cancer survivors, including young breast cancer survivors and those with the lesser known metastatic breast cancer. They provide online information for anyone who has been newly diagnosed, and survivors and their families.

I will be running the half marathon, and doing my part to raise funds for this organization. Anyone who is interested in helping, volunteering or fundraising for this event can check out their website at www.cbcn.ca. There's also a link to the Running Room site from there.

Why not start a team of friends and family and have fun and make it a party? Better yet..........if you are not active and exercising regularly, now is a good time to lace up those running shoes for a cause. You will feel good not only for doing something beneficial for your body and mind, but also for a worthy cause.

See you out there running!

Little Heros Big Hearts

When you are diagnosed with cancer, your life changes forever. Most survivors will tell you that. Going through the actual treatments and operations is tough, but you are seeing your doctor so often, that many of your questions are answered. Your fears are also somewhat smaller when you are around medical specialists more often, and are getting lots of attention.

Those days end, however, and the number of visits to your doctor are cut down in frequency.  In my case, I went from seeing my medical team every two weeks, to once every three months. The frequency of these visits slows down as well. I just "graduated" to a once every six months follow up. 

And it is the fact that survivors have all this time to think that sometimes lets the mind games go wild. Is it just a headache, or is it a tumour speading to my brain? What does that twinge of pain mean? This can lead us to more time looking up symptoms in medical books and online. You are not alone. We all have our moments.

It is what we do in between that counts. There are so many survivors who step up to the plate in their own way. Some get much closer to their loved ones and family. Others change their goals and careers.  Many get involved in raising money for cancer research. There are so many ways to do it.  For survivors, it's also a testament and a thank you to those who were involved in our treatment. We are just so happy to be alive! 

There are many little heros amongst the hundreds of thousands of survivors on this earth. Most of them don't even realize it. Take a close friend of mine. Her experience was similar to mine. Double mastectomy followed by reconstruction. She also underwent chemotherapy following surgery. What did she do? She got on her bike and rode a two day race to raise funds for cancer research. She has had to go back under the knife for follow up surgeries. One planned, the other not. She went through each of them with grace and humour. She was even playing in a squash tournament final the night before her recent surgery!

These people are the true heros. They face each day in their new life after cancer with a new lens on life. They are stronger, humbler, and more determined. And they have big hearts. Fortunate are those who get to meet one of these heros. Even more blessed are those who have one in their lives.

One Person Can Make a Difference

There are people on this earth that have that special something, and that can impact you in a profound way. Some are writers, some are philanthropists, others have had their lives transformed in significant ways. They are all strong.

Donna Deegan is one of those people. She has survived cancer not once, but three times. This, in itself, requires a strong mind and an able body.  Not everyone can do this. She worked in a very public job while she was going through chemotherapy. She went back to work sooner than most people would following surgery. She involved her children and her family every step of the way. And she kept running.

Her strength and her spirt also helped her do more. Many cancer survivors feel the need to give back; whether it's through transforming their lives to give more time to their loved ones, finding that job that doesn't eat away so much of their time, or through volunteering or donating to a specific cause. Donna not only started a foundation that helps familes stricken with cancer pay for treatment, medication, or pay their rent or mortgages. She also started the 26.2 with Donna that funds breast cancer research.

This is no surprise when you meet her, as she is full of energy and radiates positivity. She is inspiring to those who have been down that road. I couldn't help but notice how similar the two of us are. I am, and hope to continue to be, a one time cancer survivor. I also worked as soon as I could after my many surgeries, and remained on the job through chemotherapy. I ran for public office in a Federal election during this time.  I involved my three daughters from the beginning, and used the opportunity to provide the best example I could for them. And I have kept running.

I have yet to accomplish the likes of what Donna has done on the fundraising side, but one person can make a difference, and she has truly inspired me. The will is there to do more.

Thinking is believing

Before I travelled to Jacksonville to run the 26.2 With Donna, I made a real effort to think about my state of mind during the race, and visualize my experience. You don't even have to be familiar with the race route. Just knowing that part of the race would take place right on the beach was enough for me. What's better than visualizing a run on the beach; especially for someone from Canada!

I would often do this right after meditation. I would take a moment to feel myself running. I thought of how good I felt, and how comfortable I was with my pace. I visualized myself totally enjoying my race experience. I would do this at random times of the day.......always running on the beach, which is my favorite place to be.

When I arrived in Jacksonville, I made a point to actually do a tour of the race route. That was a plus on race day as well, because I took the time before I went to sleep the night before the race, and again on race morning, to visualize myself running along the route, and feeling good.

I can tell you it works! I have run four half marathons prior to this one, and I have always hit the wall. Usually around the twelve to fourteen km mark. I get emotional, I am crabby, and I have to walk a few moments to pull myself to the other side.

But not this time. My Jacksonville race proved to me that visualization is a powerful tool, and can make a big difference; not only during a race, but for training runs as well. I didn't hit the wall this time, and with the help of the fantastic race spectators, enjoyed every single minute of my journey!