Long time, no post!
I've been spending most of my time over at www.DrMomOnline.com. Hope you can check it out!
I just wanted to let you know that I've recently finished my book, "NURTURED. The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Happy, Healthy Life Every Woman Deserves!"
You can read more about it at www.DrMomOnline.com/wellnessbook.html. You can also read the Introduction on the www.DrMomOnline.com site.
The creation of this book was a very personal journey for me. It began as my own private 'master plan' to help get my life back on track after my mom died with breast cancer near the end of 2007.
In the weeks that followed my mom's death, my life had become disjointed and stressful, and I knew I couldn't just wait around until it "passed"! I needed to proactively contribute to my own healing and my own health rebuilding.
My 'master plan' evolved into a book when I realized that the steps I was taking to restore health and balance are, in fact, universal steps. I knew that others would benefit as well... regardless of their circumstance... grief, sickness, stress, depression, anxiety, over-burdened, and so on. Imbalance is imbalance, no matter what we call it!
During the months I spent writing the book, there were many stressful times when I wished that I had just kept it to myself... rather than jumping through all the 'hoops' and details required to turn my plan into a public document! What pushed me forward to complete the book were the many conversations I had with my mom in her last couple of years. She knew I should be writing... she knew I had a lot to offer to a larger audience. She knew I have a passion for writing, speaking... for helping the most people I possibly can. So, I kept writing... for mom.
Now, fast forward a year or so. In just the past few weeks, countless women (and many men!) have read Nurtured and put my steps to action. Nurtured is changing lives. I've been told that "this book came along at the perfect time... our world, and the individuals in it, need this right now."
I would be honored if you'd take a look at Nurtured for yourself and allow me to ease your burden, simplify your journey and lead you to optimal health and balance.
I wish you all the best,
Dr. Colleen
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The End of the Journey
As you can see, it has been quite awhile since I've written anything here. The road has been quite bumpy lately, to say the least. In late October, mom really went 'downhill' quickly. I packed my bags and headed over to mom and dad's. The moment I walked in the house and saw mom, I knew.
That night, she and I had a wonderful heart-to-heart about her wishes, her plans, my fears… a pure mother-daughter bonding time. Lots of tears mixed with tremendous love and joy.
We took her to the hospital the next day, thinking they'd give her an I.V. and send her home that night or the next day. That wasn’t God’s plan. One thing led to another in the hospital, and mom regressed even more quickly. She died two and a half weeks later.
I have countless moments where I question my judgment in taking mom to the hospital in the first place. It’s undeniable that several procedures and treatments performed during that time did NOT help mom, physically or mentally. Many things happened in those weeks that will forever make me question the rationale and scientific validity of conventional medicine. I was left shaking my head in stunned disbelief more times than I care to remember. (Again, most of the individuals caring for mom were great… they were just doing what they were trained to do.)
Yet, thankfully, God was gracious enough to sprinkle those weeks with just as many blessings and wonderful moments to hold on to forever. I am eternally blessed to have witnessed such incredible displays of love between my mom and dad, mom and my children, mom and her sisters, mom and her friends… and of course, mom and I. I’m also blessed to have witnessed mom’s enormous strength and courage. I also saw what it really, truly means to be joyful and gracious. Mom was beautiful at the deepest levels even as she struggled through the limitations of her physical body. What a woman of grace.
Who knows what the “right” thing to do was – going to the hospital where mom seemingly suffered quite a bit more, or keeping her in the ‘comfort’ of her home. I can choose to beat myself up about that one for the rest of my life, or I can accept that it was all part of God’s plan. If we decided to keep her at home, mom surely would have died two weeks earlier. Perhaps this would have prevented some suffering, but it would have also eliminated any of the opportunities for intense demonstrations of love and bonding granted to our family in mom’s final days. Maybe it’s selfish on my part, but I AM glad that we had those extra two weeks to share with mom. I think she is, too.
I’ve got many thoughts, theories, stories and lessons-learned to share as a result of this journey with mom. Thoughts about the potential causes of the epidemic of breast cancer, biopsies, mammograms, dissecting the human lymphatic system, hormonal therapy, palliative care and even the parallels between dying and giving birth. I also hope to help others by sharing my game plan for getting back on track with my own physical, mental and emotional health after months (years, actually) of exhausting stress. I just needed to write this first article and get rid of the ‘post-traumatic writer’s block’ I’ve been experiencing! NOW the floodgates can really open!
Just like those weeks in the hospital with mom, I find that my life these days is a roller coaster of emotions – intense sadness followed by pure happiness and laughter followed by more sadness, more joy... all fairly natural, I’ve been told! I find peace and calmness when I remember to look for the blessings in each moment, to feel grateful for everything God has given me, and to choose happiness rather than sorrow and pity. It was a great woman who shared such simple, yet profound advice with me. It was my mom!
That night, she and I had a wonderful heart-to-heart about her wishes, her plans, my fears… a pure mother-daughter bonding time. Lots of tears mixed with tremendous love and joy.
We took her to the hospital the next day, thinking they'd give her an I.V. and send her home that night or the next day. That wasn’t God’s plan. One thing led to another in the hospital, and mom regressed even more quickly. She died two and a half weeks later.
I have countless moments where I question my judgment in taking mom to the hospital in the first place. It’s undeniable that several procedures and treatments performed during that time did NOT help mom, physically or mentally. Many things happened in those weeks that will forever make me question the rationale and scientific validity of conventional medicine. I was left shaking my head in stunned disbelief more times than I care to remember. (Again, most of the individuals caring for mom were great… they were just doing what they were trained to do.)
Yet, thankfully, God was gracious enough to sprinkle those weeks with just as many blessings and wonderful moments to hold on to forever. I am eternally blessed to have witnessed such incredible displays of love between my mom and dad, mom and my children, mom and her sisters, mom and her friends… and of course, mom and I. I’m also blessed to have witnessed mom’s enormous strength and courage. I also saw what it really, truly means to be joyful and gracious. Mom was beautiful at the deepest levels even as she struggled through the limitations of her physical body. What a woman of grace.
Who knows what the “right” thing to do was – going to the hospital where mom seemingly suffered quite a bit more, or keeping her in the ‘comfort’ of her home. I can choose to beat myself up about that one for the rest of my life, or I can accept that it was all part of God’s plan. If we decided to keep her at home, mom surely would have died two weeks earlier. Perhaps this would have prevented some suffering, but it would have also eliminated any of the opportunities for intense demonstrations of love and bonding granted to our family in mom’s final days. Maybe it’s selfish on my part, but I AM glad that we had those extra two weeks to share with mom. I think she is, too.
I’ve got many thoughts, theories, stories and lessons-learned to share as a result of this journey with mom. Thoughts about the potential causes of the epidemic of breast cancer, biopsies, mammograms, dissecting the human lymphatic system, hormonal therapy, palliative care and even the parallels between dying and giving birth. I also hope to help others by sharing my game plan for getting back on track with my own physical, mental and emotional health after months (years, actually) of exhausting stress. I just needed to write this first article and get rid of the ‘post-traumatic writer’s block’ I’ve been experiencing! NOW the floodgates can really open!
Just like those weeks in the hospital with mom, I find that my life these days is a roller coaster of emotions – intense sadness followed by pure happiness and laughter followed by more sadness, more joy... all fairly natural, I’ve been told! I find peace and calmness when I remember to look for the blessings in each moment, to feel grateful for everything God has given me, and to choose happiness rather than sorrow and pity. It was a great woman who shared such simple, yet profound advice with me. It was my mom!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Simple Cancer Prevention Tip
There's nothing simple about cancer. But there are simple things we can do, or stop doing, to decrease our risk factors for developing cancer.
The hormonally-related cancers, like breast and prostate, are related to the amount of toxic, imbalanced estrogens that accumulate in our cells over time. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale are great at helping pull these toxins out of our system. If the thought of eating some of those makes your nose turn up, then you can also take supplements high in these beneficial properties to assist your ‘estrogen-detox’. One example is a product called D.I.M.
Another very easy and effective way to do this is to add a couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your daily intake. Put it on your salads, on your cereal, in your smoothie… in whatever you can. We are bombarded with dangerous xenoestrogens daily in our environment. Estrogen is good and necessary in our body, but not when it gets out of balance and in an unnatural form. Cooking or heating food and beverages in plastic is one of causes of toxic estrogen accumulation in our bodies. That’s another easy one for you to fix ASAP!
The hormonally-related cancers, like breast and prostate, are related to the amount of toxic, imbalanced estrogens that accumulate in our cells over time. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale are great at helping pull these toxins out of our system. If the thought of eating some of those makes your nose turn up, then you can also take supplements high in these beneficial properties to assist your ‘estrogen-detox’. One example is a product called D.I.M.
Another very easy and effective way to do this is to add a couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your daily intake. Put it on your salads, on your cereal, in your smoothie… in whatever you can. We are bombarded with dangerous xenoestrogens daily in our environment. Estrogen is good and necessary in our body, but not when it gets out of balance and in an unnatural form. Cooking or heating food and beverages in plastic is one of causes of toxic estrogen accumulation in our bodies. That’s another easy one for you to fix ASAP!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Treatment for Cachexia
Our family finally found help in identifying what was happening in my mom's body - she's in a state of cachexia. Very simply, it's the stage when cancer cells turn to healthy cells, like muscle and organs, for food. This is why mom has been "wasting away" right in front of us. Ultimately, it doesn't matter right now if her cancer is spreading or not (the focus of her hormone treatment) - if the body is in cachexia, the focus turns to keeping the patient alive long enough to treat the cancer.
I can't even imagine why none of the oncologists or other specialists she has seen over the last several months have never mentioned this, or never offered help. They offered more tests after saying, "...hmmm. Something's going on here. You should be getting better..." She was actually rushed to emergency last week, and released because "everything was normal"!!!! Give me a break!
This just all proves my point that orthodox medicine doesn't even come CLOSE to having all the answers, as they'd have us believe. Hey, I'm totally OK with a profession being there to handle some of the health/sickness problems that people face... BUT that profession should announce its limitations loud and clear!!! They can't fix everything, and in fact can make many things worse.
I firmly believe that every person who is "in" medicine (doctors, nurses, etc.) chose the profession because they truly thought it was the best way to help their fellow humans. I believe they are good people - great people. I just know that their "cookbook for health" has very few recipes... and they're all very similar recipes, with similar ingredients! It's pretty ignorant AND arrogant AND ridiculous AND CRIMINAL to think that you have the one and only cookbook on the planet that people should be allowed to use to create their meals!!! There are wonderful, delicious, healthy, satisfying and safe flavors from all over the world that anyone has the right to consume! I suppose the fear is that we just might like those other recipes better... and realize that they tasted better, made us feel better and cost less!!
ANYHOW, we found a 2-part cachexia treatment for mom. She'll start it ASAP. I only hope we found it in time. Just wish a "professional" in the business of cancer would have helped us months ago. I don't know if it'll "work". But I DO know we should have been given the opportunity much earlier (then I guess we never would have been in this situation in the first place!).
On the site www.CancerTutor.com, we found the protocol and related information on the link for stage IV treatments for patients who have lost a lot of weight, who are weak, who have "cachexia". Feel free to email me if you're having any challenge locating the information.
I can't even imagine why none of the oncologists or other specialists she has seen over the last several months have never mentioned this, or never offered help. They offered more tests after saying, "...hmmm. Something's going on here. You should be getting better..." She was actually rushed to emergency last week, and released because "everything was normal"!!!! Give me a break!
This just all proves my point that orthodox medicine doesn't even come CLOSE to having all the answers, as they'd have us believe. Hey, I'm totally OK with a profession being there to handle some of the health/sickness problems that people face... BUT that profession should announce its limitations loud and clear!!! They can't fix everything, and in fact can make many things worse.
I firmly believe that every person who is "in" medicine (doctors, nurses, etc.) chose the profession because they truly thought it was the best way to help their fellow humans. I believe they are good people - great people. I just know that their "cookbook for health" has very few recipes... and they're all very similar recipes, with similar ingredients! It's pretty ignorant AND arrogant AND ridiculous AND CRIMINAL to think that you have the one and only cookbook on the planet that people should be allowed to use to create their meals!!! There are wonderful, delicious, healthy, satisfying and safe flavors from all over the world that anyone has the right to consume! I suppose the fear is that we just might like those other recipes better... and realize that they tasted better, made us feel better and cost less!!
ANYHOW, we found a 2-part cachexia treatment for mom. She'll start it ASAP. I only hope we found it in time. Just wish a "professional" in the business of cancer would have helped us months ago. I don't know if it'll "work". But I DO know we should have been given the opportunity much earlier (then I guess we never would have been in this situation in the first place!).
On the site www.CancerTutor.com, we found the protocol and related information on the link for stage IV treatments for patients who have lost a lot of weight, who are weak, who have "cachexia". Feel free to email me if you're having any challenge locating the information.
I Finally Found REAL Help!
FINALLY! After months (years actually) of frustrating research... coming up with "junk" science, questionable studies and toxic treatments... I finally found an incredibly thorough website designed to HELP people living with cancer.
Let me be clear - I get NOTHING for passing this site on to you - I am not affiliated with this site or any of the clinics or products referenced in any way. I just want more people to have this potentially life-saving resource at their disposal.
The site is www.CancerTutor.com.
God Bless.
Let me be clear - I get NOTHING for passing this site on to you - I am not affiliated with this site or any of the clinics or products referenced in any way. I just want more people to have this potentially life-saving resource at their disposal.
The site is www.CancerTutor.com.
God Bless.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Cancer Rears Its Ugly Head Again
Things have been relatively "calm" for the past couple months. Mom's bloodwork has been slowly but surely improving. For awhile there, it appeared as though mom was too. She had more energy and was able to get out a bit more.
She has had a setback in the last 3 or 4 weeks though. Major drop in energy, nausea, shortness of breath and her urine is getting darker. I'm guessing that her liver has been affected by the cancer now.
Lots of tests coming up in the next few weeks - chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, bone scan and CT scan of the head. We shall see.
She hasn't been able to take all her "good" things to help her body regain strength and health... like her Ambrotose from Mannatech, or her Cantron. It stinks. I just feel like nothing is being done to create health at this point... other than her very peaceful and faithful outlook on life in general. She amazes me!
Whatever happens, I'm thankful for the blessing of the extra time we've ben given. At one point I was told that she would only be here 2 months - that was over 5 months ago. Every additional day is a special one for us.
She has had a setback in the last 3 or 4 weeks though. Major drop in energy, nausea, shortness of breath and her urine is getting darker. I'm guessing that her liver has been affected by the cancer now.
Lots of tests coming up in the next few weeks - chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, bone scan and CT scan of the head. We shall see.
She hasn't been able to take all her "good" things to help her body regain strength and health... like her Ambrotose from Mannatech, or her Cantron. It stinks. I just feel like nothing is being done to create health at this point... other than her very peaceful and faithful outlook on life in general. She amazes me!
Whatever happens, I'm thankful for the blessing of the extra time we've ben given. At one point I was told that she would only be here 2 months - that was over 5 months ago. Every additional day is a special one for us.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Is Cancer Genetic or Environmental?
No, we won't resolve that question in one simple blog entry!
What does bear repeating is that a quickly growing number of even conventional-thinking allopathic doctors and researchers are finally coming on board with the idea that cancer is MUCH more related to the environment vs. genetics. More accurately stated, all dis-eases of lifestyle are a result of how we adapt to our environment. How and what we eat, how we move, how we think, how we respond to stress, the toxins we expose ourselves to.... the list goes on and on. Kinda' makes the genetic theory seem shamefully under-developed, at best.
Cancer is now considered by many health experts as a disease of lifestyle.
Are there 'genetic' connections and similarities? Sure. Families grow up with similar environments and develp similar responses to their internal and external environments. BUT, we all know people who have cancer... and no one else in their family does. The genetic theory is flawed.
.... and that's OK.
I like knowing that I have MUCH more control over my health than just relying on my genes!
Although there are absolutely no guarantees in life, or health, I choose to believe that living a wellness lifestyle will create wellness.... and allow no room for dis-ease. I make daily choices to move well, eat well, think well, rest well... and love.
The way I see it, even if I'm wrong, at least I've lived a great, healthy and happy life in the meantime!!
What does bear repeating is that a quickly growing number of even conventional-thinking allopathic doctors and researchers are finally coming on board with the idea that cancer is MUCH more related to the environment vs. genetics. More accurately stated, all dis-eases of lifestyle are a result of how we adapt to our environment. How and what we eat, how we move, how we think, how we respond to stress, the toxins we expose ourselves to.... the list goes on and on. Kinda' makes the genetic theory seem shamefully under-developed, at best.
Cancer is now considered by many health experts as a disease of lifestyle.
Are there 'genetic' connections and similarities? Sure. Families grow up with similar environments and develp similar responses to their internal and external environments. BUT, we all know people who have cancer... and no one else in their family does. The genetic theory is flawed.
.... and that's OK.
I like knowing that I have MUCH more control over my health than just relying on my genes!
Although there are absolutely no guarantees in life, or health, I choose to believe that living a wellness lifestyle will create wellness.... and allow no room for dis-ease. I make daily choices to move well, eat well, think well, rest well... and love.
The way I see it, even if I'm wrong, at least I've lived a great, healthy and happy life in the meantime!!
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