Oct-Nov Pictorial Roundup

October:

We attended the Breasts of Colorado Gala.

CO received its first snowfall (dusting, really) of the season.

.

I attended a gong bath.

Spent some time with BC friends...

...where we discussed the efficacy of ionized foot baths.

Joshua had LASIK surgery.

Eye watched the whole thing. :)

We took an art class together
 and learned about sgraffito -
a ceramic technique that means
'to scrape away.'

Dad visited us for a few days.

Got a massage and a new 'do all at once!

Jo and I let our tagging/graffiti artist
alter egos out to play...

...with water bottle in-hand.

November:

I participated in a holiday bazaar. 

Joshua made a sturdy holder
for the budding bottle tree.

One day the 3 of us sent funny pictures to each other;
Joshua made this wild collage of our faces.

Snuggled with our cuddly cat.
One of my favorite things.

We enjoyed cooking together on Thanksgiving.

What's a better way to recover from turkey overdose
than platefuls of sushi?

Therapy

Never underestimate the power of a great therapist. Or therapists!

Seriously.

Some might shirk at the idea of adding therapy to a "to do" list during a serious illness. However, it's sometimes wise to dive deep into the muck and get a-workin' on some core issues. Sure, it's messy. Yes, it can be uncomfortable. And you are choosing to do the hard work amidst an already stressful and gut-wrenching time in your life.

Still, there are significant benefits in combining therapy appointments with your cancer journey:

• You've got a pro "checking your head" and shepherding your mind through a rough wanna-make-you-crazy kind of situation.
• Situations/people that were once tolerable may be less so; time to learn how to better handle these.
• Boogers in your marriage/relationship(s) lines of communication can be cleared.
• You and your spouse can learn to work better together through a trying time.

Pinktober is Over

This relevant and thoughtful blog post written by Alexis, a BC survivor, really got my wheels turning at the beginning of October. I had in mind doing some sort of blog post about October being breast cancer awareness month, but wasn't sure how to go about it until I read and digested her post. Awareness can be a double-edged sword.

Metastatic breast cancer
awareness ribbon

I'm sure many readers were aware all of last month was dedicated to breast cancer awareness. How many of you also know that Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day was October 13? Do you know what that ribbon looks like? Check it out----->

FYI: metastasis (meh-TAS-tuh-sis): The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed by cells that have spread is called a “metastatic tumor” or a “metastasis.” The metastatic tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural form of metastasis is metastases (meh-TAS-tuh-SEEZ). source

Visibility and acceptance of metastatic breast cancer patients is important; they want new treatments that are less toxic and help them live longer. During Pinktober, I can easily see how some of the metastatic breast cancer population feels like the collective "we" have given up on them. After all, what does Pinktober's fundraising really give in the way of support to that subset of breast cancer patients?

Did you know that another type of cancer awareness is also in October? No? (It's liver cancer by the way.) WHY WOULD YOU?!! Everything's gone up in PINK! On Wikipedia, I found a list of ribbon colors and what their awareness meanings are; my head is spinning!

So Pinktober is over...and I'm relieved. It's as though the entire month of October has pinkwashed the world over. And, while it is and has been a fantastic cause (pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness), I believe the message has been received and time, energy, and money could now be arguably better spent on a CURE. Early detection is all good and fine, but it does not equal a cure.

The tip of the rose-colored iceburg:
some pink items, emails, and ridiculousness I ran across in October 2012.
~click to enlarge, some are bound to grip your attention~

I'm appalled at some of the claims of "raising funds for breast cancer research" that some companies use to sell their products. But the most repulsive sales pitch I came across this year was this:

Who thought that was a good idea? Perhaps more importantly...did this sleazy sales schtick actually work? How is it that women will be exploited so that a penny will go for research for every 30 videos men watch? How the heck is this "the most genius initiative to raise money for an important cause"? This is beyond my understanding and tolerance, and is wrong on so many levels.

Even batteries at Home Depot fall prey to the almighty pink.
Thanks, dad, for sending this my way.

Think Before You Pink, a project of Breast Cancer Action, calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions. Breast Cancer Action is the only national breast cancer organization that does not accept funding from entities that profit from or contribute to cancer, including the pharmaceutical industry.

I encourage you to visit the above links and learn how to become informed about how to make better purchasing decisions by discovering:

• how much money from your purchase goes to support breast cancer programs
• what organization gets the money and how they will use the funds
• if there is a cap on the amount the company will donate
• if this purchase puts you or someone else at risk for exposure to toxins related to breast cancer (or anything else, really!)

That last bullet is a zinger, and you'd be surprised. Then again, maybe not.

What are your thoughts?

Gongs Away!

A month ago today, I attended my first ever gong bath with Ann. It was a unique experience! I'd like to share what I learned about gong baths and some of my observances with you. I'll begin by being upfront with what I thought it would be like - then tell you what it really was like.

What I imagined:

• there would be a ton of gongs there making a bunch of noise - might be good noise; might be bad noise
• there would be lots of granola hippies there
• there might be an uber granola hippie that broke into twirling action during the gong session (think whirling dervishes)     Rach, that reference is for you!
• my ears might not be able to handle the stimulation
• a lot of "energy" speak could happen
• how could I stay still for 90 minutes?
• how could this guy possibly play a gong for 90 minutes??

What I experienced:

There were a handful of hippies there, but nobody quite as airy-fairy as I expected. Okay, except one gal that was pretty spacey and focused on sharing her deep, meaningful experiences (past and present). But this post isn't about her! :) Most folks looked like your average, everyday person. The one thing that you couldn't see that was palpable was that everyone seemed to be there for a reason.

Richard and his gong.

Ann and I got there early to ensure a "good seat" relative to Richard Rudis and his gong setup. "What's a good seat at a gong bath?" I inquired. "Close up!" said Ann. We chose a spot directly behind Richard and his gong. (Truth be told, Ann wanted to semi-spy on Richard during the performance so she could check out his techniques. The sound is also so piercingly crisp up close.) We set up our yoga mats, makeshift pillows, blankets, etc. I learned that the recommended positioning for a gong bath is with your head closest to the gong. As more people came in, they set up their mats in a starburst pattern around Richard.

We used the time before his performance to check out items being sold at the event: Tibetan singing bowls, tingshaws, gantas and vajras, crystals, and special oxygenated water (!). We played every one of the bowls and balked at the prices. We passed the time quickly.

All the lights were turned off before the performance. Richard explained a bit about how his performance would begin, crescendo, and end. And then it began. The tingshaws were used first. Then a singing bowl. Sounds from singing bowls are like chicken noodle soup; they're comforting, warm, and nurturing. They can help settle all the mind chaos and chatter that's bouncing to and fro in your noggin.

HALF of the striking tools used.

Then the gong. Oh, that gong! Who knew a gong could make such a variety of tones and sounds. As you can tell from the pictures here, he had MANY different striking tools to use. It was a cacophony of sounds with the volume waxing and waning. It didn't take long before my brain started floating a sinusoidal path like the gong's sound waves...in and out, high and low, deep relaxation and profound awareness. It was all very cool. (I did have to plug my ears for a few minutes during the ultimate crescendo of the gong.) I imagined that if a gong sound could look like something, it would be a concentric path of sorts.

The other half of the striking tools, a singing bowl
(with a neat fabric cover for transport), and a tingshaw.

The performance came to a close the same way it began; with a singing bowl and the tingshaws. The gong bath concluded with us eating a piece of dark chocolate (70+%) to release endorphins. The entire 90 minutes passed quickly and I felt relaxed and serene afterwards. Would I do it again? -- Absolutely!


More about gong baths:

- If attending a gong bath, you might want to bring:

• a good mat/pad (yoga mat or sleeping/camping pad) lay on - you'll be laying down for the entire experience
• comfortable clothes
• water - always good to stay hydrated
• pillow or other prop for your head - for comfort
• objects to heal - think paper pieces with names of those who need healing, or objects you may want to "cleanse," etc.)
• blanket - your body temperature will decline as you lay there during the experience

- Gong baths are said to positively affect all cells in your body. Sound strange? Check out this video to see and decide for yourself.
- Richard says his gong baths are about empowering people to heal themselves through creating the ground conditions for transformation to occur. The gong helps participants release traumas held in cellular memory and awakens them to an expanded state of consciousness. (Source URL)


More about Richard:
- Read this fairly recent (6/2011) Denver Post article written about Richard, his gong sessions, and how a Buddhist Temple complex changed his life.
- Richard also plays at a place called The Star House in Boulder, CO.