Cancer - My Wake Up Call

Four days after I got engaged in March of this year I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The doctor said, "You have a cauliflower growth on your cervix. That's not normal. I am booking you in to see a specialist."
A myriad of tests and a few weeks later I am getting ready to go into hospital tomorrow and have what is called a 'radical trachelectomy' - removal of the cervix, leaving the uterus and ovaries intact in order to preserve my fertility.
I decided to share this story because I know that each one of you reading this will know someone who has cancer, whether it be a friend, family member, or a colleague. I am hoping that some of what I share will be helpful to you.
Like you, when you hear of someone being diagnosed with cancer there is a shock and horror about the news, and then a secret relief that it is not you. I believed cancer was for other people. Not me. People who do not look after themselves get cancer. Old people get cancer. Some poor unfortunate kids get cancer. Not me. I'm healthy. I have been a vegetarian for twenty years and have run five marathons. When I went to see the doctor I was two weeks away from running my sixth marathon.
When I got the call saying I had cancer, this was my reaction: terror. Then grief, then shock, then horror, and a whole cocktail of other emotions. I sobbed long and hard. I looked at my new husband-to-be and wondered if he still wanted to marry me as I faced the prospect of losing my ability to give us children.
I would love to say that I was strong, that I saw the positive side of things, that I laughed it off. I did no such thing. I was as terrified as anyone else who learns their body is under major threat. Being told you have cancer really, really sucks. It hardly seems real, even now, a month later.
The worst part was the waiting between tests and results and doctor's visits to clarify what it was we were dealing with. The worst imaginings tend to wreak havoc.
Then there were plenty of questions. Why? How? How does a life coach get cancer?? The truth is that a life coach did not get cancer. Zoë got cancer. And that's when I started to understand a little more about what this could teach me.
I raked my history to find some source, some reason for my cancer, some personal transgression, some oversight in my health that I had missed. I beat myself up wondering how I did this to myself. I stripped all of my emotional and mental cloaks away to go to the source and stood there raw and vulnerable to see the human being under the skin. And that's when I felt a deep compassion - a compassion for myself. When I reached this deep place of love, I was then able to let it flow to others and feel compassion for every other human being who is wrestling or hiding from their own demons - physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is a big journey requiring much courage.
Some people say that cancer is a gift, or that they have it for a reason. This sounds dreadfully punishing. I choose to find something I can learn from this. It is a big journey, only just beginning, but I have found some crystals of truth in the anguish.
Here is what I am learning on my cancer journey:* Each and every human being is a universe of gifts and stories and wonder.* I love many people and am loved deeply in return.* I don't have to be brave all on my own.* I can heal my soul, if not my body.* I am already good enough - I do not need a massive bank balance, fancy clothes, or any other markers to know that I am a worthy human being.* I am who I am - I am not my job, my services, the roles I play in life as sister, daughter, partner, business owner. I am Zoë - a woman who lives and loves deeply.* Laughing is a really, really good thing.
My wish for you, dear readers, is that you pause for a moment each day in full and complete gratitude for the gift of life and all the wonderful things before you. See and appreciate the sunlight on the trees, the blue sky, a smiling dog, a beautiful song.

Ovarian Cancer Prevention

Ovarian cancer risks can be reduced. It might be wise to look into some of the research to develop the strategy, which is right for you. Here are a few ideas and thoughts on some of the things you might wish to add to your lifestyle or subtract in order to reduce your risks of ovarian cancer.
One way to reduce your risk of ovarian cancer is the use of oral contraceptives or birth control pills. This has been found to reduce the risks of ovarian cancer by up to 50% by those women who use them for up to three or more years. For those women who have had genetic screening and have been found to have mutations of certain genes may also get significant benefit although more study will be needed to confirm this.
Tying of the fallopian tubes can also significantly reduce risks of ovarian cancer by two-thirds or 66%. It might be an option for you if you are sure you are done with having your last child. There is also many studies suggesting that hysterectomies decrease the risks of ovarian cancer. Of course such operations probably are not a good idea unless there is another good medical reason. It is recommended for those women who have already been thru menopause or near menopause that ovaries should be removed with a hysterectomy operation.
Those women who have more than one child and breast feed for more than one year seem to have also reduced their risks of ovarian cancer. Those women who have children after age thirty-five also appear to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
Of course it is best to discuss these issues with your doctor, get screening and have a strategy on reducing your risks of ovarian cancer. Do your own research and think on this.
By Lance Winslow

When Water Meets Tea

The best possible water to use for infusing tea is well water. But here are the alternatives for us city folk:
Tips for a pure brew:
* Tea leaves love spring water, so use it if you have it available. This is my first choice because it is the next best thing to well water.
* Use purified or filtered water. Don't use water directly from your tap unless you live in an area where tap water is drinkable. Your tap water may be absolutely fine for other things like boiling pasta or steaming veggies, but could have contaminants that will make your tea taste funny. The easiest solution for most people is a Brita pitcher with a built-in filter. They are widely available.
* Run tap water for 30 seconds before putting into your kettle (assuming your filter is attached to your faucet). This oxygenates water that has been sitting in your pipes.
* Distilled water does not make good tea. It does not have its minerals and can make a flat-tasting pot of tea.
Use the best water you can in your teapot and you are halfway to a divine infusion.
Temperature, Quantity, Timing
Just as important as water quality is water temperature, amount of tea, and timing your steep.
I recommend beginning with the rule of thumb for your type of tea and start experimenting from there.
When I began, I had no idea idea how to brew and I over steeped green tea many times. (I pour undrinkable tea into my potted geraniums. They love it and it doesn’t go to waste.)
Your green or white tea will get bitter fast when it meets too-hot water. This is one of my pet peeves in establishments using scalding water for their tea service. Use a candy or meat thermometer to measure the temperature (at least in the beginning).
Green/white tea* 160 – 175 F (70 - 80 C)* Steep for 1-3 minutes
Oolong tea * 180 – 190 F (82 - 88 C)* Steep for 3-5 minutes
Black tea* 212F (but don’t let it boil too long) (100 C)* Steep for 3-5 minutes
The quantity of tea you put in your teapot will make a difference. In general, I put approximately 1 teaspoon and a slight bit more per cup of water in a Yixing Teapot or my grandmother’s tiny Brown Betty. (Both are clay pots, one unglazed and one glazed.)
More tea equals a stronger brew. A stronger brew may be desirable when cooking with tea, making iced tea, or it may just be your preference. Longer steeping equals bitter green or white tea. Black tea can handle longer steeping. It’s up to you!
copyright 2006 Terry Calamito