This summer our family took a different approach to NF. The 6 months prior to the summer vacation were filled with PET scans, MRIs, surgery, pathology reports and needless to say STRESS. Stress on our NF child and his two siblings aged 5 & 9. So we rearranged some doctor appointments and took off for a month for CA beaches, Dharma talks and ultimately green juices. Packed tightly in the car we drove from the midwest to CA-- hitting Colorado mountain air with alpine slides and rock walls, Utah red rock hikes, and then SOCA beaches and the best thing cousins! We then headed to a family retreat at a Monastery in Escondido CA. There are no electronics, all vegan food, and some silence. This is a place where children blossom and parents get to connect ( I believe every parent on some level believes they are messing up). You get to listen to monks and nuns talk about the practice of compassion. Children sing, craft, nature hike and learn too about compassion. Panels of lay persons round out the dharma talks. You eat, clean and share with other families. We always leave with knowledge, calm and better prepared. In my case better prepared for the upcoming MRI. Tumors and MRIs tend to throw me into what feels like a tidal wave of worry that feels so gripping it is hard to breath. So I hope with my pack of dharma knowledge I will breath through the next one. Upon return to the Midwest I had a consult with none other than the ultimate positive healing junkie Kris Carr. I had to fess up our diet for a week. This was after a weekend in WI Dells land of hotdogs and french fries. We had a long discussion on tumor growth and nutritional therapies. She herself has stopped Stage 4 cancer from progressing for the past 7 years through a highly alkaline diet. She and a slew of others advocate upping alkaline foods to slow tumor growth and diminish inflammation. Stress being a big part of inflammation she too spoke of meditation as our monks in CA. So now I just need to put it all into practice this idea of creating balance while living with NF. MRI in two days small tidal wave-- a start. Oh and we drink our green juices (some of the time).
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Green Juice, Dharma Talks & California Beaches
This summer our family took a different approach to NF. The 6 months prior to the summer vacation were filled with PET scans, MRIs, surgery, pathology reports and needless to say STRESS. Stress on our NF child and his two siblings aged 5 & 9. So we rearranged some doctor appointments and took off for a month for CA beaches, Dharma talks and ultimately green juices. Packed tightly in the car we drove from the midwest to CA-- hitting Colorado mountain air with alpine slides and rock walls, Utah red rock hikes, and then SOCA beaches and the best thing cousins! We then headed to a family retreat at a Monastery in Escondido CA. There are no electronics, all vegan food, and some silence. This is a place where children blossom and parents get to connect ( I believe every parent on some level believes they are messing up). You get to listen to monks and nuns talk about the practice of compassion. Children sing, craft, nature hike and learn too about compassion. Panels of lay persons round out the dharma talks. You eat, clean and share with other families. We always leave with knowledge, calm and better prepared. In my case better prepared for the upcoming MRI. Tumors and MRIs tend to throw me into what feels like a tidal wave of worry that feels so gripping it is hard to breath. So I hope with my pack of dharma knowledge I will breath through the next one. Upon return to the Midwest I had a consult with none other than the ultimate positive healing junkie Kris Carr. I had to fess up our diet for a week. This was after a weekend in WI Dells land of hotdogs and french fries. We had a long discussion on tumor growth and nutritional therapies. She herself has stopped Stage 4 cancer from progressing for the past 7 years through a highly alkaline diet. She and a slew of others advocate upping alkaline foods to slow tumor growth and diminish inflammation. Stress being a big part of inflammation she too spoke of meditation as our monks in CA. So now I just need to put it all into practice this idea of creating balance while living with NF. MRI in two days small tidal wave-- a start. Oh and we drink our green juices (some of the time).
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