LOVE

Our word for the day at OHI is love. If you always do everything with love it makes for a much more peaceful and happy life. Despite all of the changes here at OHI, the raw foods, the wheat grass, juicing fast, and some people feeling not so great, I have never seen such a big group of people acting in such a kind loving way. Our word yesterday was gratitude and that is how you feel here, grateful for everything. Grateful for the food that is nourishing our bodies, the very well educated and experienced instructors, the staff, the beautiful grounds and flowers, the chapel, it is just such an awesome place and there is so much to be grateful for. I am not on the computer much because I am meditating in what free time I have and they say journaling is a much better connection to what you are feeling and saying. I am considered a second weeker now so the class load isn't quite as heavy but still have a lot of classes. I feel really ingrained in the program now and am looking forward to the rest of the week. It feels so good to be starving the cancer from all sugar, even fruit sugar, and then drinking the wheat grass that it hates. I love it! Off to soak and then listen to one of my new mediation tapes. Good night world and God Bless.

TUESDAY AT OHI

I am learning so much here at OHI about food, about my body, about emotions and healing. It is a whole mind, body, spirit program for sure. Today we started a juice fast. We drink juice for breakfast lunch and dinner. The fast will last until Thursday evening dinner. Got through the first day fine. Got my 38 ozs of water and 32 ozs of Rejuvilac down just fine. Also drank my morning and afternoon 2 oz of wheatgrass. I thought I would feel hungry but haven't been hungry at all. Did a yoga class and a stretch class today along with the 3 education classes. I am exhausted by the time we get out of the last class at 8:00 but feel so rejuvenated and hopeful. I learned today that cancer HATES wheatgrass so wheatgrass is going to be my best friend for awhile. I have heard testimonies and talked to people who had bone cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and after doing this program and continuing it at home they are now cancer free. There are people here with all kinds of health opportunities, a couple of people have lymphoma like me. In one of our classes we completely studied the anatomy and how everything we do affects our body and organs. Another class talked about emotional detoxing and how each of our emotions affect a different organ in our body. It is very interesting stuff. Some people detoxing have had a little nausea and fatigue. Some just do not like the food. So far I have felt pretty good and I don't seem to have a problem with the food or the green juice. They have a special eating program for people with any kind of healing opportunity such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, MS, etc. which cuts out all of the sugar so it doesn't include any fruit, beets or carrots. It is called a hypo diet and that is the one I am on. Miss my family and my grandsons but have to keep my eye on the bigger goal, to get healthy and help my body fight this cancer!

TRUST

Every day at OHI we get a new word. Today's word was Trust. Before our meals at 8:30, 1:30 and 6:00 we get in a circle, have fellowship, talk about our word, pray, hug and then go eat. With all we are trying to accomplish you really have to learn time management here, but they help you. Todays meals were more greens, sprouted lentals and beans, ferminted sauerkraut, sea cheese which isn't cheese at all, but sea vegetables and I'm not sure what else (quite tasty), the seed cracker again which I try to eat slowly and savor, and some quite good cold soup. You really have to chew this food, 20 to 30 times per bite. They encourage eating slowly, putting the fork down between bites. Quite different than the way I like to shovel my food down. I think I got the juicing down of the wheat grass. We use wheat grass for just about everything here some of which I won't discuss. We are required to drink 2 ozs twice a day but then you can't eat or drink anything else for an hour. That is were part of the time management comes in. You can't eat for at least 10 minutes after you drink water. You can't drink anything for 2 hours after meals. Depending on your body weight you figure out how much water you need in a day. Then there is the rejuvilac which is some type of water made from quinoa which is supposed to be a type of probiotic. We are required to drink 32 ozs of rejuvilac a day but can't eat or drink water for at least 15 minutes after the rejuvilac. I have a schedule so it is just a matter of sticking to it. They give us each a book with schedules, etc. so it helps a lot with time management. I am sufficiently exhausted and its time for rest. Good Night. God Bless.

Healing Opportunity, Sunday October 10, 2010

This is my new lingo. I don't have an illness, I have a healing opportunity. My latest scan wasn't the worst, but I have a little new area of tumors between my kidney and my spine so the doctor considers this a second relapse. The plan is to do a new scan in December and see how aggressive it is. Then we will decide what treatment is appropriate. Since it is considered a second relapse they have thrown bone marrow transplant in the mix of options. I have already met with who would be my transplant doctor and nurse who both seem very nice and able. They gave me a book to read about what the whole process would entail. I won't go into detail, but I will say the whole thing seems very aggressive and a real bad time for many many months. But we have to get our ducks in a row. I have to get a battery of tests to qualify and then they have to get insurance approval so they have already started the process "just in case" I need it. I will use it if I absolutely have to, but lets just pray that I don't. They took 7 vials of blood the other day and did an EKG and chest x-ray to get the party started. Now this journey has taken me to Optimum Health Institute in San Diego for 2 or 3 weeks. It is a mind, body & spirit program. You can check out their website at optimumhealth.org. I arrived yesterday excited and just a little nervous. I had my first lunch and dinner here along with a tour and orientation. My first two meals were as promised, raw live foods. Yesterday my plates were filled up with greens, sprouted lentils and beans, some type of hummus, dehydrated onions, a cracker that seemed to be seeds and I'm not sure what else but it was tasty. I've been eating fairly healthy so it wasn't a complete shock to my system but when I say tasty I mean tasty from a vegan viewpoint, I don't think if you are filling up with meat and carbs and salt it would be quite the same tasty you are use to. They are very specific about when you eat or even drink your water and today I will learn all about that and much more. It is Monday morning about 7. I woke up at 5 but got up at 6 and drank the suggested water. They are big on wheat grass and are the third largest producers of wheat grass in the U.S. So I am headed down to the juicing room to see if I can figure out how to juice a couple of ozs that they suggest I have before my 7:30 a.m. exercise class. Then breakfast will be at 8:30. My first class is at 9:30. I have classes morning, afternoon & evening and then 2 exercise classes a day. They want us to disconnect electronically if we can but I am going to try and blog in the evenings about my experience here. Cellphones are not allowed except for one designated spot or in the privacy of your room if you really need to use it. So I decided a nice balance would be to leave it in my room, not to carry it around, and then I can check for messages or check in with family when I need to when I am back at my room. Well I better get going...wheatgrass here I come...yummy!