The Cancer Remission Mission

Becoming aware of our fears and addressing them with action helps guide our minds to what
we value and find truly important

Becoming aware of how powerful you are over your fear and realizing that you can rule your
fear with action, purpose, and determination is one way to truly transform your fear to fortitude.

Instead of letting fear be in the driver’s seat, let’s make sure it’s in the back with the luggage.

It doesn’t determine where you’re going or rule your decisions.

Let’s find the gifts that fear offers so we can see its value and use it to identify inner peace.

**kcancer

Not all research should be focused on a cure…

The frightening statistics like one in two people are affected by cancer, and one in three people die from cancer surely are motivating factors in seeking a cure.

But what about the hopeful statistics, such as two thirds of those diagnosed with cancer will become cancer survivors, especially many breast cancer survivors.

I think more of our research efforts and dollars need to be geared toward survivorship care plans.

Since early 2006, the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Cancer Survivorship has investigated the ins and outs of a cancer survivor’s long-term recovery. In 2013, they recommended that patients and their primary care providers be given a summary of their treatment and a comprehensive survivorship care plan developed by one or more members of the oncology team.

Yet a study from 2017 reported that survivorship care plans didn’t improve quality of life outcomes.

I maintain this disparity is due to the fact that rehabilitation is largely underused even for readily treatable impairments.

In fact, treatment among survivors ranges from a paltry 1-2%. Furthermore, many oncology teams don’t participate in creating survivorship plans.

This indifference to full recovery post-treatment and the belief that a patient is powerless to impact their outcomes is an attitude found throughout those working in cancer.

This belief makes it complicated and difficult for patients to create their own, or follow, a survivorship plan.

That is part of why I created the Cancer Remission Mission - to begin creating better standards, processes and plans for post-cancer care so we can create thrivers, not just survivors.

Did you have a cancer survivorship plan after your treatment? Let me know in the comments

Joan had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of fifty-three.

She was a single mom of three and was a consultant for many children’s education organizations around the world.

Joan’s world felt out of control with her diagnosis, and she had a lot of fear about the outcomes of her treatment.

Joan felt as though her oncology team was lost; they kept giving her confusing messages about treatment options and couldn’t decide how best to approach her cancer treatment.

Joan decided there was a better way and came to meet me to discuss how to make decisions for her treatment that felt right for her.

We worked diligently to determine the root of her fear. We quickly discovered that she had watched her aunt die of cancer when she was young, and she didn’t want a similar fate to fall on her daughters’ shoulders.

With this revelation, Joan began to transform to thriving by realizing her fear was real
and that it was starting to create confusion and impede her decision-making ability.

By using the S.M.A.R.T principles (see previous posts), we created actions that felt comfortable and accomplishable; ones she could use when afraid.

We listed her current coping strategies and created a list of new ones she thought she’d like to develop.

Joan elevated herself and her family’s lives by meeting that fear head-on through working with a trusted professional to develop simple actions to create a confident, concise, and clear
plan.

Her trauma was at the root of what she believed cancer treatment and its disease course to be.

Today Joan discusses with others how free she feels and how her cancer was a gift to truly work through her grief and trauma.

**kcancer

My mother’s journey with cancer was far from linear…

She was diagnosed with a chronic cancer which is extremely rare for her age and gender and these abnormalities created difficulties during treatment.

Her diagnosis seemed simple at first.

However, during her journey to access appropriate treatment she had to engage in intense patient advocacy and ask for second and third opinions.

This advocacy continues to this day as she is defying odds in her continued journey.

According to her oncologist it’s not a matter of if the cancer returns, it's a matter of when. This is a rather fear-inducing statement.

But, my mom decided to believe a different outcome was possible.

It doesn’t mean she didn’t experience fear - that is totally normal. It means that she used the fear as motivation to individualize her treatment and to listen to her body.

The transformation of her fear helped her get through active cancer treatment and to rehabilitate to a fully thriving state - even though her cancer is technically never “gone” or in “full remission”.

One of the reasons people struggle after cancer is that they’re frozen by fear.

They lack confidence things will get better, and they aren’t given guidance or skills to conquer that fear.

They’re told to return to what they were doing before.

Let’s acknowledge that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer creates trauma.

Trauma is embedded in our nervous system and our body remembers how it feels during this trauma.

To come out of trauma and heal from it, we must recognize what’s fueling the nervous system to remember it.

Many times, the fuel is fear.

I think the best way to impact cancer-survivor outcomes, including reducing recurrence, starts with reclaiming control, so that we’re making decisions out of a place of
peace, confidence, and purpose.

Finding the gifts in fear is an important step to finding that peace, confidence, and purpose.

So, how do we find the gift in fear and begin to transform it? Stay tuned as I share more all month long…

There will be people who won’t like the new you...

Cancer creates a different person on the other side - I am sure you can agree.

There may be resistance from others to the changes you’ve made.

The Renewed you isn’t the same person and for anyone who isn’t on the journey with you and wants the old you, they’re simply stuck looking backward.

Seeing the opportunity to get to know the new you and the opportunity of what life
has to offer moment-to-moment is the most important thing in any relationship.

Even as I wrote my book, I lost friendships, and colleagues. I know that people will come into and out of my life.

Just as each challenge gives us a moment to find opportunity, so does each relationship.

So, continue your journey, cultivate presence, and strive to thrive with passion and compassion in every single moment.

Drop a ❤️ if this resonates

**kcancer

“Self-care is a lifelong habit and culture. It is the practice of individuals looking after their own health based on the knowledge and information available to them.

It is a decision-making process that empowers individuals to look after their own health efficiently and conveniently, in collaboration with health and social care professionals as needed.”

– Global Self-Care Federation

I think this strongly captures what self-care is and just how important it is to the health and well-being of all people, especially those in cancer recovery.

Just as equally, I think it’s important to define what self-care isn’t, because the cliche idea that it’s all about a day at the spa, really undermines its importance to the health of our societies at large.

How do you self-care?

**kcancer

Today is International Self-care Day.

I don’t know who might need to hear this today - but share it with someone you know who might need a little reminder

**kcancer

Do you over-plan? Are you still trying to be your “old self”?

The reality is that life is now different in cancer recovery. You may not be able to jam pack your summer schedule the way you used to.

But, I would actually like to ask you - did you really love packing is so full you could barely take it all in?

I know I have done this more times than I can count - but why?

I find that we are sometimes doing this due to FOMO, but more often I think we are out of step with our values and needs. I think we might be trying to please others instead of ourselves.

For me, this year has been a lot! I am somewhat burned out. So, I have really wanted to prioritize slowing down, and just being with my kids and family.

I had to get clear on what was most important to me at this moment and these are the steps I took to get there.

Let me know if they help you slow down, stop the over-planning and savour your time this summer.

**kcancer

“There is no such term as remission for Glioblastoma patients…”
said my patient who has been living with GBM since 2016 and has openly shared her journey on social media.

When I recently asked if she was open to sharing some of her experience for this special day, she further shared with me:

“The tumour is either stable or unstable and there is no remission because glioblastoma cells grow into the surrounding brain, tumour cells are left behind during surgery and can grow into new tumours at the same site. Even in a successful gross total resection, glioblastoma tumours always leave behind microscopic disease. Glioblastoma has tentacles that reach out from the main tumour. These tentacles are invisible to the naked eye and even to many of our most advanced imaging technologies. A gross total resection of a brain tumour is defined as removing at least 98% or more of the contrast-enhancing tumour, which is the part of the tumour they we can see on the MRI scan when the patient is given contrast dye through an IV. That's why I have had MRI's every four months since 2016.”

So while Steph is absolutely right, there is no such thing as remission in GBM, there is definitely such a thing as living life like a thriver, which Steph has done every day since I have met her.

The term remission in the Cancer Remission Mission isn’t only about “technical remission”. It’s about the cancer journey and getting to a place where we are living to our fullest capacity, in spite of the disease.

This mission is about optimizing health and building a supportive community of people who want to thrive irrespective of their diagnosis and live a life of their choosing for as long as possible.

**kcancer

Add this to your summer reading list…

My book, “The Opportunity In Cancer” provides resources, self-reflection tools and reference guides to help all cancer survivors be thrivers.

I even made a “Read-along Workbook” (free for download when you purchase the book) to help you maximize your recovery and prevent recurrence.

Check it out for yourself - head to the link in bio and grab your copy today!

Let me tell you a story….

My dear friend and client, Patty, is an amazing example of a person staying present and living day-by-day.

When I met Patty, she was already in her eighties and had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.

Patty refused conventional treatment because her case was considered palliative from the day she was diagnosed. She felt the burden of treatment on her body would be too much for her to handle.

Although this decision wasn’t popular amongst her team of doctors, her rationale for this decision was entirely hers and she owned it.

She often discussed with me how she felt that the treatment options provided to her would end her life rather than the cancer.

Five years after being diagnosed, she reflected with me about a group of friends she made when she was first diagnosed. In this group, there were five friends in total and all of them had been diagnosed with cancer around the same time.

All the friends had passed away. We took a moment of quiet contemplation and then Patty told me she attributed this “luck” to her ability to focus on one moment at a time, to listen to what her body was telling her and to focus on her inner strength to do what she felt was right for her.

She lived life one day at a time and that allowed her to experience the full emotions,
struggles, and joy of each day in a natural way. She was staying true to herself

I asked Patty what she used as motivation to stay present and deal with the upset and worry about making the “wrong” decision. She told me that there’s never a wrong decision when you’re deciding something for the right reasons.

Her belief in her own genuine understanding of the world transcended fear and apprehension and gave her the ability to be decisive and cognitively understand the risks.

She told me there are no guarantees in life and the gift of each moment needs to reflect the beauty and strength of life.

Are you making any “unpopular” decisions on your journey?

**kcancer

Being present with the work we must do today is the definition of thriving one day at a time.

Worrying about what the future holds can leave us drained, can build anxiety, and be a roadblock to staying present.

Living in the future invites worry and anxiety to take over our time by focusing on things we don’t yet know or have control over.

However, what does being present look like? And how do we stay there?

Summer can be a busy time, but it can also be a time to relax, rejuvenate and reclaim your energy.

If you’re still “cancer tired”, then grab my guide to help you begin your healing journey this summer toward better energy.

Canada Day can mean many different things to many different people - both positive and negative.

With cancer, holidays can be reminders of hardships, as well as joys.

But, if there is one thing I have learned on this journey, it’s to be present, spend it with those we love and make the most of each moment.

Drop a ❤ if you agree.

Wishing all our LBGTQ+ friends a joyous Pride Parade today!

**kcancer

We are in the full swing of Pride Month and this weekend brings us the ever so important, popular and fun, Pride Parade.

But, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the unique challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face when battling or recovering from cancer.

The challenges range from feeling safe to reveal sexual orientation to discussing the sexual issues that may arise following specific cancers like prostate or breast cancer.

Supporting our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters is critical to ensuring their opportunity to thrive after cancer.

**kcancer

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a complex disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing trauma.

The trauma necessary to cause PTSD can originate from many events — potentially an accident, combat, a natural disaster, or an assault — but there are other ways PTSD symptoms can arise.

A trained professional must diagnose PTSD, based on symptoms like hypervigilance, mood swings, recurring and involuntary flashbacks to the trauma, and avoidance.

For cancer survivors PTSD, in its classical presentation, is certainly possible.

But, interestingly, cancer research has identified something called Post Treatment Syndrome (PTS).

It shares signs and symptoms with PTSD, such as rumination of thoughts, inability to make decisions, elevated emotional experiences, nausea, rapid heartbeat and insomnia.

Unlike PTSD, PTS doesn’t have any diagnostic criteria. But, in my experience, the overlap is significant enough to treat PTS with similar tools.

Things like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), hypnosis, Havening, mindfulness, pharmacotherapy and many of the nutraceuticals and herbs in Naturopathic Medicine can really help shift this state.

Really, this is about recalibrating the nervous system and helping process the trauma.

I call these factors “road blocks” and I have an entire chapter in my book dedicated to unpacking these factors, along with worksheets in my book, The Opportunity In Cancer (link in bio).

**kcancer

Research has established that wellness is an essential component of comprehensive cancer care.

By addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs throughout the cancer experience, wellness programs improve quality of life and in some cases, can help prevent recurrence.

But…research also shows that while guidelines have been created and suggestions made by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), the system fails at actually implementing any type of systemic wellness approach in cancer care, especially cancer recovery.

That’s why I created the Cancer Remission Mission - to provide a framework that allows survivors to access the various inputs that create wellness (links in bio).

We shared our core 3 tenets earlier in the month, so scroll back to check them out!

⁠ **kcancer

The Cancer Remission Mission was created to empower survivors to discover their inner strength to transform beyond surviving into thriving. It is all about total wellness - mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.

It was my humble attempt to take action to create lasting change for those in cancer recovery and help survivors transform beyond survival.

At first, I felt intimidated by this mission.

It was large and ambitious, but I knew it was imperative.

My observations and research have shown me that the biggest challenges that cancer
survivors face are: accessibility to care, individualization of care and community reintegration.

These are now the guiding principles of the mission and have laid the foundation for everything that has come since.

If you’re looking for the wellness support that is often lacking in recovery, head to the links in my bio to book a call or check out some of our free resources.

Being present with the work we must do today is the definition of thriving one day at a time.

Worrying about what the future holds can leave us drained, can build anxiety, and be a roadblock to staying present.

Living in the future invites worry and anxiety to take over our time by focusing on
things we don’t yet know or have control over.

When we have faith and trust that our heart knows how to guide us from the darkness, overwhelm and anxiety can lessen.

Faith doesn’t necessarily mean religious faith - it means a deep knowing that the path you are on has purpose and meaning.

How do you connect with your faith?

Let me know in the comments 👇

**kcancer

We shared this over on our clinic page today, but I thought it was important to share for all our Cancer Thrivers too, since nearly 30% will suffer with anxiety and/or depression after treatment.

Posted • Today is Action Anxiety Day! It was made to help bring awareness to people suffering from anxiety.

Three Tips to help reduce and cope with anxiety are to 1. recognize when you're having an anxiety attack 2. implement the 3-3-3 Rule and 3. make a list of coping strategies that work for you.

Signs of anxiety are changes in breathing, heaviness on the chest, whirling thoughts, elevated heart rate, increased sweating, difficulty with thinking, states of fear/freeze and difficulty making decisions.

The 3-3-3 Rule was made to help distract people from their worries and refocuse them on the here and now.

Possible coping strategies could be breathing exercises, physical movement/exercise, meditation, listening to music and going outside for a walk.

It was World Environment Day earlier this week (June 5) and in honour of our planet, I am sharing my FREE GUIDE - The Cancer Survivor’s Guide to Detoxifying the Home.

This jam packed guide will help you eliminate common every-day products that can not only be toxic to the environment, but toxic to your body.

Many of these toxins have been associated with cancer. They are often called persistent pollutants, meaning they are hard to eliminate from the body and the environment. So, the best action is to avoid them.

Head to the link in my bio to grab your copy today!

Is cancer due to a toxic world?

Well…it’s not quite that simple, but it is a major contributing factor.

Climate change is causing extreme heat that
increases people’s exposure to carcinogens and delays progress in cancer prevention, according to a report by scientists from Harvard University and the American Cancer Society.

Rising temperatures have increased the number of wildfires and other natural disasters, releasing carcinogens into the air.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom…

According to the UN’s World Environment Day theme for 2024: We cannot turn back time, but we can grow forests, revive water sources, and bring back soils. We are the generation that can make peace with land.

The more we work to make healthier choices in our own lives - like avoiding toxic cleaning and beauty products - we actually make the world a little bit healthier for ourselves and others.

If you haven’t downloaded my FREE GUIDE - The Cancer Survivor’s Guide to Detoxifying the Home - grab it in the link in bio to start making those small but meaningful changes that can help you and our planet.