Archive for the ‘Awareness’ Category

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE?

Posted: April 26, 2012 in Awareness
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In the midst of all my planning for Africa.. my one big trip this year… another opportunity came across my desk. It was an all expense paid trip to Taiwan for a week to learn about their economic and developmental progress. Thinking nothing of it, I applied. Talking to my mother and boyfriend about it, their answers were: “Just apply, why not?” or “When else will you ever go to Taiwan”. That’s the truth… Taiwan was never, and still really is not on a major hit list of mine. I don’t know anyone who has ever been there, I have never heard any body rave about the sites, or the people… but now, I have to admit, I am proud to be one of the first to start a rave about Taiwan.

Needless to say… I was selected by the Taiwan government to be a delegate from my University. I am one of four who was selected. If this isn’t an honour on it’s own, then I am not sure what is. When applying I never really thought I stood a chance… I didn’t re-read my personal statement on the application a thousand times, as I did for Semester at Sea or other opportunities. ( I mean, I did read it a few times… but never made any huge adjustments). When the email came yesterday explaining that I was accepted… I fell of my chair. I Re-read the email, and when it registered that I was accepted… I started to scream. I was so ex-tactic, I felt like I won a contest. I ran around my room, up and down the stairs, and couldn’t wait to tell someone.

Do you believe that dreams can come true? It hadn’t dawned on me that they do until this morning. I was told this morning that I was giggling in my sleep last night. I would take that as a sign of happy I am… ( the funny part is that I remember dreaming about killer bears… so I am not too sure). But for once in my life, every thing seems to be falling exactly where it should. I moved back home, which I have to admit, I was terrified, but being home and away from my old apartment, I am able to breath again. The problems that consumed me and my roommates, don’t exist anymore, I don’t need to talk about them all the time, I can sleep through the night, I wake up with fresh air that has not been intoxicated by smoke. My grades are coming in perfectly… I got an A- in the hardest class I have ever taken in my entire life, and the rest of my grades fall in that range too! I am only surrounded by the people who love me and I love as well. My brother gave me a wonderful part-time job to fill the void of being home, and to save up for further excursions. On top of it all… I was selected for this amazing opportunity to Taiwan, where I conveniently know the other 3 delegates who were selected.

I have to sit back and believe that dreams do come true. When the world feels like it may be falling down on my, I have to remember that it is just making space with a little spring cleaning for an amazing adventure ahead of me.

GUEST POST: PATIENTS AND GOAL SETTING

Posted: January 6, 2012 in Awareness
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I have recently been contacted by a contributor from the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog to collaborate on a cause that affect’s so many of us on a personal level. My blog may be about travel, but it is also about saving the world, and our health should be a top priority. The following post links nicely with some of the work I have done on my blog in regards to inspiration and goal-setting. Melanie Bowen, the author of the following article brings in key element’s that I have used here on WhereDidSheGoNow such as creating a bucket list. Awareness is the basis of change, and if you or a loved one have been diagnosed, feel free to be inspired and follow some of the steps Bowen outlines below.

Patients and Goal Setting

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with an illness, you might not see the importance of setting goals for yourself considering your mind might be clouded by other anxieties. However, goal setting and engaging in productive activity is even more important for patients than for the general population because focusing on goals helps improve their mental and physical health and gives them the best chances of defeating the disease.

Short-Term Goals
Start by setting short-term, personal goals. Whether you’re struggling to accept a serious illness like mesothelioma or maintainable illness news like diabetes, you may be feeling depressed, anxious or angry. It isn’t reasonable to expect yourself to have the concentration to plan for very long-term goals right after you’ve first been diagnosed. However, you can start rebuilding a healthy life by setting short-term goals. If you’re extremely depressed or anxious, getting out of bed at a reasonable hour or eating a healthy breakfast is a suitable short-term goal to help you defeat negative feelings and start creating the positive attitude you need to defeat cancer. Making a schedule for your day can help provide structure and encourage you to be productive so that you distract yourself from your fear or anger over your diagnosis. The more you write down extremely short-term goals and succeed at meeting them, the happier you’ll feel. These goals also help you begin to take care of your physical health, which inevitably is vital to your treatment management plan. Your stated prognosis has chances to improve if you eat healthily and get enough sleep; short-term goal planning helps you do these things. After you have gotten used to meeting these short-term goals, you can start thinking about longer term goals and things you’d like to do to provide yourself with a better quality of life.





Making a Bucket List
Many cancer patients benefit from making a “bucket list”–a list of things they’d like to do while they are still relatively healthy and able to enjoy life. Although making a bucket list may seem counter productive because it acknowledges that you will eventually die, it makes sense to work on this kind of list soon after your diagnosis. Being diagnosed with cancer forces you to face your own mortality, and this can be a frightening and depressing prospect. If you begin doing all those things that you hope to do in your life, however, you’ll feel happy and excited about the future rather than feeling depressed. You may also gain clarity through your future experiences and you will have done most of what you hoped to do—travel though your desires and travel down the path to healing.

 

Special Challenges for Patients
Planning and goal setting is undoubtedly a difficult task not only because we as humans get side tracked and are faced with life challenges but also because of stress associated with the with those challenges and as a patient your treatments regimen or limitations. After treatments or medication schedules, one may feel weak and tired. They may be disappointed if they are unable to meet their goals for the day or feel that there’s no point to goal setting. Begin by setting realistic goals and be gentle on yourselves if you are unable to meet a goal on a particular day.  To take it one step at a time, one has to begin with an initial step!

To learn more please visit the MCA blog.

Melanie Bowen

“Melanie Bowen is an awareness advocate for natural health and holistic therapies. You will often find her highlighting the great benefits of different nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those with illness in her efforts to increase attentiveness and responsiveness on like topics”