Another week has passed by.... along with the summer, which I have no doubt will return shortly! Ever the optimist eh? This week Amanda's pain has been better managed, though the resultant side effects to this is zzzz zzzzz..... Whoops, sorry I dozed off there! Yes, lot's of impromptu sleeping. It can happen any time, literally any time..... She Skyped Robyn in the week. They were chatting for over an hour, well Rob was, as when I returned from nipping to the Pharmacy she was sat contentedly in front of the laptop nodding off. Thank heavens for Skype eh? At least Rob could see why there were long drawn out silences. Normally these silences are when Amanda is really mulling over her
response to questions where she feels she can help in some way. Which she usually can. She is full of useful nuggets of wisdom which usually involve kindness and seeing things from the other person's point of view, or simply trying to become an observer of our own behavioural traits..... But her responses when the drowsiness takes hold are as likely to be a contented murmur or little snore. She's such a little angel x
We've been reading a book called 'Getting Well Again'. It was written in 1978, some of the younger ones amongst you may think that it must certainly be a handwritten piece. Scribed by a gent sitting alongside a cobwebbed window looking out over a beautifully overgrown garden. But 1978 is not that long ago, 35 years is nothing. Not in medicine anyway! In surgery yes, but not in medicine.
It contains a wealth of studies (I'm only 65 pages in, and each time I begin reading to Amanda again I have to go back 10 pages or so, as Amanda has invariably fallen asleep whilst I was reading.... It will take a long time. I think by the end of it, I may have read 2,000 pages of a 250 page book!) on emotions and their affects upon the health of the body and mind. It's great stuff. So many studies, some dating back to the 1700's. 'Cancer could be cured by taking the whisker of a great dane and inserting it in to the rectum of a siamese cat, but only whenst the moon is paused in full illumination upon a night so cold as to cause freezing of the grass and the rectum of said feline'..... I jest.
These studies were involved many hundreds of people. The observations were kept simple. And clearly illustrated the link between emotional upheaval (death of spouse, relative or close friend that left what felt like an unfillable void, or some other major upheaval that dragged out) and cancer. Of course there are lots of other factors that also contribute such as diet, environmental factors (where you work, where you live) etc etc. The more recent studies all show a direct correlation to cancer and stress. Some people don't even see the relationship until it's pointed out. A modern day example, someone's business starting to underperform when they've put their life in to it, they begin to stress, they begin to worry, then things get worse............ Men who have been trapped in to a relationship through their own stupidity in getting a girl pregnant and feeling they must now follow through with a life long relationship. Being in an unhappy marriage and staying together for the kids, or being in a marriage where one partner has cheated and now the other feels totally trapped and won't leave due to a sense of family loyalty. They feel there is no escape, there may never be true happiness or joy again. These are the modern relationship stresses of today. Then there is all the work related ones.... Need I go on? We live in a highly stressful environment these days. This is the way of the industrialised world.
I've read more recently about the effects of stress on the body. How it directly effects the endocrine system (hormones) and the immune system. The physiology of it all is very interesting indeed. We all happily accept that high pressure situations ie. long term stress or worry cause high blood pressure, which can then lead to arteriosclerosis, and finally heart failure, so why do we find it so difficult to to understand that cancer can also be directly linked to such mental and emotional torture of the mind?
In the mid 1900's two Dr's devised a system, a score chart of stress evoking events in a persons life. Of the folks that had scores of over three hundred (losing a spouse or close relation or best friend was 100 points) 49 percent of them suffered illness within 12 months. Against only 9% of those with scores under 200 points. People whose scores were in the top third of those that participated in the study reported 90 percent more illness than the people in the bottom third. Interesting.
This also shows that it's not only stress/anxiety/worry and depression, there are other factors, mainly the fact that different people have different coping mechanisms for stress. For instance pregnancy scores 40 points, but in reality the amount of stress could vary widely. If a 17 year old fell pregnant she may feel her current way of life as she knows it is going to come to a grinding halt, she is going to have to give up everything she loves. Whereas a lady in her late twenties with a planned pregnancy may feel no stress whatsoever, she may well feel joy. The same with job losses which score 47 points. A twenty year old may not give a hoot about getting the boot, but a 55 year old may think he or she is now unemployable, jobs may be hard to come by, therefore feel lots of stress, which may lead to a feeling of worthlessness, then hopelessness. So as you can see there are many variables. Such is human nature!
I could cite tonnes of 'deep rooted sense of hopelessness' or 'long term deep dark depression' leading to cancer studies, but I won't bore you all. After all you would be reading the same books as me if you were interested in such studies! Ha ha! I am a bore!
Yesterday we attended a meditation day run by the Brahma Kumaris. It was held at one of the Beegees houses just outside Peel. What a setting. It was an enjoyable day, but poor little Amanda spent most of it nodding off in the arm chair surrounded by her little soft beany neck cushions and a couple of pillows supporting her back. Once the tiredness kicks in there's no fighting it. I suggested we went home just before lunch, but she wanted to stay. She enjoys the energy of these events as much as anything else, and of course it was a chance to get out and about. A gentle squeeze of the hand usually brought her out of slumber when snoring began to kick in!
Amanda is looking forward to seeing a few friends next week. Though she does warn them before they arrive, that there is every chance she may fall asleep on them. As long as you don't take it personally you'll enjoy an hour or so in the wonderful company of a wonderful and beautiful woman.
A quick thanks to Susie for her postcard from Cornwall, it was lovely. It's lovely to think that Amanda was still in your thoughts when you were on holiday.
Big love to you all.
Mark.
PS. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to our Hospice fundraising efforts with The Isle of Man Parish Walk, which is a week yesterday! I'm still injured, but am aiming to do what I can on the day! For those of you who would like to sponsor us, but have not had the time yet, click on the fundraising icon at the top right of the blog. Thanks again. Mark. x
PPS. Those of you who don't know I have a Facebook Photography Page, cut and past the following link.
www.facebook.com/markboydphotography who knows you might just see something you like.
response to questions where she feels she can help in some way. Which she usually can. She is full of useful nuggets of wisdom which usually involve kindness and seeing things from the other person's point of view, or simply trying to become an observer of our own behavioural traits..... But her responses when the drowsiness takes hold are as likely to be a contented murmur or little snore. She's such a little angel x
We've been reading a book called 'Getting Well Again'. It was written in 1978, some of the younger ones amongst you may think that it must certainly be a handwritten piece. Scribed by a gent sitting alongside a cobwebbed window looking out over a beautifully overgrown garden. But 1978 is not that long ago, 35 years is nothing. Not in medicine anyway! In surgery yes, but not in medicine.
It contains a wealth of studies (I'm only 65 pages in, and each time I begin reading to Amanda again I have to go back 10 pages or so, as Amanda has invariably fallen asleep whilst I was reading.... It will take a long time. I think by the end of it, I may have read 2,000 pages of a 250 page book!) on emotions and their affects upon the health of the body and mind. It's great stuff. So many studies, some dating back to the 1700's. 'Cancer could be cured by taking the whisker of a great dane and inserting it in to the rectum of a siamese cat, but only whenst the moon is paused in full illumination upon a night so cold as to cause freezing of the grass and the rectum of said feline'..... I jest.
These studies were involved many hundreds of people. The observations were kept simple. And clearly illustrated the link between emotional upheaval (death of spouse, relative or close friend that left what felt like an unfillable void, or some other major upheaval that dragged out) and cancer. Of course there are lots of other factors that also contribute such as diet, environmental factors (where you work, where you live) etc etc. The more recent studies all show a direct correlation to cancer and stress. Some people don't even see the relationship until it's pointed out. A modern day example, someone's business starting to underperform when they've put their life in to it, they begin to stress, they begin to worry, then things get worse............ Men who have been trapped in to a relationship through their own stupidity in getting a girl pregnant and feeling they must now follow through with a life long relationship. Being in an unhappy marriage and staying together for the kids, or being in a marriage where one partner has cheated and now the other feels totally trapped and won't leave due to a sense of family loyalty. They feel there is no escape, there may never be true happiness or joy again. These are the modern relationship stresses of today. Then there is all the work related ones.... Need I go on? We live in a highly stressful environment these days. This is the way of the industrialised world.
I've read more recently about the effects of stress on the body. How it directly effects the endocrine system (hormones) and the immune system. The physiology of it all is very interesting indeed. We all happily accept that high pressure situations ie. long term stress or worry cause high blood pressure, which can then lead to arteriosclerosis, and finally heart failure, so why do we find it so difficult to to understand that cancer can also be directly linked to such mental and emotional torture of the mind?
In the mid 1900's two Dr's devised a system, a score chart of stress evoking events in a persons life. Of the folks that had scores of over three hundred (losing a spouse or close relation or best friend was 100 points) 49 percent of them suffered illness within 12 months. Against only 9% of those with scores under 200 points. People whose scores were in the top third of those that participated in the study reported 90 percent more illness than the people in the bottom third. Interesting.
This also shows that it's not only stress/anxiety/worry and depression, there are other factors, mainly the fact that different people have different coping mechanisms for stress. For instance pregnancy scores 40 points, but in reality the amount of stress could vary widely. If a 17 year old fell pregnant she may feel her current way of life as she knows it is going to come to a grinding halt, she is going to have to give up everything she loves. Whereas a lady in her late twenties with a planned pregnancy may feel no stress whatsoever, she may well feel joy. The same with job losses which score 47 points. A twenty year old may not give a hoot about getting the boot, but a 55 year old may think he or she is now unemployable, jobs may be hard to come by, therefore feel lots of stress, which may lead to a feeling of worthlessness, then hopelessness. So as you can see there are many variables. Such is human nature!
I could cite tonnes of 'deep rooted sense of hopelessness' or 'long term deep dark depression' leading to cancer studies, but I won't bore you all. After all you would be reading the same books as me if you were interested in such studies! Ha ha! I am a bore!
Yesterday we attended a meditation day run by the Brahma Kumaris. It was held at one of the Beegees houses just outside Peel. What a setting. It was an enjoyable day, but poor little Amanda spent most of it nodding off in the arm chair surrounded by her little soft beany neck cushions and a couple of pillows supporting her back. Once the tiredness kicks in there's no fighting it. I suggested we went home just before lunch, but she wanted to stay. She enjoys the energy of these events as much as anything else, and of course it was a chance to get out and about. A gentle squeeze of the hand usually brought her out of slumber when snoring began to kick in!
Amanda is looking forward to seeing a few friends next week. Though she does warn them before they arrive, that there is every chance she may fall asleep on them. As long as you don't take it personally you'll enjoy an hour or so in the wonderful company of a wonderful and beautiful woman.
A quick thanks to Susie for her postcard from Cornwall, it was lovely. It's lovely to think that Amanda was still in your thoughts when you were on holiday.
Big love to you all.
Mark.
PS. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to our Hospice fundraising efforts with The Isle of Man Parish Walk, which is a week yesterday! I'm still injured, but am aiming to do what I can on the day! For those of you who would like to sponsor us, but have not had the time yet, click on the fundraising icon at the top right of the blog. Thanks again. Mark. x
PPS. Those of you who don't know I have a Facebook Photography Page, cut and past the following link.
www.facebook.com/markboydphotography who knows you might just see something you like.
Sending our best wishes, love the canaways!
ReplyDeleteThank you lovely Canaways, it's lovely to hear from you. I hope all is well in Banbury and that your Mum is doing well Rob x
ReplyDeleteThis was truly inspiring to read Mark and I am so glad I came across Amandas facebook so I could read this. You probably dont remember me but I am one of Robs old friends and Jades good friend, Carly. I remember us three driving you both absolutely crackers with our noisy girly sleepovers and sneaking out to see boys! I send all the well wishes I possibly can to Amanda your both such lovely people. Remember each and every day is a new one.
ReplyDeleteCarly
Of course we remember you Carly. Hope all is going well and that motherhood is proving enjoyable and not too tiring ;-)
DeleteThanks for your kind words Carly.