My friend Barbara is doing well

My friend Barbara is doing well...she is recovering from surgery...her surgery was almost 12 hours...it was supposed to be around 7 hours ...she is doing great...thank you for your love and healing energy...such power you all have!!!!

If you deliver food...

As a reminder for those of you bringing food...

There will be a cold bag by the front door on days I'm not here or if it's hot out...

• Please remember to call me the day before 760-707-7610 to confirm that you're dropping off so I can place a bag outside....I won't call back due to time and not feeling so good..just leave a message. If there isn't a bag outside...just leave the food outside and one of us will bring it in shortly..If I'm going to be gone...there will be a bag outside the door with ice...
  

• Please don't ring bell or knock in case I'm sleeping...sometimes I may be able to visit but not sure until that day or hour

• Always list what is in the food ...all ingredients...just to make sure I can have it...it's really important!!

• Many many loving thanks to those of you bring food...it has been fantastic...

Thank you ongoing to Susan for coordinating this food delivery...I know it's a lot of work and I really appreciate it...

CA-125 is dropping fast!!!!

I wasn't able to see Dr. Bahador afterall as he had emergency surgery when I arrived for my appointment...however...the nurse had my ca-125 blood work back and it is fantastic!!!

It was over 500 on the day of surgery and it is now down to 51 after one month of chemo...actually 3 doses...YEAH!!!

I have chemo on Thursday and I'm feeling strong but not ready to feel sick again...oh well...it will all be ok...

Sending you all love...

I'm really 52...how did that happen?

Many thanks to all of the wonderful birthday wishes and celebrations...

Thank you to Tamara for the shopping card to Ecotopia and the wonderful food! Thank you to Teri for the wonderful top...thank you to my Blend class for your celebratory love...thank you to Danielle and Diana for kidnapping me and taking me on a Ferry ride to Coronado to spend a relaxing day connecting...thank you to Sherry and Danielle from Yoga Vista for your kindness...flowers...bracelet...thank you to Susan for the gift certificate...Thank you to Grace for contributing to the juice fund...thank you to Libby for the wonderful flowers...thank you to Tora for the strawberries and blueberries...thank you to Debra for the drinks...non- alcoholic (darn) hee hee...thank you to so many for the face book well wishes...thank you for the e-cards from so many of you...thank you to my husband for my special card and special book...continued thanks for all of your love!!!!! Thank you to anyone I've forgotten for not being angry with me for forgetting...

I thought I was 51...and THEN...to my surprise...I'm really 52...what the heck...how time flies...

On my way to see Dr. Bahador for my tune up..some Dr. Bahador love...preparing for the BIG chemo tomorrow...

I have had the most wonderful week...feeling great...feeling better than normal...feeling strong and ready to kick this thing right out of me once and for all!!!!

Love to all,
Summer

yoga on monday...

yoga on monday....

yoga vista 6:00 pm


come and play ...

FEELING GOOD!!!!

Today has been the BEST day EVER since my surgery...I feel so good...I continue to be amazed by the food you bring and the love I feel from your food... I appreciate everything you are all doing...I feel so strong and happy because you are here supporting me!

I can't wait to physically practice yoga again...for now gentle walks soothe me...meditation continues to prepare me for life...the good and the difficult...

Much love,
Summer

sending love and healing to my friend Barbara

Dear Friends,

My friend Barbara needs your love and support ...through prayer or whatever you connect to that brings love and healing...you all have been so thoughtful and caring for me...please add Barbara to your lists of people we need to stay alive because there is more for her to do...she is a wonderful and loving friend to me and now that she lives in Tahoe...I don't get to see her much...I was going to fly there to be with her but am not able due to my own treatment...please join me to send her much love and courage...here is a copy of her letter to her friends...

Hello all,

My right liver lobe resection will be performed at Renown Medical Center in Reno NV at 730am this coming Monday, April 27. The surgeon will be removing the entire right lobe, removing the gall bladder and replacing as much of the bile duct as possible with plastic reconstructive tubing. He will also be opening the entire abdominal cavity to biopsy all other organs because often times cancer is not detected even with a pet-scan. My blood 'cancer markers' seem to indicate no further cancer growth or metastases but while he's in there, best he make sure. The surgery will take approximately eight hours with a week's stay. Paul is flying up to drive me home or I will be transferred to a skilled nursing facility if necessary. Since I am in Stage I cholangiocarcinoma, we are quite hopeful for a complete resection which will remove the tumor. Since this rare type of cancer is incurable by more common treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, this is it. . . .I am feeling good. Increasingly fatigued since all blood supply is now flowing into the left lobe pushing my diaphragm up and creating a 'shallow breath' difficulty so I'm pretty much having to wait it out until Monday now.

All of you are very dear to me. I ask for your prayers because that is what I am relying on to get through this successfully and ultimately return (perhaps in August) to San Diego to finalize my hand treatment which has been such a blessing . .. .

Thank each of you for all your thoughts for me and the boys!

Love,

Barbara

Happy Earth Day!

I would love to share what one of my teacher's wrote about celebrating our place on this planet....

The Sakyong offers these teachings in support of Earth Day, this Wednesday, 22 April, and the work of the Touching the Earth Working Group of the Sakyong's Council.

Protecting the earth

A call to contemplation and action on climate change

Our precious planet and the innumerable beings who dwell here face an unprecedented crisis. The escalating threat to the world's environment and climate stem from a profound predicament that affects all humanity. We are ever more rapidly losing our connection with the sacred nature of our world. This tragedy affects us in so many ways, but at its heart, it is a crisis of the spirit. We are harming our planet and fellow beings because we are losing touch with the basic goodness of our own sacred being.

This disconnect from our primordial basic goodness is amplified by unparalleled technological and industrial capacity, dramatic population growth, and the vast inequalities we witness everywhere in our world.

Disastrous as this situation is, it is still possible to change course. The earth is calling to us for protection and for a return to basic sanity. We must all heed this call by adopting an approach that returns to a deep respect for our environment, and conserves our threatened resources.

We can take advantage of both traditional methods and innovative technological advances based on living in harmony with the fundamental intelligence of nature. But this global crisis cannot be transformed into a new way of living, if we rely on the same attitudes and habits that brought us to this terrifying brink in the first place. To do that would merely reinforce, despite our good intentions, the degradation and inequality that is already so widespread.

This emergency calls for a complete transformation of how we live -- a transformation of our underlying attitudes, our approach to human society, and our relationship to planet earth and all its inhabitants. My father, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the great Tibetan meditation master and founder of Shambhala, foresaw this turning point in human history. His words could not ring truer: "When human beings lose their connection to nature, to heaven and earth, then they do not know how to nurture their environment or how to rule their world...healing our society goes hand in hand with healing our personal, elemental connection with the phenomenal world."

In the Shambhala tradition is it said that it is precisely in dark times like these that the inherent wisdom of the universe makes itself felt. Now is the time to draw on the inspiration of the humanity’s wisdom traditions. All remind us of the sacred oneness of life, the interdependence of all beings, and the inexorable laws of cause and effect. These teachings could not be more relevant to our collective imperative: the creation of enlightened and sustainable societies.

I am delighted that, within the Buddhist world, there is increasingly deep reflection on how the wisdom of this particular tradition can shine light on this common goal. Now is the time for us to tap the power available to us from our diverse disciplines, cultures, and societies to cultivate the dignity, confidence and fearlessness necessary to protect our earth. By doing so, we can help to reconnect all humanity with its primordial basic goodness, transform our relationship to sacred world and be inspired to sane choices, compassionate leadership and wise activism.

The Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche
Halifax
19 April 2009

(This announcement was from the Shambhala News Service)

Reply

Forward

Much love to everyone!
Summer

WEEK off from treatment and Schedule

This week I'm off treatment!

I will be working all week and through Wed of next week...

I'm excited!

Physically, I'm moving very slowly and the only exercise I've had has been gentle walking...still recovering from surgery and the powerful chemo...yet...I feel ready to work...verbally inspire...I'm so happy to be able to even think about it!

Schedule this week:

YOGA

Monday night 6:00 at Yoga Vista tonight !!!

Thursday night 5:30 at Soul of Yoga

BLEND (private class) inquire if interested 760-707-7610

Tues and Thurs morning 9:15

Thank you for not coming if you're sick

Have a great day and I'll see you this week...

Ongoing thanks to those of you bringing food...amazing love in the food you bring...and delicious...

I also had my first "dive" in a hyperbaric chamber...very interesting...had to stop at a certain depth due to pain in my ears...hopefully...I'll get better at it...I had my first lesson from an 8 yr old boy named Carson...his experiences have humbled me...we never know when we're asked to step out and experience life in ways we would have never imagined!

Much love,
Summer

UGH and AHHHHHHH

Soooooooooooooo much pain yesterday...this crazy pain just comes on and won't release until I put a heating pad on my belly and sit very still...even breathing hurts...and then gone...comes on without warning and leaves without celebration...

I woke up this morning even better.. waves of nausea and then better again...this is the normal cycle now...

I'm going on a walk again ...right now...yeah...slow and yet wonderful...

Have a beautiful day!!!!

Summer

taking bigger steps...

Today is truly the best day so far since surgery and chemo...

I have finally felt like reading ...I'm so tired of TV...it's my friend when I'm super sick...I was getting worried when the housewives shows were actually becoming entertaining...don't worry ...it's the drugs...finally...I've come out of my stupor and I actually read outside and felt the sunshine on my body and could actually feel the vitamin D !

I have pain...I have constant discomfort...I'm nauseated most of the time..and yet...I'm doing well...I haven't taken any of the extra meds they told me to take...I only took the anti-nausea that they give you the day of chemo...a 3 day course after the big chemo...then a list of drugs that are supposed to help with this and that...I didn't take any of them...everyone is different...I want to feel what is happening to me and then I can decide what I may need...it's all so interesting...

I'm actually going to experience a hyperbaric chamber on Sunday...a friend is taking me to the place he goes to and we'll see what happens...

The juicing is going great...I LOVE the greens...craving them...check out Abdul and Tonia at " The Fountain of Juice" in Encinitas!!

See you all soon!!!

Don't forget I'm teaching YOGA at YOGA VISTA on Monday night at 6 pm...


Love to you,
Summer

chemo treament today

On my way to chemo this morning....

This round is supposed to be easier...

Sending love ,
Summer

...a better day

Dear Friends,

I planned to take a walk today...this morning....Susan came to take the challenge of walking to the end of the driveway and back...I wasn't able to do it...back to the sofa...UGH!!! Too nauseated and tired...

Then...Susan came back and took me to get blood work...my first outing since last Wednesday...slowly...I began to feel more alive...I walked from the car to the lab and back again and then felt stronger and stronger...still slow...I'll take it!!!

I found a great option for nutrition...I was so reluctant to feed my body too many good things...wanting the chemo to work...I don't think anyone really knows for sure about anti-oxidents ...about how to support the body during chemo...I'm going to juice daily through a juice place I trust...the owner had cancer and through juicing he blew the Dr's away with the success of his healing and his stamina during chemo!!! I'm on it!

I have often become very sick from fresh juices made from different health food stores due to bacteria...a real concern for patients going through chemo...I wasn't very confident letting people bring me juices...I have a juicer and a great blender...but it's also tiring to do it myself and the cleaning is crucial and time consuming...after talking to Abdul and his wife Tania...I'm very confident in using their organic fresh juices as a huge part of my healing!

Here is their info.... they said they would help anyone bringing me juice ...choosing the just right juice for me! Right now...GREEN JUICE is the best for me ...

I feel uplifted and excited that I found an option for nutrition...yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Fountain of Youth Juice"
Abdul and Tania
168 N. El Camino Real
Encinitas, Calif 92024

fountainof youthjuice@yahoo.com
760-943-6862

Have a great evening and hopefully I will be able to work a bit on Wednesday with clients...

Sending lots of love to my friend Barbara currently living in Tahoe...going through so much right now...bile duct cancer ...one surgery done...huge surgery coming with chemo and radiation...please send her much love and healing...

Much love to all,
Summer

Hopeful schedule to come

Blend Classes at private residence @ 9:15 am
tues 4/21...thurs 4/23 ...tues 4/28

Yoga Classes

Yoga Vista on Monday nights at 6pm
4/20 and 4/27

Soul of Yoga Thursday night at 5:30 pm
4/23

(this is subject to change but looks hopeful!)

The Saturday yoga class will resume soon...still need a bit more time ...

Love to you,
Summer

caution about plastics

Are you Aware of this?

Just in case...

Caution:

For your health and mine...

No plastic should be used for hot foods ...placing in plastic bags or plastic containers when food is still hot...plastic can only be used for food at room temperature...we have already been alerted about water and plastic bottles...it's the same toxic chemicals that leech into the food from the plastic...

NO cooking...warming up...storing hot or warm food in any kind of plastic

This is highly toxic and NO ONE should be doing this for themselves or others...

We should pass this on for everyone...

Those of you who are making food for me...

I have a lot of glass containers that you can come to pick up to use to bring food back to me...I will also keep all of your containers that you can come and pick up...also remember to label your containers...if you don't want them back...please let me know...

Much love,
Summer

grateful for a shower

I just took a shower and washed my hair without wanting to vomit or fall down in belly pain...so grateful to still have the energy to blog...feeling a little better at this moment...I'll take it...wishing you all a wonderful day...

Thanks so much for the wonderful food...the dragonfly ... the daffodils and the Buddha bunny...so much love and I'm sending it right back out to you!

chemo days

Dear Friends,

WOW...I barely got myself to my computer to write this ...

Wednesday, April 8th around 11am the first IP ( in the belly) was administered ...I did very well ...due to the drug combination...I fell asleep and from that moment on...I was groggy...nauseated and fluish...

I was also given the IV chemo.

Many of you have called and as much as I've wanted to talk to you ...I can barely get to the bathroom and back to the sofa...I have my phone off so I won't know you have called until later...I'll call back or and answer as I can.

Thank you for the wonderful food...it has been perfect!

From what I understand...these strong symptoms may continue through Tuesday...

The next chemo is next Thursday...the symptoms are supposed to be less intense.

Did you hear the rain last night...loved that sound...

Love to you,
Summer

private class in ON!!!

Private Blend class is on...see you in a few...

Feeling stronger...I walked yesterday ...very SLOWLY...up to the store and back...just in the neighborhood...It was a beautiful day ...I'm getting ready to go on a short SLOW walk again right now...it's helping me feel stronger...

I'm getting myself ready to start treatment on Wednesday...

REMINDER:

I teach yoga at Yoga Vista this MONDAY night at 6pm

It will be a few weeks before I can do that again...

Much love,
Summer

Dear Food Rotation Friends,

Susan wanted me to post this:

• Please list all ingredients of food you prepare

• Please no citrus during chemo...mouth sores...interactions with meds

Thank you so much Susan for organizing this...WOW!!!!

Much love,
Summer

...feeling much stronger today...one full week since surgery...

YEAH !!!!

I will now be starting chemo on Wednesday...this chemo will be the belly chemo and the next chemo will be the following Thursday...it is my understanding that it will be a rough time for about 12 days....the first 7 days post first chemo and another few days after the second chemo...every belly chemo is rough and the other 2 are supposed to be tolerable after a few days....so ...I will have a work schedule that might be doable once I know more...

I did it !!!!

I taught yoga verbally and it was awesome!!!


YEAH!!!

Now...time to rest...

YES!!!

• I'm teaching at Soul of Yoga /Thursday /April 2 at 5:30 pm

• I'm teaching at Yoga Vista/ Monday /April 6 at 6:00 pm

• I'm teaching a private Blend class/private residence/ Tuesday /April 7 at 9:15 am

• Chemo starts Wednesday April 8 all day/ IP ( belly chemo) first round with 2 more weekly treatments on the following Thursdays...the first 12 days will be rough...each IP monthly chemo will be rough...the others I hear are doable...once I sense the side effects...I'll continue to work!

Remember!!!!

Please do NOT show up to any class or session with any sickness or have been recently exposed to sickness...a simple cold is easy for you and potentially life threatening to me...I can only agree to work with this arrangement!!!

I'm so excited to see you all the next few days...I'm in pain but I can handle it!
Love to you,

Summer

I'm teaching at Soul of Yoga

Thursday April 2
5:30 pm

unless I don't feel up to it by tomorrow afternoon...

I'll post it if I'm not able to do it

Love to all,
Summer