Sometimes You Need a Kick in the Butt

I watched the documentary "Crazy Sexy Cancer" today. It was sad in some parts, yet uplifting and empowering in others. I thank my lucky stars I don't have cancer and applaud all the brave souls who battle it every day. My mom had thryoid cancer and thankfully she is a survivor. She caught it due to environmental factors. I get a thyroid sonogram every once in a while to make sure everything's ok as well. Prevention is always key.

The movie definitely brought about some very good points that anyone with a chronic illness can apply as well. The main one is being your own advocate. Keep searching for that doctor that truly listens to you and doesn't brush you aside making you feel like you're a hypochondriac. I've sadly had too many instances where this happened both prior to my diagnosis and occasionally still to this day. Make sure you do as much research as you can on your particular disease. No doctor has the time to keep you completely abreast of how you can live your best life nor do they know what's truly best for you. They are swamped with other patients and besides who knows your own body best but you?

I also totally agree with eating as healthfully as you possibly can. The documentary's star, Kris Carr, tackled a macrobiotic diet and it worked beautifully for her even though it was a bit difficult to stick to at times. I'm just trying to make small changes by including more fruits and vegetables in my diet and cutting out the processed sugary foods. I do feel the results so far to some extent. I was able to get rid of a migraine last week by drinking ginger tea with pieces of ginger root in it. Exercise is also helpful but in times of extreme fatique this can be the furthest thing from your mind. I'm still trying to tackle this one.

Most of all don't ever give up on yourself. Sure, we all have moments when we feel sorry for ourselves but we can all take a cue from one woman in the documentary who suffered from breast cancer, Oni. She actually set a timer for 10 minutes a day where she allowed herself to feel sorry for herself, get some tedious chores done etc. and then once the timer rang she got back behind the computer and resumed her life as a writer. The ultimate message of the documentary is to live your life to the fullest and don't take anything for granted. Sometimes you need a kick in the butt like cancer or a chronic illness to show you the way.