Saturday, August 4, 2007

Crazy, Sexy, Cancer!

The other day, I discovered Crazy, Sexy, Cancer, a video journal/documentary of a woman's struggle through cancer: http://www.crazysexycancer.com/home.asp Check it out! It's amazing and you must, must, must watch the trailer. I cried.
It got me thinking about what I'm actively doing to fight this disease. And I don't mean the Western-medicine way that I'm already actively involved in: chemotherapy, pills, etc, but I mean in the emotionally-feeding/artistic way, a way that might boost antioxidants or calm my psychoses. I've been recently looking into meditation and yoga, although movement is difficult for me right now. I've also been reading a lot about visualization and breathwork and the importance of oxygen and to breathe deeply.
Although, I am not actively searching alternative therapies, I also feel like I'm not creating a survivorship or doing anything within my creative realm to defeat this disease. Except for this blog and a letter-writing group I created on MySpace, I don't really feel like an active participant in my treatment. It's all decided for me by doctors. This is probably the worst thing that can happen to a person, lost in their own lives, few ways out and fewer and fewer options. There is very little I can do physically, but I guess the whole game is your mental outlook.

So, I've decided to start, been inspired by Crazy, Sexy, Cancer, a video journal. Perhaps I'll be able to post it on this thing. I'm not really sure what I'll be creating, but through all this soul-seeking and self-investigating, I need this. I need to create something for myself. And perhaps for others, too. I would like to, ultimately, create awareness regarding cancer, adrenal cancer, and young people and cancer. But first, it's all about me.
Everyone's aware of breast cancer and there are limitless amounts of groups, stores, support, money, etc. to show that support, but where is the concentration on other cancers and the young women affected by them? Cancer support is either for pediatrics or the elderly. There's that twenties-something age gap that needs to be addressed. At my hospital where I receive treatment, I asked a social worker about support groups and while there were plenty for breast, ovarian, etc, the "general" cancer support group was discouraged b/c apparently not a lot of people show up. I was discouraged for coming b/c sometimes only a couple of people show up or maybe five the next time. I was really disheartened, so on the advice of a friend, I have been thinking about starting a group for the younger population. Not sure how this will pan out. But ideas are always inspiring to get me off my butt and do something.

1 comment:

emc said...

Wow, Wendy! These are incredible ideas. You can reach so many people with an online video journal. Plus, you know from personal experience that there's a real (and seemingly overlooked) need for community among young people with cancer.

Regarding yoga and meditation and the like, are you familiar with Alan Watts? If not, I highly recommend checking him out, (1960's philosopher of Zen Buddhism and Eastern thought). You can download tons of his lectures online. He wrote books, too.

I'm going to check out the link you posted to Crazy, Sexy, Cancer now.

:)