My brother posted “I’m going to live this day intentionally” on Twitter the other day.  It made me think about the things in my life for which I am living intentionally.  The most obvious one that comes to mind is my intention of getting rid of this tumor.  I tend to eat, sleep and breath the thoughts of this tumor camping out in my head on a daily basis.  Understandable?  Sure.  Ridiculous?  Yes.  Ever since this last scan, I’ve been pouring over books, the internet, things that I have been looking at over the past 5 years to make sure that there isn’t anything that I’ve missed.  I’d have to say I’ve been a bit obsessive.   I think it’s crazy to not educate yourself about the things if you’re life that you are dealing with, especially when it comes to your health.  But I also think there needs to be a balance.  My endeavor in pursuing ways to restore my health may actually be a bit counter-productive.  First, I’m not trusting God for ultimate healing.  My faith blows right out the door when I get in this frame of mind, which leaves me in a lonely, somewhat depressed state.  I’m carrying this load solo and it’s too much.   Second, continuously pouring all of the various scenarios into my mind for me to think through is a heap of stress.  This stress manifests itself emotionally, physically, psychologically.  What is agreed upon by 99% of people in the medical community as a contributor to chronic disease?  Yep, stress.  Third, I’m armed with most of the knowledge I need to know, already.  I’ve been dealing with this for 5 years now, which means I’ve been devouring research for that long, as well.  Why do I need to review it?  The hours I spend researching could be spent working out, hanging out in good conversations, reaching out to other people that may be going through something difficult;  activities that seem to be much more productive and great for my emotional, physical and spiritual well being, thus moving my body toward wellness.

For those of you out there that think ‘cancer will never happen to me’, I implore you to reconsider that mindset.  I was only 26 and in great health, or so I thought, when I was diagnosed.  I was living a blessed life with a new son and an amazing husband.  Nobody on either side of my family had ever had cancer.  One would think that I was swimming in a great genetic pool.  Not so much.  My point here is simply this:

YOU NEVER KNOW!!

The old adage ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure‘ is something everybody should have displayed somewhere in their house, particularly in the kitchen.  Be more cautious with how you treat your body.  Eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables.  Plant a garden.  This is one of those activities that I think can have a profound impact on your health.  Not only are you growing organic food that you can eat off of your own land, but the process of growing and caring for your own food is extremely therapeutic.  The physical benefits you get from working the ground and planting, the satisfaction of being self-sustaining, even just watering them and watching them grow can give you great satisfaction.  It sounds silly, but try it.  You’ll understand what I’m talking about.  Pay attention to the articles that flash across Yahoo headlines about how exercise decreases your risk of chronic disease, Vitamin D deficiency causes this, that and the other.  It may not seem relevant to you and is easy to pass off, but it is and you shouldn’t.  It could save your life.

All of this to say, why not live intentionally and do what you can to prevent things like cancer popping up in your life?  We have the tools and the knowledge to know what we can do to direct our bodies toward wellness, so why not use them?  Is it hard work?  Yes.  Does it require a lot of discipline?  Yes.  Does it require sacrifice?  Yes.  Will it be worth it?  Absolutely.  Look at your kids, look at your spouse, look at those around you who care about you.  You’re not only doing this for yourself, but for all those people that love you and want to have you in their lives.  I don’t want my kids to grow up without a mom.  When I had Tyler, I was on top of the world.  Life couldn’t have been any better, I thought.  I was driving home from work one evening, then wham !  Our world changed forever that day and life has been an extremely bumpy roller coaster ride ever since.  I don’t recommend this ride for anybody, and once you’re on it, it’s extremely hard to get off.  Cancer is quite the formidable foe that doesn’t go away easily.  The best way to fight this beast?  Don’t let it come around in the first place.

So live with your life with intention.  Live it with the intention of watching your kids grow up and becoming a grandparent.  Live it with the intention of bringing your body into a state of wellness so that you can avoid traveling down the same road that I’m on.

Please trust me when I say, it’s not a trek you’ll ever want to take…