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fauxgypsy · 08-26-2007, 07:04 PM

I had an interesting day. It started because I found a quote from a Buddhist nun on a cancer blog today. It was about accepting bad feelings and moving on, a simplified version of the quote.

http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-ca...#comment-11471

I have been interested in Buddhism for many years and this really touched me so I did a search for this Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. This led me to a website with information about her books. It also had a map of Buddhist meditation centers.

http://www.shambhala.org/centers/

Now I live in Northern Mississippi which is not ordinarily a place that you associate with Buddhism. But there was a link to a site in Memphis. So I went there.

http://www.dharmamemphis.com/index2.htm

While I was browsing this site I found a link to a meditation center not very far from where I live. Very rural. Not Memphis. Now I would have been less surprised if it had been near Oxford, since it is more of what you associate with a university town. But I called the number that was listed. I was promptly invited to visit. They were having a festival today. I haven't been out much since my surgery but I put on my breast and got my husband to drive me there. It was beautiful and almost completely Vietnamese. It was like a large family reunion. There was one women there who was not Vietnamese and she explained what was going on and introduced me to several people. I was made to feel very comfortable and had a really good time even though I am still very tired and sore from my surgery. We had missed part of the festival and I couldn't stay long but I did learn more and have found out that there are some people in Oxford who are also interested in learning more and that get together for meditation. So that was my joy for today, and also, seeing the lotus blossoms blooming in the beautiful pool. Now I am almost too sore to move but it was worth it.

Leslie

08-26-2007, 07:04 PM	#62
fauxgypsy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 600	Synchronicity I had an interesting day. It started because I found a quote from a Buddhist nun on a cancer blog today. It was about accepting bad feelings and moving on, a simplified version of the quote. http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-ca...#comment-11471 I have been interested in Buddhism for many years and this really touched me so I did a search for this Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. This led me to a website with information about her books. It also had a map of Buddhist meditation centers. http://www.shambhala.org/centers/ Now I live in Northern Mississippi which is not ordinarily a place that you associate with Buddhism. But there was a link to a site in Memphis. So I went there. http://www.dharmamemphis.com/index2.htm While I was browsing this site I found a link to a meditation center not very far from where I live. Very rural. Not Memphis. Now I would have been less surprised if it had been near Oxford, since it is more of what you associate with a university town. But I called the number that was listed. I was promptly invited to visit. They were having a festival today. I haven't been out much since my surgery but I put on my breast and got my husband to drive me there. It was beautiful and almost completely Vietnamese. It was like a large family reunion. There was one women there who was not Vietnamese and she explained what was going on and introduced me to several people. I was made to feel very comfortable and had a really good time even though I am still very tired and sore from my surgery. We had missed part of the festival and I couldn't stay long but I did learn more and have found out that there are some people in Oxford who are also interested in learning more and that get together for meditation. So that was my joy for today, and also, seeing the lotus blossoms blooming in the beautiful pool. Now I am almost too sore to move but it was worth it. Leslie __________________ In the world of destiny, there are no statistics. Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3 February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy. March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy, June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative August 7th - Brain MRI-negative August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07 July 2008-Finished Herceptin!