Tried something new, and got a laugh out of it...

annalexandria
annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
edited March 2013 in Colorectal Cancer #1

Yesterday I went to get a massage, and it included something I'd never tried before (or even heard of)...a therapy called Reiki.  I'm still not sure what it is exaclty, as the therapist was telling me about it while I was lying down on a heated table and my ability to concentrate had melted ("Reiki blah blah channels of energy blah something something...").  It was actually pretty great (the Reiki part seems to mostly involve pressing on parts of the body that feel tense, sort of "massage lite"), but the conversation with the therapist afterwards was kind of funny.

I had told her about the colon cancer, and the many surgeries (always have to warn people before they get a glimpse of my bisected torso), but apparently, like many people, as soon as she heard the words "colon cancer", her brain shut down too, and she really wasn't thinking about what this all meant for my health.  Because when I mentioned that I have a lot of digestive problems, she replied:

"Problems that bother you on a regular basis are usually due to your holding things in in that area (gestures to my abdomen), things that happened in the past, even as far back as childhood."

She was such a nice lady I didn't have the heart to correct her, but I suspect my ongoing digestive problems are due mostly to the fact that I was ritually disemboweled every 6 months for three years in a row, leaving me with about 50% of my intestines.

Although it is possible that my childhood fear of clowns is a contributing factor...

Anyway, it felt good, and my joints felt a little better when I was done, so I would recommend it even though I feel compelled to make fun of it a little bit as well.  AA

Comments

  • wolfen
    wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
    #2
    Funny, But True

    Hi Ann,

    I have heard the word Reiki, but don't even remember in what context. I'm glad that part was relaxing, at least.

    As for the conversation, you already know how I feel about those who refuse to listen.  LOL

    Now about that fear of clowns..................Did you watch Stephen King's "It", one too many times?

    Luv,

    Wolfen

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #3
    wolfen said:

    Funny, But True

    Hi Ann,

    I have heard the word Reiki, but don't even remember in what context. I'm glad that part was relaxing, at least.

    As for the conversation, you already know how I feel about those who refuse to listen.  LOL

    Now about that fear of clowns..................Did you watch Stephen King's "It", one too many times?

    Luv,

    Wolfen

    I have watched (and read) It more than once!

    But my fear of clowns started way before that book came out.  My mother hung a painting of an absolutely terrifying clown over my crib when I was a baby.  Can't imagine why they bother me to this day.

    "A smile...is just a frown...turned around...on the face of a clown with a mean streak".  Devo

  • devotion10
    devotion10 Member Posts: 623 Member
    #4
    AA - I love your sense of humor. This disease and the weight

    it bears on the heart just needs to be lifted sometimes with a good laugh ... the ritually disemboweled topped off with the childhood fear of clowns comments gave me a great chuckle. Thank you! -- Cynthia

     

    We're merely one tree with various types, shapes and sizes of leaves that all wave differently in the breeze.

     

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #5
    huh....wonder how many others

    huh....wonder how many others here have a fear of clowns??   You may have found the cure - just get rid of the clowns!

    Reiki is a Japanese healing.  I'm sure others here will know more about it than I do ...I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I don't think they are supposed to actually touch you (??)  and I've heard that Reiki healers can "heal" over the phone...which I find strange.   It's an energy thing.

    Well, whatever it is or isn't - glad you got that massage and got to relax a little!   Now for a facial and pedicure!

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #6
    devotion10 said:

    AA - I love your sense of humor. This disease and the weight

    it bears on the heart just needs to be lifted sometimes with a good laugh ... the ritually disemboweled topped off with the childhood fear of clowns comments gave me a great chuckle. Thank you! -- Cynthia

     

    We're merely one tree with various types, shapes and sizes of leaves that all wave differently in the breeze.

     

    A good cry can be therapeutic,

    but a good laugh is even better, imo.  OF course, one can take it too far.  I was kicked out of my dying father's hospital room (along with a couple of my siblings) for laughing too loud.  We couldn't manage to explain to the nurse that our dad would have been the first person to laugh in the face of disaster...she just thought we were being heartless.

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #7
    jen2012 said:

    huh....wonder how many others

    huh....wonder how many others here have a fear of clowns??   You may have found the cure - just get rid of the clowns!

    Reiki is a Japanese healing.  I'm sure others here will know more about it than I do ...I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I don't think they are supposed to actually touch you (??)  and I've heard that Reiki healers can "heal" over the phone...which I find strange.   It's an energy thing.

    Well, whatever it is or isn't - glad you got that massage and got to relax a little!   Now for a facial and pedicure!

    With this particular therapist, some of it was hands-off,

    and some involved touching.  I have a Japanese friend who did something she called "healing touch" for me when I was in treatment.  It was almost entirely without actual touching.  Oddly enough, it was still quite relaxing.  At one point, she moved her hands down my body and I felt this strange, tingly sensation following the path of her hands as she did so.  I have no idea what was going on, but it's interesting stuff.

    Those clowns, though...someone really needs to do something about them.  Who cares about the perils of sugar when there are clowns running around loose?

  • wolfen
    wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
    #8
    annalexandria said:

    With this particular therapist, some of it was hands-off,

    and some involved touching.  I have a Japanese friend who did something she called "healing touch" for me when I was in treatment.  It was almost entirely without actual touching.  Oddly enough, it was still quite relaxing.  At one point, she moved her hands down my body and I felt this strange, tingly sensation following the path of her hands as she did so.  I have no idea what was going on, but it's interesting stuff.

    Those clowns, though...someone really needs to do something about them.  Who cares about the perils of sugar when there are clowns running around loose?

    Now This Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With, Clowns

    Only fear. When I was about six, we used to visit an aunt & uncle on their farm. They had chickens and would kill them for dinner. I have a vision of these poor chickens wobbling around headlees for a few seconds after being beheaded. I don't like chickens! In my book, the best chicken is a fried one.  LOL

    Hope that's not too gruesome for you guys. Sorry.

    Luv,

    Wolfen

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #9
    wolfen said:

    Now This Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With, Clowns

    Only fear. When I was about six, we used to visit an aunt & uncle on their farm. They had chickens and would kill them for dinner. I have a vision of these poor chickens wobbling around headlees for a few seconds after being beheaded. I don't like chickens! In my book, the best chicken is a fried one.  LOL

    Hope that's not too gruesome for you guys. Sorry.

    Luv,

    Wolfen

    No, not too gruesome...

    at least not for me.  I read King, remember?  I only had one childhood experience with chickens, at a cousin's farn.  He thought it would be a treat for me to feed those feathery little monsters.  Absolutely terrifying.  Refused to go anywhere near the chicken coop for the rest of our visit.  I do still like a good piece of fried chicken, though.

  • cloverdalian
    cloverdalian Member Posts: 1
    #10
    annalexandria said:

    A good cry can be therapeutic,

    but a good laugh is even better, imo.  OF course, one can take it too far.  I was kicked out of my dying father's hospital room (along with a couple of my siblings) for laughing too loud.  We couldn't manage to explain to the nurse that our dad would have been the first person to laugh in the face of disaster...she just thought we were being heartless.

    a good laugh

    Recently diagnosised stage 4  colon cancer, a resection of colon and small intestine. The margins are clear. but now a few spots on the liver, and 5 of 32 lymphnodes positive. I start chemo tomorrow March 27th. Everybody tells me my positive outlook and odd sense of humor is what is going to get me through this. I agree nothing beats a good laugh.

  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #11
    cloverdalian said:

    a good laugh

    Recently diagnosised stage 4  colon cancer, a resection of colon and small intestine. The margins are clear. but now a few spots on the liver, and 5 of 32 lymphnodes positive. I start chemo tomorrow March 27th. Everybody tells me my positive outlook and odd sense of humor is what is going to get me through this. I agree nothing beats a good laugh.

    Welcome aboard! My husband
    Welcome aboard! My husband was diagnosed with stage four two years ago. He too has an odd sense of humor and a positive outlook. They have helped him through a lot. Good luck at chemo tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes.

    Chelsea
  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    #12
    annalexandria said:

    No, not too gruesome...

    at least not for me.  I read King, remember?  I only had one childhood experience with chickens, at a cousin's farn.  He thought it would be a treat for me to feed those feathery little monsters.  Absolutely terrifying.  Refused to go anywhere near the chicken coop for the rest of our visit.  I do still like a good piece of fried chicken, though.

    We have a wonderful therapy center with all types of free counseling, presentations, reflexoligy and reiki treatments. I try to have one reiki or refexology appointment once a week, plus active yoga and chair yoga. The reiki can be combined with light touch and some of our volunteers put lavender oil your forehead.... It has helped me tremendously to relax and I have had visualizations about people I know. Some of the people in my support group believe their is a spiritual connection. The reiki volunteers almost always have a connection of a loved one with or who had cancer or they have beat the shizzy disease.

    Just sharing my experience. The center recently had a training session and ways you can use reiki on yourself for pain. I thought it sounded weird but after going I realized it really helped me with relaxing and getting those chakras back in line.

    Yoga and breathing really is powerful for mind control and relaxation.... Any others ventured in to these alternative therapies?

    We are very fortunate to have this center and caring volunteers and employees with special skills for our patient population I am humbled everytime I go. I always see younger folks or mom's with young children...such an unfair disease for all.

    Now what about the clowns and chickens? :-) What about swinging chickens?
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #13
    treatments

    I really love reflexology too....after surgery some friends gave me treatments as a gift and I really liked it.....pressure points in the feet.....you can feel the results all over your body.  If I could afford it I would definitely try it again.  I have had massage which I love and also healing touch....for sure that works....I tend to be skeptical but those three treatments really helped me.

    At night in bed I will often listen to  guided imagery ////there is a therapist called Belleruth Naparstek.....i like the sound of her voice...quite often i fall asleep listening to her....

    whatever works on this journey......good with meSmile

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #14
    barbebarb said:

    We have a wonderful therapy center with all types of free counseling, presentations, reflexoligy and reiki treatments. I try to have one reiki or refexology appointment once a week, plus active yoga and chair yoga. The reiki can be combined with light touch and some of our volunteers put lavender oil your forehead.... It has helped me tremendously to relax and I have had visualizations about people I know. Some of the people in my support group believe their is a spiritual connection. The reiki volunteers almost always have a connection of a loved one with or who had cancer or they have beat the shizzy disease.

    Just sharing my experience. The center recently had a training session and ways you can use reiki on yourself for pain. I thought it sounded weird but after going I realized it really helped me with relaxing and getting those chakras back in line.

    Yoga and breathing really is powerful for mind control and relaxation.... Any others ventured in to these alternative therapies?

    We are very fortunate to have this center and caring volunteers and employees with special skills for our patient population I am humbled everytime I go. I always see younger folks or mom's with young children...such an unfair disease for all.

    Now what about the clowns and chickens? :-) What about swinging chickens?
    Swinging chickens...

    maybe we need to add that to the "culture" of this board.  Would have to think of our own, however, as that one seems to belong to the Colon Club!

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #15
    maglets said:

    treatments

    I really love reflexology too....after surgery some friends gave me treatments as a gift and I really liked it.....pressure points in the feet.....you can feel the results all over your body.  If I could afford it I would definitely try it again.  I have had massage which I love and also healing touch....for sure that works....I tend to be skeptical but those three treatments really helped me.

    At night in bed I will often listen to  guided imagery ////there is a therapist called Belleruth Naparstek.....i like the sound of her voice...quite often i fall asleep listening to her....

    whatever works on this journey......good with meSmile

    Agree 100%, Mags....

    whatever gets you through the day...or night.  Despite our recent altercations here, I think most of us are open to many different approaches.  Not so sure where the black cherry flavored bourbon I'm sipping at the moment fits in.  It is local (distilled right here in Seattle) and organic, so...

  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    #16
    annalexandria said:

    Agree 100%, Mags....

    whatever gets you through the day...or night.  Despite our recent altercations here, I think most of us are open to many different approaches.  Not so sure where the black cherry flavored bourbon I'm sipping at the moment fits in.  It is local (distilled right here in Seattle) and organic, so...

    Whatever works
    Mags
    Our yoga instructor mentioned that artist (?)/name for guided imagery /relaxation.

    I agree, what we believe works helps us to keep moving forward....

    I may need that Bourbon before upcoming scans... :-)

    Yes, swinging chickens is the Colon Club's saying.
  • renw
    renw Member Posts: 282 Member
    #17
    I have been doing reiki for a
    I have been doing reiki for a while now. I am very science and evidence based, so this was a leap of faith for me. (at my wife's insistence).

    What convinced me was I did not tell the reiki practitioner what my problem was yet she was able to accurately pinpoint all of my tumour sites with great precision. If she can feel the supposedly negative energy generated by the cancers, just maybe reiki can be of some help.
  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #18
    renw said:

    I have been doing reiki for a
    I have been doing reiki for a while now. I am very science and evidence based, so this was a leap of faith for me. (at my wife's insistence).

    What convinced me was I did not tell the reiki practitioner what my problem was yet she was able to accurately pinpoint all of my tumour sites with great precision. If she can feel the supposedly negative energy generated by the cancers, just maybe reiki can be of some help.

    Based on this overview of a bunch of studies on healing touch...

    which I think may be similar to reiki, there's something in it.  These folks looked at a lot of studies that had been done, and found there was, at the very least, reason to explore it further.  That seems like something of a thumbs-up from the evidence-based community.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15227762

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #19
    annalexandria said:

    Based on this overview of a bunch of studies on healing touch...

    which I think may be similar to reiki, there's something in it.  These folks looked at a lot of studies that had been done, and found there was, at the very least, reason to explore it further.  That seems like something of a thumbs-up from the evidence-based community.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15227762

    Thats interesting Ren and
    Thats interesting Ren and Ann. My husbands onc did recommend reiki...but he hasnt tried it yet. Someone we grew up with did it via phone...i just find that strange.
    Thanks for the info on the cds Mags!
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #20
    jen2012 said:

    Thats interesting Ren and
    Thats interesting Ren and Ann. My husbands onc did recommend reiki...but he hasnt tried it yet. Someone we grew up with did it via phone...i just find that strange.
    Thanks for the info on the cds Mags!

    I had a fellow walk into the

    I had a fellow walk into the office yesterday, as usual I ask the client  "How are you?"      He replied  "Absolutely horrible".    To which I start to chuckle and say to him that's an odd response.    He says I know but it always makes people laugh.   

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