evidence for "expectations determine outcome" sayeth connie

maggie_wilson
maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
sisters,

i was listening to our local pacifica progressive station this morning and heard an excerpt from a speech given by christine northrup, md, a woman's doctor and healer. she quoted from what she said was the best experiment she's ever heard of: women, i think middle aged, were asked what they expected their old age to be like. these women were followed for 23 years, and those women who said they expected to be older and wiser, and have large, productiver lives outlived by 7 1/2! years those women who said they expected to be older and frail and losing their capacities. these results took into account, blood pressure, general health, lonliness and depression, etc., and expectations were the major factor in determining these women's longevity! i ordered the dvd of this speech, so i'll know more when it arrives, since i just caught this one bit. still, pretty interesting......

sisterhood,
maggie

Comments

  • hopeful girl 1
    hopeful girl 1 Member Posts: 454
    #2
    That is really interesting
    That is really interesting. I guess it is true that attitude is everything.
    A positive outlook and faith make a big difference.

    So let's all put this into practice!

    Hugs to all!
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #3
    hopeful girl 1 said:

    That is really interesting
    That is really interesting. I guess it is true that attitude is everything.
    A positive outlook and faith make a big difference.

    So let's all put this into practice!

    Hugs to all!

    Positive Outlook!
    Maggie,

    That's very interesting as I've heard this statement before. In fact, my OB who caught my cancer told me since I've got the positive mind and big smile on my face always, he told me that will get me places, and in the best places. I will get thru this ordeal so much easier and faster than most people. Hum....thusfar on target!!

    Remember the motto -- MIND OVER MATTER !!!!!

    Believe in it....
    Jan
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980 Member
    #4
    jazzy1 said:

    Positive Outlook!
    Maggie,

    That's very interesting as I've heard this statement before. In fact, my OB who caught my cancer told me since I've got the positive mind and big smile on my face always, he told me that will get me places, and in the best places. I will get thru this ordeal so much easier and faster than most people. Hum....thusfar on target!!

    Remember the motto -- MIND OVER MATTER !!!!!

    Believe in it....
    Jan

    A great attitude can't keep your cancer from returning, BUT.....
    If only a great attitude and a firm belief in a personal CURE was all it takes!

    BUT (and this is a BIG but!!)..... certainly confidence that YOU will live with vibrance and joy is a self-fulfilling prophesy, regardless of what your body does. I feel wonderful, so even if I am not healthy, if I FEEL healthy and vibrant, isn't that just as good??? (or damn close anyway?)

    I studied (and taught) yoga for decades and know that the mind controls the body. I can lower my pulse through meditation and breathing exercises. I can will my ligaments to relax enough to bend into crazy contortions. I can concentrate on my core so that I can balance on my head and stay steady while doing toe touches to the floor over and over,....almost as cleanly now at 57 years old as I could at 14. Mind over body.

    I was unable to keep cancer from invading my body. But by sheer force of will, I believe we all can control how our spirit accepts and co-exists with this invader. Cancer is a part of me now just like the belly scar, port, and bald head. I choose to ignore all of those "flaws" in the same way I ignored my big ears and long nose all my life and chose to think of myself as beautiful and sexy. By radiating confidence and joy, we can all pull off a rich life, if we can just BELIEVE and let it be REAL for us. Mind over body, ladies!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #5
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #6
    lindaprocopio said:

    A great attitude can't keep your cancer from returning, BUT.....
    If only a great attitude and a firm belief in a personal CURE was all it takes!

    BUT (and this is a BIG but!!)..... certainly confidence that YOU will live with vibrance and joy is a self-fulfilling prophesy, regardless of what your body does. I feel wonderful, so even if I am not healthy, if I FEEL healthy and vibrant, isn't that just as good??? (or damn close anyway?)

    I studied (and taught) yoga for decades and know that the mind controls the body. I can lower my pulse through meditation and breathing exercises. I can will my ligaments to relax enough to bend into crazy contortions. I can concentrate on my core so that I can balance on my head and stay steady while doing toe touches to the floor over and over,....almost as cleanly now at 57 years old as I could at 14. Mind over body.

    I was unable to keep cancer from invading my body. But by sheer force of will, I believe we all can control how our spirit accepts and co-exists with this invader. Cancer is a part of me now just like the belly scar, port, and bald head. I choose to ignore all of those "flaws" in the same way I ignored my big ears and long nose all my life and chose to think of myself as beautiful and sexy. By radiating confidence and joy, we can all pull off a rich life, if we can just BELIEVE and let it be REAL for us. Mind over body, ladies!

    i agree with you, linda,
    that a great attitude cannot keep us from getting cancer or a recurrence--if that were true few of us on this site would have ever been diagnosed. plus lots of friends, family and acquaintances wouldn't have either. yet, we still have choices re: how we live with the cards we've been dealt. that is within our control. i don't always muster up alot of vibrance and joy, but certainly some, in fact enough to make my life full with family, work, friends, and of course, poker. not to mention my other obsession--garage sales. so, still have a full life, yet it's the uncertainty, i think, that makes our lives so existential. everyone's life is in fact existential, we're just more aware of it than most.


    exactly how do you balance on your head, linda, and do toe touches to the floor over and over?? that's kinda hard to even imagine.

    yes, cancer is now a permanent part of our lives, as is our long scar, maybe not always the port or the bald head, but cancer. one is never the same after this diagnosis; there's never going back to normal, whatever that was. in the meantime, connie, i'd choose a delicious cafe in paris over a grand cemetery any day.

    sisterhood and hugs,
    maggie
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #7
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    so xmas at cafe de la paix 2010?

    that would be an event of a lifetime -- meeting in paris over the holidays at cafe de la paix. who knows, maybe something like that could actually happen.? i know you'll be there.

    how are you doing? haven't heard recently how things are going. are you still feeling good after the treatment? sure hoping so.

    maybe off to reno this weekend for some poker tourneys, depending upon whether my cold is better or not. strange, haven't had a cold in years--now, a cold feels normal........

    take care my pal,
    maggie
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #8
    lindaprocopio said:

    A great attitude can't keep your cancer from returning, BUT.....
    If only a great attitude and a firm belief in a personal CURE was all it takes!

    BUT (and this is a BIG but!!)..... certainly confidence that YOU will live with vibrance and joy is a self-fulfilling prophesy, regardless of what your body does. I feel wonderful, so even if I am not healthy, if I FEEL healthy and vibrant, isn't that just as good??? (or damn close anyway?)

    I studied (and taught) yoga for decades and know that the mind controls the body. I can lower my pulse through meditation and breathing exercises. I can will my ligaments to relax enough to bend into crazy contortions. I can concentrate on my core so that I can balance on my head and stay steady while doing toe touches to the floor over and over,....almost as cleanly now at 57 years old as I could at 14. Mind over body.

    I was unable to keep cancer from invading my body. But by sheer force of will, I believe we all can control how our spirit accepts and co-exists with this invader. Cancer is a part of me now just like the belly scar, port, and bald head. I choose to ignore all of those "flaws" in the same way I ignored my big ears and long nose all my life and chose to think of myself as beautiful and sexy. By radiating confidence and joy, we can all pull off a rich life, if we can just BELIEVE and let it be REAL for us. Mind over body, ladies!

    Outlook
    Ms Linda,

    Just reading your posting who'd think you're going thru cancer treatments???? You have a positive way about you and know no matter what gets in your path, you'll do what you can to overcome. If we have to endure treatments, nice to be positive and enjoy as best we can. Not easy, but might as well smile along the way.

    Who said life would be easy, but with a little smile on our face and positive attitude it truly can make it easier!!!

    Happy weekend ladies!
    Jan
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #9
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    on the other hand

    my father died at 84, my mother died at 96, my paternal grandmother died in her late 90s and my paternal grandmother died in her late 90 as well. i always expected to live well into my 90s without coronary problems or cancer, so, so much for those expectations. in fact, my friend who's 5+ years older than i and i would often talk about how we would be living our lives in our 80s and 90s, so sure were both of us.


    i still choose cafe de la paix: would that it would choose me--and the rest of us.

    sisterhood and big hugs,
    maggie
  • TiggersDoBounce
    TiggersDoBounce Member Posts: 408
    #10
    maggie_wilson said:

    on the other hand

    my father died at 84, my mother died at 96, my paternal grandmother died in her late 90s and my paternal grandmother died in her late 90 as well. i always expected to live well into my 90s without coronary problems or cancer, so, so much for those expectations. in fact, my friend who's 5+ years older than i and i would often talk about how we would be living our lives in our 80s and 90s, so sure were both of us.


    i still choose cafe de la paix: would that it would choose me--and the rest of us.

    sisterhood and big hugs,
    maggie

    Hmmm a group trip to Paris
    Can you only imagine how loud we would all be??

    They would say..look at those crazy Americans!!!

    I can only dream...I loved Paris when I went in the 90's....

    Good luck at the tournament...win lots!

    Laurie
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #11
    TiggersDoBounce said:

    Hmmm a group trip to Paris
    Can you only imagine how loud we would all be??

    They would say..look at those crazy Americans!!!

    I can only dream...I loved Paris when I went in the 90's....

    Good luck at the tournament...win lots!

    Laurie

    laurie and everyone

    can we all meet in paris with connie in cyberspace, if not on those hallowed paris grounds?

    thanx laurie for your wishes, had good and bad luck at the tournaments, so pretty much came out even, which was good. had fun, which is probably more important.

    take care everyone,
    sisterhood,
    maggie

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