acceptance, 63, 170–172
advocacy groups, 186–187
Alexandra (daughter), 9, 25, 80, 91, 134, 160, 165, 195, 196
allergic reaction, 49–50
alternative medicine
CAM, 117–118
cancer treatment and, 48, 147
conference, 65, 68
energetic medicine, 119–120
information on, 117
New Age movement and, 53
scar healing, 141
supplements, 119–120
support systems, 128
underground, 124–125
“Alternative Medicine: Fact or Fancy,” 65–68
anger, 89–90, 106–107
“Angry Susan,” 86
antibiotics, 168, 169, 172
Ayurvedic approach, 144–145
ballet, 10–11
Becker, Rubin, 97, 156, 162, 173, 174, 175–176, 181, 184, 191
behavior patterns, 77
belief
faith and, 3, 41, 63
hope and, 3, 41, 63
placebo effect and, 62
as a powerful tool, 131–132
relief and, 66
system, 63, 122–123
treatment success and, 53
wishful thinking and, 68
Béliveau, Richard, 56
Benson, Herbert, 64, 132
Berthiaume, Linda, 182–183
Beth (housekeeper), 197–198
Birks, Linda (author’s sister), 54
birth control, 13
“black place,” 69–70
Blackwood, Shelly, 195
blood test, “live blood analysis,” 125–126, 132–133
body image/scarring, 32, 148, 151, 176, 194–196, 200–202
Boston Globe, 124
boundaries, developing, 43–44
bowel adhesions, 150–151
bowel obstruction, 83–88, 150, 155–156, 157–158, 160–162, 163–164, 179–181
bowel surgery, 193–196
Camilleri, Michael, 185, 188, 190–191
Carson, Linda, 7, 23, 27, 133
Carson, Stephen, 23, 27, 126, 133
C. difficile, 169–171, 172, 184, 191
change, making, 72
Chan, Luke, 142–143
chemotherapy, 30, 33, 48–50, 111–113
Chi-Lel Qigong, 142–143
Chinese medicine, 112
Christmas 2008, 175–176
“Clinical Applications of Behavioral Medicine,” 141–143
collaboration, 130, 131–132
colonoscopy, 16–18
colon surgery, 29
colostomy, 176, 184–185
Commonweal Cancer Help Program, 147
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), 117–118
Concordia University, 7
conscious eating, 56–57
contentment, 6
country house, 19–20, 104–107, 152
creative visualization, 60–62, 65, 68, 70–71
CURE Foundation, 188
Dalai Lama, 79
Dalzell, Mary-Ann, 188
dance, 10–11
David, Marc, 57–58
daydreaming, 5–6
death, about, 102–103, 158–159
Défi Canderel (the Canderel Corporate Challenge), 86
depression, 105–106
diagnosis, cancer, 20–25, 88
diet, 57–58, 162
disposition, 5
distractions, 66
doctors, relationship with, 103, 111–112, 117, 128, 130, 132
dreams, 3–4, 5–6
Dukes B2, 29
emotional well-being, 31–32, 52–53, 130–131
energetic medicine, 119
exercise, 58, 133
faith, 3, 41, 68
fear, 12, 69, 153–155
food
bowel obstruction and, 162
conscious eating, 56–57
diet, 57–58
maintaining health, 54–56
nasogastric tube, 84–85, 194
veganism, 54–56
vegetarianism, 54–56, 78
Foods That Fight Cancer (Béliveau), 56
forgiveness, 38–39
Frankl, Viktor, 64
Fraser Institute, 200
free-flow writing, 75
frustration, 39
functional obstruction of the colon, 190–191
fundraising, 86
God, concept of, 37–42, 45, 52, 55, 72, 113, 155
God, prayer and, 88, 95, 152, 153, 185
Gotlieb, Walter, 130
graduation, children’s, 60, 80, 91, 99–100, 100, 160, 174
grandchildren, 160, 162, 166–168, 199, 206–207
grief, 39
Guerrera, Diane, 188
guilt, 12, 46, 189
gynecology check-up, 80–81
hair loss, 30–31
Hamilton, Nancy, 74
Hanek, Julius (author’s father), 6–8, 17, 37, 40, 101, 157
Hanek, Miriam (author’s mother), 5, 12, 13, 30, 37, 58, 87, 113
happiness, 79
harmony, 45–46
Harricharan, John, 146
Hawaii, 140–141
Hay, Louise, 39
healers, 120, 121
healings, 142–143
help, accepting, 146–147
homecoming, 34
hope, 41, 63, 64–65, 66, 192
Hurt, William, 87
hysterectomy, 13
imagery, 68, 139–140
integrative approach, 74–79
intensive care unit (ICU), 97
intrauterine device (IUD), 13
Ireland vacation, 156–158
isolation, sense of, 36
Jacqueline (daughter), 8–9, 25, 77, 80, 88–89, 134, 160, 165, 196
James, Tad, 137
Jewish General Hospital, 85, 88, 130, 177, 187
Jewish General Hospital for Hope & Cope, 47–48, 129, 188
Jewish High Holidays, 38
Jonathan (author’s husband)
first meeting, 7
fundraising, 86
sharing feelings, 193–194
ski accident, 162–163
surgery, 201–202
wedding, 8
Jones, Steven Javan, 71
Judaism, 37
kahuna (Hawaiian healer), 140–141
Katherine (daughter) “Kassy,” 9, 26, 54, 70, 79, 80, 91–92, 99–100, 134, 160, 165, 177–178, 180, 196, 206
knee reconstruction, 13
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth, 15
Kussner, Sheila, 47–48
laparoscopic surgeries, 13
Lerner, Michael, 147
lovemaking, 108–109
lung cancer, 85
lung surgery, 95–100
Maine holiday, 51
Mall of America, 191–192
Man’s Search for Meaning (Frankl), 64
Mayo Clinic, 181, 185, 188
McGill University, 127, 130
mediastinoscopy, 90
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 90
metastatic illness, 87
Miller, Mark, 184
Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, 132
mononucleosis, 81, 113
Montreal Children’s Hospital, 65
mothering, 44, 134–136, 169–170, 206–207
mother-in-law, 12–13, 38–39, 78–79
multidimensional healing, 76–77
Naessens, Gaston, 126–127
nasogastric tube, 84–85, 194
Natural Health Consultants Institute, 74–76, 142, 145–146
negative thinking, 69
neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), 137–140
neuroplasticity, 60
New Age movement, 53
New York, 91–92
Nietzsche, 174
nightmares, 25
nonjudgmental approach, 131–132
Nourishing Wisdom (David), 58
open-mindedness, 144–145
optimism, 64–65
osteopathy, 111
ovarian surgery, 83
Palayew, Max, 88
palliative work, 15, 31, 36, 47, 87, 102
Palm Desert, 141–143
palm reader, 51, 111, 198
patient’s rights, 186–187
pattern interrupt, 138
pelvic floor dysfunction, 181–182, 188
pelvic inflammatory disease, 13
personal power, 39, 78–79, 120–121
personal responsibility, 53, 116–117
physical activity, 110
physical appearance, 148
placebo effect, 62–63
Potter, Diane, 177
pregnancy, 9
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 126
private sanctuary, 65, 67–68
prognosis, 29, 32
protection, sense of, 40
psychological well-being, 31–32, 52–53, 130–131
pulmonologist, 88, 143
qigong, 119–120, 142–143
Quebec, 124–125
rape trauma, 179
“rebirthing,” 145–146
reframing, 139
Rehabilitation Exercise Oncology Program (REOP), 188
reiki, 119
Remen, Rachel Naomi, 147
Remmer, Jean, 48, 129
remorse, 46
reoccurrences, 151–153
research approaches, 122
resilience, defined, 3
respite, 66
responsibility, personal, 53, 71–72
rib cage collapse, 110–111
Rosenbaum, Debbie, 160, 163, 172
Royal Victoria Hospital, 15, 47, 84
safety, sense of, 40
scarring, 32, 148, 151, 176, 194–196, 200–202
Scruffy (dog), 34, 105, 136–137
Segal Cancer Centre at Jewish General Hospital, 130, 188
self-actualization, 44
self-blame, 94
self-care, 53–53, 118–119
self-confidence, 12
self-esteem, 12
self-hypnosis, 68
selfishness, 43
self-preservation, 43
sense of self, 35–36
714X, 125–127, 132–133
Sheiner, Nathan, 90, 95
shivah, 45
Sir George Williams University, 7
solace, 41
South American vacation, 203–205
“space between,” 114
spinal fusion, 13
spiritual well-being, 31–32, 52–53
splenic lesions, 164
staging, colon cancer, 29
Stephen (Linda Carson’s husband), 23, 27
Stern, Hartley, 184
St. Maarten, 175, 188
St. Paul’s Hospital, 160–161
supplements, 122, 123–124
support systems, 128–129, 146–147, 149
surgery, 29, 58, 81. see also bowel obstruction
“Sweet Sucky Susie,” 11, 86
synagogue, 37–38
tennis, 11
The Doctor, 87
therapeutic touch, 119
Thich Nhat Hanh, 138
third ear, 121
thoracic surgeon consult, 90
thoughts, changing, 58–59
Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief (Benson), 132
Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality (James), 137
underground alternative medicine, 124–125
University of Quebec at Montreal, 56
urinary tract infection (UTI), 168–169
Vancouver, British Columbia, 166–167
Vancouver General, 163
Vancouver holiday, 15–16, 159–160
Vasilevsky, Carol-Ann, 17–18, 20, 23, 29, 32, 50, 151, 181, 184, 191, 194–195, 201
veganism, 54–56
vegetarianism, 54–56, 78
visualization, creative, 60–62, 65, 68, 70–71
well-being, 31–32, 52–53, 130–131
wellness puzzle, 50, 52–53, 55, 65
Western medicine, 112, 118, 123, 128–129, 144–145
When You Can Walk on Water, Take the Boat (Harricharan), 146
“wishful thinking,” 64, 66, 68
“working together,” 131–132
writing, free-flow, 75
Yom Kippur, 38
“zipping up,” 82
Zukiwski, Alex, 33, 49–50, 85