Recommended Resources
Here are some books, music and websites that I recommend for healing from the inside out:
Books
Now That I Have Cancer I Am Whole- Meditations for Cancer Patients and Those Who Love Them. Very powerful series of short readings that help us to embrace cancer as a gift instead of a hindrance. Lots of faith, humor, and spiritual insight. Readings are gathered around categories like this:
- When You First Hear “That Word”
- When a Part of You is Gone (Surgery and Recovery)
- When It’s Time to Fight
- When You’re Bald and Strangely Beautiful
- When the Night Frights Come
- When It’s Time to Give thanks
- When It’s Time to Say No
- When It’s Time to Say Yes
- When It’s Time to Look Inside
- When It’s Time to Move Towards Healing
She Who Dreams- Fascinating account of one woman’s diagnosis of breast cancer and how she used dreamwork to weave her way through the journey. I am drawn to this book because the author is unflinchingly honest in her expression of the feelings she went through on each stage of the journey.
Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul- Beautiful collection of stories that will make you smile, and bathe you in hope. Easy reading for when you feel like you can only manage a few pages at a time.
The Sunday List of Dreams- Read this lovely novel and your own imagination will take flight. Find out what happens when a retired nurse sets out to really live the “list of dreams” she’s been keeping in her pocket for over twenty years. You’ll be inspired to create your own list of dreams, I guarantee.
Writing Out the Storm- Using various writing exercises, the author shows us many creative ways to transform anger, despair, loneliness, fear, and other emotions into very beneficial and positive energy.
Making the Breast of It- Overcoming fear of intimacy after breast cancer surgery. Powerful book with an important message about accepting and loving our bodies. There really is NO other book like it out there!
Overcoming Life’s Disappointments – Another gem by the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. This one is about how to continue our journey with grace and love even when things don’t work out the way we expected them to. I found it full of wisdom and comfort.
The Sky Begins At Your Feet- A powerfully honest and inspiring story of the author’s account of her journey with breast cancer. She reminds us that serious illness can re-awaken us to life’s beauty, deepen our respect for the fragile balance between our lives and the earth’s, and find our healing in the source of a supportive community.
Music
All of Karen Drucker’s songs are written to support healing, affirmation, and living from the depths of our beautiful souls. If I’m feeling low and out-of-sorts, I pop one of these into my CD player and sing along until I’m feeling better. Truly magic.
Grace and Gratitude, by Olivia Newton-John. Soothing, restful chants and songs of healing.
These are three of my favorite CD’s to play for soothing music that brings me inner peace and calms the whirlwind of fearful thoughts that can take over my mind:
The Healing Spirit, by Diane Arkenstone
Liquid Mind III: Balance, by Chuck Wild
Being Peace, by Marina Raye
Websites
Spirit Card Center- Send any of these gorgeous images as e-cards to a family member or loved one to let them know you’re thinking of them. Just looking at this beautiful art lifts my spirits.
Living Beyond Breast Cancer- A wonderful organization, dedicated to assisting you, whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, are years beyond treatment, or are living with advanced (metastatic) disease. They are also a good support for your family members, caregivers, friends and health care providers. As a national education and support organization, their goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means.
Cancer Connect- Lots of information here, but I love this site mainly because of its unique and many forms of support. Create a user name and password, and you’ll be able to connect with many other women with breast cancer. Post your questions, offer others support, and more.
I Wish You Enough – wonderful site full of hopeful and inspiring true short stories. Click on the topics on the left (sun, rain, happiness, pain, gain, loss, hello’s, good-bye’s) for more stories.
A Touch of Grace- Facing a challenge or question? Check this out! This is author Cheryl Richardson’s site… just click on the Touch of Grace box in the upper right corner and follow the directions…. you will receive a touch of grace from a beautiful star!
The Breast Cancer Site- Click on the Fund Free Mammograms button every day if you can, to give hope to women in need! Site sponsors make a donation for every click, towards funding free mammograms to women who don’t have health insurance.
Healing Baskets- Know someone who is recovering from surgery or just had a baby? Or celebrating something special? Or grieving? You can send a personal basket of goodies of your own choosing at this site. It’s very cool… YOU choose which items out of hundreds go into the basket you give and they send it for you, no matter where you live.
There Is Nothing Wrong With You- You’ll want to listen to this affirmative recording/slide show over and over. Excellent self-esteem booster!
KaleidoSoul- If you enjoy collage, you might find the simple process of making SoulCollage® cards helpful for your breast cancer journey. This link leads you to some SoulCollage® cards that I created to express some of my feelings after my surgeries and treatments were over.
Simple Abundance- Sarah ban Breathnach’s page on keeping a gratitude journal.
A Place for the Heart- This is a great page on affirmations. If you’re feeling adventurous, scroll down and click on Create Your Own Affirmations or Pick Your Own Affirmations From Our Cards. See what you come up with!
Elder Wisdom Circle- a nationwide network of Seniors aged 60-103 who offer advice and wisdom confidentially via the internet. Their mission is to promote and share elder know-how and accumulated wisdom, along with the goal of elevating the perceived value and worth of the senior community. Go ahead and try it. Is there something you’re struggling with, or have a very big question about? Send an email on this site and you’ll hear back from one or two wise senior women. I tried it and was amazed with the clarity and depth of the two answers I received. This site truly is a blessing for any woman on this journey.
Square Peg People- Feeling like you don’t fit in? Visit this healing site and you’ll see how wrong you are! There is a place for everyone here!
Light a Candle- A beautiful sacred ritual to do online! Try it and see… doesn’t cost a thing!
Affirmations for Women- abundant lists of affirmations for you to use in your own inner work. Why not use some of these for your Inner Red Carpet admirers to call out to you as you stride past them?
My Inner World- This is a website that I wish I had created! You can take journeys, make a wish in the wishing well, create your own meditation room, visit the castle, collect tokens, plant a seed, read the message boards, receive inspirational messages and much more. If you have a few minutes and feel like playing, this is the site for you.
The Cancer Club- The world’s leading source of gifts and inspiration for people dealing with cancer. You’ll find lots here in the world of humor. Get yourself laughing… it truly is good medicine!
