Influences and other thoughts...

I have been reading about acid-alkaline balance in the body, diets to promote a spit-fire immune system, juicers, greens, oxygen, supplements....plus, I checked out this book that caught my eye at the library and that hasn't helped my mind...it is called Parts per Million. It is all about the oil wells and drilling in Century City and next door to Beverly Hills High. There have been questions about toxicity and cancer clusters among staff and students at the school for years. Now it is being investigated. I haven't finished the book yet, so I don't know the details, but it is pretty horrifying and informative on many levels. It is freaking me out a bit about exposure. We all have them. We can go crazy trying to control them, which may be worse than the cancer. I just ordered a water filter, I buy organic food and I am learning all the time how to best keep myself and my family healthy. I am reading about all kinds of details that, if taken as gospel, could deliver me on a tractor to the funny farm. Balance...must find balance.



I met B at radiation last week. She was on deck to go after me. She saw me as I walked out of the room and commented on my hair..."Hey, we have the same stylist!" she called out. Our hair was about the same. Except for our matching outfits that is where the similarities ended. She was on a hospital gurney, IV in her left arm, hospital bracelet on her right and her son by her side. The two minutes we had together went something like this. B: "how long have you been off chemo?" Me: "6 weeks, and you?" B:"Two months...what cha got?" I moved closer to her gurney and she reached for my hand. I could see tears beginning to spill onto her cheeks. Me:"Breast, you?" B:"Lung, then it went to my brain." Me: "Wow, that's tough. How are you holding up?" B:"I'm doing OK, you know. I was in remission for two weeks. How about you?" Me: "I am still in treatment. They don't mention those words to me". She was called in so we had to part. She squeezed my hand as they rolled her away. A part of her has stayed with me ever since.