The Mind-Body Connection

As an endurance athlete, I long have tapped into the power of the mind-body connection to train (and execute) with increasing intensity, duration and discipline.  A good dose of self-efficacy, "I've done this, therefore I can do that," consistently has strengthened my ability to take on and succeed in the next greater challenge.  And now the "unexpected journey" is the next greater challenge.

My friends humorously are reminding me of what I've done, and how it can fuel my success on this journey:

• Chip texted that she's thinking chemo is nothing compared to high-altitude trekking in the very thin air in Bhutan and Tibet.  
• Malissa reminded me of my 30-day cold shower challenge (funny, I know, but it takes some steel to follow through on a thirty-day commitment to cold showers during a wet, cold spring in Pennsylvania).  
• And I have my IronMan self that says I can keep pushing.  Never has, "Pain in temporary, quitting is forever" been a more propelling thought.

So, with all that in my background, I suppose it is unsurprising that in completing health surveys, I continue rating my health status as EXCELLENT.  Know that I neither am delusional nor in denial.  I truly do continue to believe that my overall health and physical ability are very, very good.  And that faith in what this body has been able to do already is boosting my confidence in what this (strong and capable) body can do next: Survive cancer!  My backpack equally is packed with mind, body and spirit powers.  And I'm employing all three in the fight!

Process update:  Yesterday I had my first oncology appointment (and got my first opinion for treatment and prognosis) at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center in Albuquerque.  After the oncologist reviewed my current reports and laid out a possible treatment plan I asked, "Is this curable?"  Her answer was, "With surgery, yes."  Now, she didn't hand over a trekking map full of short cuts and easy ascents -- never my style anyway.  She laid out the risks, challenges and protocol quite clearly.  Still that response "yes" joined the strength of optimism and power of self-efficacy, which drive me.

Note: I know every cancer journey is different and difficult.  I am not espousing what I believe can work for everyone, nor marginalizing the determination of any other cancer patient (I refuse to say victim) -- especially those with certain cancers known to be less survivable (my father-in-law died of advance-stage pancreatic cancer).  Rather I am talking what I know about me and my diagnosis and packing my back pack and grabbing my poles mid-ascent to best equip myself to navigate and overcome the odds on this unexpected journey.

Cancer fact:

Cancer patients with high self-efficacy have higher intentions to quit smoking, participate in screening programs more frequently, and adjust to their diagnosis better than those with low self-efficacy (Lev, 1997). Further, they are more likely to adhere to treatment, take care of themselves, and experience fewer and less severe physical and psychological symptoms (Lev, 1997).

                                                                    Courtney Ackerman, 05-29-2018
                                                                    https://positivepsychology.com/self-efficacy/
                      
Quote of the day:

“People's beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Ability is not a fixed property; there is a huge variability in how you perform. People who have a sense of self-efficacy bounce back from failure; they approach things in terms of how to handle them rather than worrying about what can go wrong.”

                                                                   ~Albert Bandura (the "father" of self-efficacy theory)

Donna Boltz, You are an IronMan!

Via Francigena, 2020!