Treatment

May 13, 2013 | Jan's Blog | 17 comments


I’m writing this on a plane on my way to Madrid, Spain, starting a four week trip with two friends, Carol Purin and Robbie Lambert.

Train Station in Toledo, Spain

At the train station in Toledo, Spain

We are going to Morocco, many Spanish cities, and ending up in Barcelona. I haven’t taken a vacation like this for 45 years. I wonder what it will be like to not focus on work or personal health challenges. This is my time to have an adventure.

I have a surgery date of June 17 to take out the lump under my arm that is metastatic breast cancer, based on the biopsy done in March. It’s a slow-growing cancer and I wasn’t willing to give up this long planned trip to have it out sooner. My intuition says this trip is part of my “treatment” and all is in divine order.

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17 Comments

  1. Annan on May 13, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Bon voyage Jan! As you know, I am now living with M.S. and a grateful ovarian cancer of almost 25 years! My M.S. has done something just about nothing else has done…slowed me down so that I can truly learn the lesson of being and living in the moment. I went to Barcelona last fall and learned how to travel with a cane and limited energy– and I found all kinds of pleasures in the little things. I couldn’t “do it all” and that was a great gift- to sit in cafes, avoid lines, use the hop on/hop off bus rather than walk all over hell and gone, etc! Anyway, enjoy enjoy enjoy. I am finding healing happens in ways you might never expect. Including not working on healing! 🙂

  2. Dee Packard on May 13, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    Goosebumps here in Portland!

    Oh my gosh, you have done it! Completely
    shattering the mold. (Lame metaphor.) I
    am so so happy, almost like it were me there too.

    Love your traveling outfit. You are blazing!

    Love,
    Dee

  3. Lynne Zeller on May 13, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    Jan, your trip sounds wonderful. Wishing you moment to moment joy.
    Love, Lynne

  4. Debra on May 13, 2013 at 4:35 pm

    Jan,
    Good for you for trusting your intuition. All shall be well–enjoy! Via con dios!

    Love and hugs,
    Debra

  5. Teena on May 13, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    I think it’s wonderful that you are putting yourself first and thinking of blissful travel as part of your “Treatment” because it IS! May your days be filled with wonder and absolute detachment from the stresses and worries of everyday living. I used traveling as a powerful drug to lift my spirits and provide other venues for me to explore and think ‘outside’ the box. Experiencing another culture and language forces one to think differently and yet be in awe of what is beyond our home. Applause Applause Jan and I am so looking forward to further adventures -EAT, PRAY & Travel-YAY for you. Much Love, Teena

  6. Julie Stroud on May 13, 2013 at 5:41 pm

    Jan, you are the wisest person I know. I trust that the trip will help you focus on the joy that is right in front of you everyday. That is what travel does: it opens our eyes to trivial but beautiful things that we tend to pass in our haste of everyday life. Take Annan’s advice and be as active or as laid back as you want/need to be. And by all means, enjoy some tapas for me!

  7. Lois Hjelmstad on May 13, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Have a wonderful trip and vacation!

  8. Nancy McKay on May 13, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    So happy you are out adventuring! It’s a great wide colorful noisy delicious revitalizing world out there.

    Gratitude and smiles proliferate.

    Love, Nancy

  9. Susan Beer on May 13, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    Great! I hope you have a wonderful trip and enjoy the beauty of Spain.
    I will think of you there , so happy you listened to your intuition.
    Love,
    Susan

  10. Esther on May 13, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    Living a normal, fun life is the best medicine. Have a fabulous trip and maybe you won”t need surgery in June. Let’s have the “lump” disappear!!

  11. Shirleen Von Hoffmann on May 13, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Have a wonderful time my dear friend. Take it all in and use this trip as your opportunity to live your life “on vacation” indefinitely and cancer free forever.

    Love you and Have a great time.

  12. Raylin Ferris on May 14, 2013 at 6:10 am

    Yay, Love you Jan. Pat and I wish you a glorious time.

  13. Carole Mercer on May 14, 2013 at 7:10 am

    Jan,
    Enjoy and say “hi” to Carol….
    Be Happy, be the light, be perfect health.
    Love,
    Carole

  14. kerry freeman on May 14, 2013 at 7:14 am

    You are gorgeous!! I know you are having a BLAST!!!!

  15. Ann Lovell on May 14, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Jan, I went on your Facebook site and was so thrilled to see FUN all over the place. So glad you are taking this trip and yes, it is part of healing. Laugh a lot and bask in the FUN of it all.
    Your Leisure Coach..

  16. Martha Foster on May 15, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    So glad to hear you are on the trip! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 45 years is much too long of a wait to treat yourself to a trip like this!

    May you be filled with joy in the moments spent, peace in the spirit and renewed with awes of delight to fill that 45 year gap! So happy for you!

    Love,
    Martha

  17. naomi on May 15, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    safe travels and enjoy enjoy. look forward to hearing about your trip and am sure along with you that this is part of the healing and the divine plan. a big hug, naomi