Stepping Stones For Survival

I encourage you to celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

1. Remember that life and love are gifts. Celebrate them.
2. Look at a photo album of loved ones and reminisce about good times with them.
3. Eat a healthy snack of a red delicious apple, red grapes, or a persimmon.
4. Call or Skype family and friends to tell them you love them.
5. Send e-mail Valentine’s Day cards to loved ones and include yourself.
6. Take a nap before dinner to have more energy for your Valentine’s Day meal.
7. Journal about family and friends who have shown you love during the past year.
8. Play a CD of easy-listening love songs.
9. Wear a red blouse, sweater or Valentine’s Day socks or polish your nails red.
10. Take a walk with family or friends you love.

 Copyright © February 2010 by Yvonne Ortega

• Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide.
• About 473,000 cases of cervical cancer occur worldwide yearly.
• About 253,500 women worldwide die each year from cervical cancer.

1. For women age 21 or older, have an annual pap test (smear) which detects abnormal cells that can lead to cervical cancer.
2. For women age 30 or older, have the pap test and the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) test together annually. The HPV test detects the virus that causes cervical cancer.
3. Ask your doctor for the HPV vaccination for two of the types of HPV which is available for girls 11-12 years old and for girls and young women up to age 26.
4. Even with the HPV vaccination, women still need to go for annual screening.
5. Take the pledge to prevent cervical cancer sponsored by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation at http://www.cervicalcancercampagin.org/
6. Sign up for a free annual reminder for your pap test and HPV test at the above Web site.
7. At www.thepearlofwisdom.us/ purchase the “Pearl of Wisdom” pin, the symbol of cervical cancer prevention.
8. At the site mentioned in #7, choose a free “Pearl of Wisdom” banner for your Web site, blog, Facebook, or MySpace page to raise cervical cancer awareness.
9. If you have cervical cancer or HPV, call The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) at 1-800-685-5531 and ask about the phone/e-mail pals program which will match you with a woman going through the same thing you are.
10. If you have questions or concerns about cervical cancer, HPV, or the HPV vaccination, submit them to “Ask a Doc at the same Web site already cited.

Copyright © January 2010 by Yvonne Ortega

1. Eat at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.
2. Look for dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, blackberries, and cantaloupe which are high in antioxidants.
3. Remember that dried fruit, though high in antioxidants, is also high in calories.
4. Choose canned fruit packed in juice or water.
5. Use freshly prepared vegetables because soaking them can dissolve vitamins and minerals.
6. Keep in mind that overcooking vegetables and fruit destroys their food value.
7. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables as soon as possible rather than storing them for a long time.
8. Serve vegetables without the addition of butter or rich sauces.
9. Prepare fruit without syrupy dressings or sugar.
10. Eat vegetables and fruit without added salt.

Copyright © December 2009 by Yvonne Ortega

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. What are you doing to protect your lungs? Many people say they don’t smoke and presume they are safe. However, they work with or live with smokers. Perhaps they go to public places where smokers are. They are exposed to secondhand smoke, a combination of smoke given off by the burning end of a tobacco product and the smoke exhaled by the smoker.

We are exposed to more than 4,000 chemicals identified in secondhand smoke; 250 are harmful, and 50 of them cause cancer.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. National Toxicology Program, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (see American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org), secondhand smoke is a human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). It causes lung cancer and heart disease in non-smoking adults. In children, it increases the risks of sudden infant death syndrome, lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis in children younger than eighteen months, and increases the number and severity of asthma attacks in children.

Some people think if they separate smokers from nonsmokers, ventilate buildings, and clean the air, those measures will help. However, no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke exists. To protect our lungs and those of our children, we need to lobby and vote for laws to make all public buildings totally smoke-free. We need to seek places where we can be in a smoke-free environment.

Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega November 17, 2009

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the USA. It reminds me I’m closer to the nine-year mark of being a breast cancer survivor. Excitement builds as I see ads for pink fiberglass insulation and browse in stores at the counters covered with pink blenders, blow dryers, stationery, candles, socks, scarves, hats, pillows, cosmetic bags, and cell phones among other things. My son called me “BC, Before Christ,” because I never owned a cell phone. This year to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I purchased a pink cell phone.

You don’t need to buy a pink cell phone to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, if you are a woman over 40 years of age or if breast cancer runs in your family, please go for a mammogram. If you have any doubts or concerns, also get an ultra sound, and don’t forget the importance of monthly self-exams.

Check local hospitals and cancer support groups in your area for special events during the month of October. A local hospital in my area sponsors an annual girls’ night out and offers free health screenings, wellness exhibits, speakers, refreshments, door prizes, and much more.

Don’t forget to wear a pink ribbon this month.

Copyright© by Yvonne Ortega October 11, 2009

“Would you like to go to Relay for Life this evening?” My friend Carolyn, an annual participant, called to invite me to go with her.

Of course I accepted the invitation. What a thrill to tell the lady at the Relay for Life registration desk that I’m an eight and a half year cancer survivor. As she handed me a purple survivor T shirt and a white survivor sash, I beamed.

Carolyn and I walked to the open field where the survivors gathered. She took my picture before it got dark. Only cancer survivors walked the first lap around the course. Then survivors and care-givers walked the next one together. We celebrated the recovery of each of survivor present.

Relay teams set up many different stands to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Some of the team members set up tents inside the circle around the track to stay overnight and their children played near their tents.

As it grew dark, the relay team members lit the luminaries, bags filled with sand and a candle. Before the event, they had written the name of a survivor or someone who had died from cancer on the bags. Some bags included pictures or artwork. Carolyn bought a luminary in memory of her mother. I stooped to take a picture of it. I squealed when I found one with my name on it and took a picture of it.

Life is a gift, and Relay for Life annually reminds me of how precious life is.

Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega July 12, 2009

“I have pancreatic cancer, Yvonne.”

“The tests showed that?” Tears streamed down my face. “Oh, dear God.” I bit my lip so I wouldn’t cry on the phone.

“I’ll have surgery to remove the tumor.”

I struggled to concentrate on what she said next. I remembered her bout with breast cancer eight years ago. She went through radiation but didn’t need chemotherapy. Now this.

I attempted to get more information even though I wanted to curl up on the floor and sob. “Where will you have surgery?”

“Sentara Norfolk Hospital.”

Arleta has been my friend and spiritual mentor for years. We met when she and her husband were missionaries in Puerto Rico, and I lived in military housing. They moved to California. I left for California a year later. What a joyous reunion.

Three years later, they transferred to Virginia Beach. God knew I needed their friendship and a spiritual mother. How wonderful when he brought me to Virginia one year later.

I hated the news from her doctor. What a brutal reminder that life is fragile.

“God loves you, and I do too.” Even though I’m a cancer survivor, I grappled for words.

Inside, I felt fearful and angry. Arleta and Bob served as missionaries in Haiti for fifteen years and in the Dominican Republic for fifteen years. Now in their 80s, they traveled yearly to France for a month to minister to the churches there. Arleta still taught Sunday school. God, this isn’t fair. They’ve served you all their lives. Please have mercy on her. Her husband and grown children need her. I do too.

“I’ll pray for you,” I told her.

“Thank you, honey. I knew I could count on you.”

“I love you and will pray for you and your family.”

After I hung up, I prayed through tears for them. O God, please don’t take her from us.

Copyright © June 2008 by Yvonne Ortega

In 2005, with a book proposal for a cancer devotional and my manuscript, I flew to Colorado for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference at the YMCA at Estes Park. As I traveled cross-country, I felt both nervous and excited. I hoped an editor would want my book proposal. What joy awaited me. The conference location offered a breathtaking view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. The elk captivated me. They came to the window of my room and walked the grounds of the YMCA as if they were also participants at the conference. The room rates and food were reasonable and the food plentiful and delicious.

Marlene Bagnull, the director of the conference, insisted I needed to attend the conference. She was right. I met authors from all over the USA and editors from numerous publishing houses. I met precious friends with whom I still correspond.

Cec Murphey, the co-author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, introduced me to Wayne Holmes. Wayne accepted my article, “It’s Part of Life,” for his book compilation, The Embrace of a Father, Bethany House 2006. So I became a contributing author.

I talked with Gary Wilde from The Quiet Hour, and he sent me a contract to write seven more devotions for that quarterly which appeared in March 2007.

I had one-fifteen minute appointment with Bill Petersen from Revell, and he liked my book proposal and manuscript. He asked me to write a ten-page introduction for the book and then send him the entire package. May 1, 2007, Revell published my book, Hope for the Journey through Cancer.

It’s not too late to register for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Go to Marlene Bagnull’s website at www.writehisanswer.com and click on the link for the Colorado conference. Mention that you read about the conference on my blog, and you can register at the early-bird price until March 31, 2008.

Contact me through my website, and let me know how God blesses you at the conference.

Copyright © March 2008 by Yvonne Ortega

I will give away one signed copy of my book, Hope for the Journey through Cancer and a Starbuck’s gift certificate for $10. Lysa TerKeurst will draw the lucky winner’s name on 12/23/07. Go to her blog at www.lysaterkeurst.com to enter the drawing. Because of prohibitive foreign postage, my Christmas Give Away is only for those with a USA address. Once you are on Lysa’s blog, read through the first post. At the end of it, you will see her signature and below that a number and the word, “comments.” Please click on “comments.” A box will appear on your screen. You do not have to read all the comments there to participate in the drawing unless you want to. At the top of the box, click on “Jump to comment form.” You will then see a space to leave your comment. Click on “Anonymous” but be sure to include your name within your comment for the drawing. Then click on “Publish your comment.” It is simpler than it sounds, and you will see that once you go to “Jump to comment form.” Lysa will post the winner on Monday, December 24, 2007. God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

          I drove into the parking lot of Wareham’s Pond Clubhouse at Kings Mill in Williamsburg, VA for the breast cancer survivors’ retreat. Women in all stages of recovery met to share in a day of “Health, Hope and Healing.” The Women’s Imaging Pavilion, Sentara Hospital in Williamsburg, Phillip West Memorial Cancer Resource Center, and the Williamsburg Regional Library sponsored the retreat. They honored breast cancer survivors with a day of self-care, education, and pampering.
          A tall blonde in a pink flowing gown, a tiara on her head, and a wand in her hand caught my attention. I would soon meet René Bowditch, the Good Health Fairy and co-founder of Beyond Boobs! Inc., the Williamsburg breast cancer support group.
          A continental breakfast of fresh fruit and bagels waited on the tables for us in one of several rooms in the clubhouse.
          After breakfast, René made us laugh as she showed us her white tennis shoes with hot pink shoe laces under her lovely gown. She also explained the history of the breast cancer support group.
          Dr. Louise Lubin, Ph.D. spoke on the power of taking charge, of how to embrace silence and relax, and about the power of our thoughts. She provided each of us with a folder of breathing and relaxation tips and exercises. Dr. Lubin also allowed us to share our experiences and ask questions throughout her presentations.
          Joy Thompson taught us gentle stretching exercises. After sitting for a while, we appreciated the opportunity to move around and stretch.
          At lunch time, we chose from an array of healthy salads and sat at tables with white linen and china. Many of us hadn’t met each other until that day. However, we chatted as if we had been friends a long time.
          Before and after lunch, we browsed through books on cancer and related topics from the Williamsburg Regional Library. Janet Crowther, the librarian, allowed us to check out books, and she answered our questions.
          Mary Beth Gibson, co-founder and president of Beyond Boobs! Inc. addressed the topic, healing through writing. However, I missed part of it. Retreat participants had a chance to sign up for a fifteen minute chair massage compliments of Kerri Mueller. Unfortunately, my massage occurred during Mary Beth’s presentation, but at least my neck and shoulders felt better afterward.
          Back again in the central meeting room, we saw drums of all sizes, tambourines, and various other instruments on the floor. Megan Cordova from Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center asked us to pick up an instrument and engaged us in a drumming circle. After a while, some of us stood and danced to the music. We danced and laughed together. Who says only kids know how to have fun?
          We welcomed an afternoon tea in an adjacent room and then returned to the central meeting room. A panel of doctors answered our questions about chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and reconstructive surgery.
          After the closing ceremony, we each received a parting gift of a pink tote bag full of surprises. One of them was “A Calendar to Live By” with pictures of breast cancer survivors for each month in the calendar. Another was a large pink candle from the Yankee Candle Shop.
          As I drove home from the retreat, I felt renewed and encouraged. I wished every cancer survivor could have the chance to attend a similar retreat.

Copyright © November 23, 2007 by Yvonne Ortega