Myeloma Cancer - What can you do?

Happy Birthday Robert Lloyd Trought

Robert, my brother would have been 48 today.  On 2nd June this year it would be 4 years since he passed, I look at the picture and it feels like he was just here.  I never told him enough that I loved, admired and was proud of him.  We can't wait until our loved ones die before or get sick before we tell them how treasured they are.

Robert was loving and encouraging and had 3 gorgeous children and in 2009 he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He fought the disease for 4 years in the percentage of people where the chemo and other debilitating drugs had little effect, the cancer spread all over his body. 
Surely we thought, a Bone Marrow transplant would help - as his sisters we were initially encouraged only to be told we were not a match - how could it be?  

As I look back I there were many things that I could have done differently, and we can't beat ourselves up as we did what we could at the time, I didn't want to deal with the possibility that he wouldn't pull through and hid behind caring for my mother.  The guilt creeps in, the 'would haves', 'should haves', and 'didn't do enough' start to ridicule you for being less than you thought you were.  But you have to make room for action, we will not accept ill health and disease as our fate and fight to find remedies, cures and prevention measures.

Death will come to us all, and we don't want to face it with any regrets.  So now that you have time on your side, be it a day, a week, month or even a year, make the most of it!

I share some of the journey of the time we held on to hope that things would be alright and he would stay with us in the following posts:

Prayer

Update

Understanding

In the Memories of Home posts I share memories of growing up that I shared with my brother and sister.

Memories of Home

What you can do?

Where ever you are in the world YOU CAN make a difference, find your local organisation and support their work.  

Here in Barbados one of the organisations we have is The Myeloma Lymphoma & Leukaemia Foundation of Barbados you can support by becoming a member $25 and support the events and initiatives that they put on.  We attended their Annual Tea Party, they have a number of acts performing, and it is a lovely event, a lot of work goes into organizing it.

Tea Party, always well attended!

Tea Party Dance Troupe

Co-Founder/President - Hyacinth Grimes

Tea Party Young Steel Pan Band, excellent!

They also do a lot of much needed fund raising as well at different events, malls etc, sharing information about the disease and help available.  So many people who are diagnosed in Barbados face very high medical bills, and are unable to afford some of the treatment that may readily be available in the UK or US.

Information available at their stall in Sky Mall

Member - Daphne Springer sharing her knowledge of blood cancers in Barbados

Contact the The Myeloma Lymphoma & Leukaemia Foundation of Barbados at:

• Mailing address is P.O. Box 235, Bridgetown, Barbados, or Pine Medical Centre, 3rd Avenue, Belleville, St. Michael, Barbados.
• Office phone number is (246) 435-3990.
• General email address is: mllf.org@caribsurf.com

As an artist I will be creating a set of 3 Prints and Cards that you can purchase and 30% of the cost will be donated to the organisation.  I will tell you more in another post over the next few weeks.

Why not think of ways that you can donate or raise funds and do your part.

Donation

We also have a fund raising page in Roberts memory which is supporting Myeloma UK, and Cancer Research please help raise funds for more research, if we all do our bit we can one day find cures to prevent others from loosing their loved ones.

Give Blood/Bone Marrow

Become a bone marrow donor

Give Blood - If you have had a blood transfusion prior to 1995 you will not be able to give blood see HERE

Check out the following Organsiations

IF YOU WISH TO REGISTER AS A POTENTIAL BONE MARROW, BLOOD OR ORGAN DONOR VISIT: 

ACLT Office - Tel no. 020 8240 4480, 7A Rathbone Square, Tanfield Road, Croydon, CR0 4HA  Please call ACLT office to book a 30 minute appointment. 

NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE; BLOOD DONATION CENTRES Tel 0300 123 2323

Anthony Nolan Register Tel no. 0303 303 0303, You must be aged between 16 and 30 and generally healthy

DKMS - DELETE BLOOD CANCER Tel no. 020 8735 4230To everyone over 30 who can't join the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register. You can now join via DKMS ‘Delete Blood Cancer' Please CLICK HERE They will register potential bone marrow donors from 17 to 55 years. You must weigh over 7st 12Ibs in weight

Robert, see, your memory lives on in our hearts through your children, family and friends!  So too all those who remember family members and friends who have died from Cancer.

What ever you can do is appreciated, do it today, don't wait, don't put it off, think creatively how you may be able to support, it could be money, time, skill, bake sale, car wash, art classes - we can do it together!  

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - Week 77 - Health

Every so often I get an urge to turn my health around, usually prompted by some ache or pain and it pushes me to take action.  This time round was no different, but it was also coupled by the desire for all round change.  I found a Groupon voucher recently that enables me to take 10 swims at a reduced price and that is what I've been doing, I have tried to go daily, having to be at the pool between 6.30 am and 9 am really has challenged me to make the effort to get to the pool.

I am always surprised at how much I take my health for granted and going swimming 3-4 times a week has really made me value the health I have.  There is always some weight to loose and a eating habit to either break or cultivate. It has meant that I am eating healthier as well.  I make a smoothie full of fruit, seeds and vegetables and this keeps me going until around 2pm.  I want to start adding more raw foods to my diet.

There are some illnesses which we are susceptible and also impact on family so where possible it is vital that you take steps to avoid mistreating your body and look after yourself.

I celebrate and I am grateful for another opportunity to do something about my health now, that will affect my health tomorrow.

Take a moment to think how you can impact your health in a positive way and see what steps you can take today.

I am on a creative journey in my journal and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

In the News - Zen Doodles - Oodles of Doodles

Great news, I have had another one of my pieces of art work published in North Lights latest book called Zen Doodles - Oodles of Doodle in which you will find doodle art from all around the world, there are some beautiful designs. 

We were asked to share a step by step design and my piece is called 'Grace', I used a combination of pen and ink and promarker pens to create it. We also gave a word of encouragement, and mine is that we must all make an effort to shine our lights on a daily basis, lives will be transformed and renewed and we will be blessed in the process.

There is more than 100 original designs and techniques that will inspire you to experiment, get out of your comfort zone, and get your pen and paper out. There are step-by-step instructions and you will also have an opportunity to get to know a series of artists in the spotlight artist section.

Whether you are new to doodling or more experienced you will find something that will wet your creative appetite.

It is now available, so get your copy!

Word for the Week - Psalm 27:4

Dedicated to my wonderful, brave, encouraging, loving Brother Robert, who was also a husband, son, father, uncle, friend, supporter, who was  all the things you could ever want in a brother and then some! Who is truly in the House of the Lord, who sought him and is gazing upon his beauty......

Showing Sekani, Jorrell and Symphonie some moves!

Show your support HERE

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

Smoothie Love Day 11

Smoothie Love Day 11

Smoothie for the day for the 30 days of change...

Keeping the smoothie light again today, 

and it contains the following:

Oat Milk

Banana

Melon

The Vlog for today will be uploaded soon.

The smoothie is part of the 30 days of change, click on the image below to see what it involves.

30 Days of Change Day 5

Smoothie for the day - Day 5

Add some nuts and seeds to your smoothie...

Lessons learnt - OK there are always lessons to be learnt, and preparation, preparation is at the heart of them.  I've touched on this before and the only way that you can stick to something is by helping yourself successful in achieving your goal and focus not only on what you want to achieve but how you get there as well.

I will also start posting the smoothies in the morning which gives you time if you want to make the recipe and use it in your morning routine.

The smoothie is part of the 30 days of change, click on the image below to see what it involves.

30 Days of Change - Day 4

Smoothie for the day

Today is mix and match day, and I am going to make my favorite smoothie from day 1-3 using up some of the ingredients that I have left.  I'll have to buy some more fruit as I have been making smoothies for my husband and son each morning as well.

I have definity felt some improvement with having the increased vitamins and minerals intake and it should get better as the weeks go on. 

Lesson learnt from yesterday -  

When there are changes to your routine you need to account for the slip ups and put steps in place to stop making bad choices.  

I found some gluten free cake at my mums that I had brought last week that screamed to be eaten with a cup of Earl grey tea!  'Get rid of them' was the faint cry that was drowned out by the kettle boiling.  Loosing my train of thought for a moment  before I knew it I was sitting at the table with a plate in my hand and a slice of cake smiled coyly back at me. 

I need to keep the cake and the chocolate biscuit that tasted a lot like the Milky ways my mum used to get us when we were children, but it had much thicker chocolate - a wide berth!

I am still committed to make the changes and know that this is one day out of many where I can turn things around.  Today I can be and do different

What will you do with your day?

30 Days of Change - Day 3

Here is the smoothie for the day, hope you enjoy it.  Tips for staying on track, today - keep it simple, and try not to do too many things at the same time.  Change will come over time and you must avoid comparing yourself to others - because you are unique and you will get to where you want to go in time.

Smoothie Love - Day 3

I had some problems uploading the vlogs, and started questioning myself about doing it altogether, after playing back what I did I started to criticize myself and compare myself to those people who have been doing videos for a lot longer.  At the end of the day what anyone else thinks is not important, what is important is making that change that will enhance my health, and enable me to do more and hopefully bless more.  I will sort it today and put something up!

A few lessons learnt yesterday:

• The more you prepare for the journey, the greater the chance that you will get where you want to go.  I have to get back to preparing the evening meal earlier or the day before to be able to eat before 8pm.
• Putting my trainers and workout gear together ready for the next day, so there is no excuse in not being able to get training.
• Decide what I want to do for the week rather than play it day to day, and it can become automatic

I know there will be more learning along the way, 27 days to go!

So, if you decide to make a change today that will be really great, think of one small change you can make and commit, as I said before it doesn't have to be for 30 days, you could do 3! 

30 Days of Change - Day 2

Alright then, starting a challenge and making changes in your life is not always easy, and you have to remain flexible, that being said it was great to make a start towards change.

Starting as I mean to go on with the smoothie from day 1

I was able to do most of the things planned, didn't quite get to drink a litre of water for some reason, and ended up eating dinner past 10 pm, because I was trying to do too many things at once!  A bit of sabotaging going on there I think...

Here is the smoothie for today

I have managed to drink the water and will be doing some exercises shortly, which will involve spending time in the garden:).  I have yet to upload the vlog for each day, but I will be keeping it simple, and will be sharing on the vlog and just letting you have the smoothie for the day on the blog.  

Your welcome to join, you don't have to do 30 days, you could do 3, 5, or 7 what ever will kick start you to change.  You might just want to change one thing, why not start today, and share how you are getting on!

30 Days of Change - Healthier Lifestyle

I have committed myself to make a change in my lifestyle to hopefully impact on my health, starting today.  The changes include:

• Exercise - minimum half and hour
• Drinking Water - Minimum 1 litre
• Having a Smoothie - Once a day
• Pampering session - for encouragement - once a week
• Cut down on sugar
• Eat more fruit and vegetables
• Not eating after 8pm

There is no time like the present to make that change, however small you want to make it, do it for you.  I wanted to use it as a way to kick start my healthy routine, loose some weight and get into a couple of really lovely dresses in my wardrobe!  A small change each day can add up to something worthwhile.

I will be having a smoothie every day to make sure I get all those vital nutrients, here is what I had today, I mixed mine with oat milk but you can use water if you wish!

Here is the smoothie for day 1

I will be doing a vlog of the journey - (keeping it simple) and posting the smoothie recipes here.  Hope you come along for the ride, start where you are and make a commitment to your own health and well-being!

If you are going to join, do share what change/s you will be making, and let me know how you get on so I can come and cheer in your corner!

Gratitude's and Celebrations - Week 45 - Focus on what you can do....

Gratitude's and Celebrations Journal - The beginning page

Right now, focus on what you can do......

Are you one of those people who have a long list of things that need to be done.  You start the week out with a plan of how everything will get done and then when the end of the week comes you find that there are bits of things done and not much you can tick off your list?

I start to see the image coming out of the page

With the best of intentions and resolve I set out this week with an arm load of tasks.  I have always been one of those people who want to maximize the use of my time so end up trying to do several things at once.  To a certain extent I do like working like that, but understand that sometimes you need to try a different strategy and prioritize and move down the list one at a time.

Gratitude and Celebration - keeping the focus

Summon the toothache - it knocked me for six, what started out as sensitivity or so I thought has turned into a full blown infection some how and as I take antibiotics and painkillers while I wait to get an appointment with the dentist to decide either get root canal or have the tooth taken out,  the pain seems to be travelling around my upper and lower jaw, back of my neck and rests in a dull ache in my temple - all this from one tooth!

Page nearing completion

Life still goes on, and this has forced me to think about the priorities of what needs to be done, being active and going for a walk took my mind off it temporarily - not quite the way I wanted to start my fitness routine:) but it worked.  I had to look at what I could do within what I am experiencing, the toothache reminded me of what we (I) take for granted, and how in a moment our health can change.  

I am grateful and celebrate that I am able to make the decision to take better care of myself and see some results over time.  Beginning Monday, I am going to take the next 30 days to kick start my health and will share with you tomorrow what I will be focusing on.  Check out my post from last year about an all round fix-up - taking health for granted.

Time to Focus....

Will you take the time to join me to a healthier way of life? What can you do for you that will really make a difference to how you treat yourself. What do you need to focus on at the moment?

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - Full of Inspiration!

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Prayer - Creating in Faith

It is quite apt that my word for the Creating in Faith series that I have been doing on a weekly basis is Prayer. Prayer for me this week has been at the very heart of everything I have been doing.  Many of you know that I have been sharing about my brother Robert who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009.  Recently the doctors had said that his cancer wasn't responding to treatment, it was all over his body and was now roaming free throughout his blood.  He went into hospital last Sunday and has been there ever since, he became semi unconscious  and wasn't responding even to his name, he was having problems breathing and as a result his mouth and tongue has become extremely dry, the Doctors said he only had a few days, and we were very fearful and sad at their prognosis and what the outcome would be.

All I have been able to lean on is prayer.  The word of God is my foundation, and the only thing with whom I can put my trust.  I know that miracles happen every day, our very lives are miracles and its something that we often take for granted.  We don't often see the preciousness of our existence, the treasures that we each have locked away and we often miss the most important things that matter in our lives. All we have been able to do is pray - the bible tells us to 'pray without ceasing'.  We have been pressing in, people all around the world have been standing with us in prayer, for healing, transformation, strength to get through what has been a very difficult time.

Yesterday Robert woke out of the semi-consciousness and was able to acknowledge is wife and family, we chatted and asked him questions and he was able to respond.  We were encouraged by these small steps and every day we look for more improvements to take place in his blood levels and general strength.  We are staying with him round the clock encouraging him, to lift up his spirits and to let him know that he is not alone.  I want to encourage anyone out there who is going through a challenging time either through their own health or that of a loved one that this world is bigger than we can ever imagine and we can't rely on ourselves, our thoughts or what others feel our situation is saying regardless of the 'professional status'.

Prayer really changes things - situations, circumstances and relationships and my sole purpose is to pray until something happens. I know God is changing me as I press in, as I stand on his word and as I pray for and with my brother, we all have something that we are going through and I even have room enough to pray for you.  If you have a situation that you are dealing with I would love to stand with you in prayer, email me at amanda(at)realityarts(dot)co(dot)uk.

I will keep you updated, for those who are praying for the family we ask that you continue to lift him, his wife and the children up.  We are taking one day at a time, making the most of the miracles we see today and let tomorrow take care of itself.  For now stay blessed and have a good week.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways...Psalm 91:11

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours..Mark 11:24

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...Philippians 4:6

Health - Creating in Faith

You never know what you got till its gone..... 

Do you take your health for granted?, how could you make the most of it now? 

When I was younger I was extremely active, from bike riding, gymnastics, athletics and tennis, I was always doing some sort of activity, it was as natural as breathing to be doing something. The older I got the activities seem to tale off, I started going to the gym and working out but keeping fit and healthy became more challenging due to changes in lifestyle and priorities. I never once gave a thought to not being able to do an activity due to pain or a physical ailment, I was young, felt invincible and had loads of years ahead of me to have to worry about not feeling well, or seeing those around me unwell. 

Forward 20 or so years and you hear yourself complaining of this ailment, that pain, and a promise of looking after your body and no longer taking it for granted. When we see those around us unwell we begin to look at our own life in a different way. We are of the age now where we all know more and more people suffering from something, throwing new light on our own mortality. 

We have to treasure our health put the right nutrients in and get the necessary exercise. We ask a lot of our bodies, expect a lot and yet we continue to let it run on empty, we have to decide that enough is enough! What of your spiritual health, are you spending time in the Word allowing it to minister to you, or like those takeaway packets and processed foods you ate last week are you expecting a quick spiritual fix to get you through the week? 

Yes, in the past I made many promises to myself about getting fit, spending time and looking after myself, and I’ve also let myself down time and time again. What makes this time different?.... I’ve woken up, smelt the coffee, and want to make the most of every moment that I have left on this earth. I want to be able to run and not get weary, feel the fresh air in my lungs and the sun on my face, and most of all value the relationships I have!   It can be done - it takes discipline, and determination, as simple as putting one foot in front of the other. You know where you want to be, you have to make the effort to get there, plan the journey, take the necessary provisions and keep on task. 

It’s March and there is no time like the present to start. 

Is it time you did an inventory of your physical, spiritual and emotional health? We have all got something in our lives that needs and over haul....what’s yours?  Have a blessed week!

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8

Needing that spark

It's either your spark plugs or your head gasket the Greenflag driver informed me - I had set out earlier to drive to my mums only to find the car wouldn’t start.

An hour and a half prior to that Alan and Sekani had pushed me in the car down the road hoping to push start it, and when that failed to jump-start it but to no avail.  The car stood in the driveway of an unknown neighbour. I knocked on their door, they opened ready to tell me that they were not interested in what I was selling, relieved when I told them about the car, they were happy for it to stay until I got some assistance.

I thought of all the things I had planned to do at my mums had I got their earlier and the impact that not having a car over the next few days would mean especially in this snow. I like things to be organised especially when it comes to my mum – I have accepted that now, to have things crop up wasn’t in my plans for the coming week, nor was the call out fee of £108 as the breakdown cover I had didn’t include home start. I had been feeling a bit off, trying to get into the swing of things but wanting so badly for the first time just to sit and be creative, but I could feel all my plans unravelling as the additional burdens arranged themselves like cheerleaders at the side of the road along with the general feeling of malaise - I knew I should have got the car serviced but decided to leave it for another year.

How like our cars do we unexpectedly stop functioning, out of the blue an unexpected ache and pain, or that numbness you were feeling in your hands suddenly gets worse.  When was the last time you gave your body and over haul?  We can become too rundown from the day to day trials of life that can invariably wear us down and making sure we look after our health and well-being is the thing that will prevent those unexpected visits to the doctors.

Take time as we come to the end of the month to re-evaluate your health, what your putting into your body, and are you getting enough nourishment from the foods you are currently eating? There is no time like the present, and you want to ensure you have more than enough energy to work on your dreams, unlike our cars this is the one body that we have, so we need to look after it!  Blessings

How are you going to look after yourself this year?

Join me every day this month for the   Ultimate blog challenge

Health

Just started back at the gym........ well, my payment for this month has been taken.

It’s very easy to get caught up with the stresses of life and neglect certain parts of our lives. It’s also easy to talk yourself out of getting fit.  My walking challenge began with so many hopes and dreams and I began to find even the smallest excuse as to why I couldn’t go that day, so I’ve pre-packed my backs with everything I need. 

I keep reminding myself of the steam room and what a post exercise treat this will be along with those pampering products, along with some other strategies to keep myself motivated... I’m hoping to go at least 2-3 times a week and add to the ‘me time’ I invest in myself, which will help with my creativity in the long run, and may even inspire some new ideas. Think about what small changes you can make to your health routines and maybe take that first step....

Where did February Go?

Who can believe that we are nearly at the end of February!  I keep reminding myself that I need to make the most of what I am doing now, and try not to get side-lined - there are so many techniques I want to try, books to read, courses to do and ideas to develop.  I've been recovering from a bad cold over the past couple of weeks and I think I tried to get back to the swing of things too soon.  I'm still feeling the effects on my throat, its started to get sore again, but the 'family remedy' of garlic, honey, lemon and ginger have always been a fail safe and what my body needs is rest.  It is so easy for us to go into automatic mode and forget to really see all that is around us and what we need to hear.  Hearing the 'hard way' meant I had to cancel quite a few meetings last week as I was just too tired - even to be creative!

The constant things I've been working on is sketching at least once a day in order to develop and refine my style.  I have more examples of my work on my mixed media blog  http://amandatroughtart.blogspot.com and will be showing the daily sketches there.  I'm also trying my hand at assemblage art and a host of other things........

I am currently coming to the end of the 'Soul Restoration' - Brave Girls Club course, it's definitely been an eye opener and I will share in a separate post, but major reconstruction is going on and being ill reminded me that like on a construction site foundations need time to set and plaster and cement needs to harden so that the next team can come in and do their work. 

I realise that I need to give myself time to get back into the swing of things and get back to a healthier way of living as well as working on the creative sides.....so..... more exercise, more healthy food, fresh air and most importantly 'me time' to come!...what about you?