A Recipe for Well being!

I can officially report that Chemotherapy is not a pick me up, but whilst it took up most of my day yesterday (or was that the day before) and has left me with a lot I would like to share with you; I’m going to save that for another day. Today I want to talk about something completely different.

I want to talk about prescriptions which according to the dictionary are medicine or treatment, it’s also an instruction, recommendation or direction.

I feel eminently qualified to talk about prescriptions as I seem to have collected enough of them in recent months to fill a small wall but all of those prescriptions seem to be for one drug after another, a drug to help the problem and another drug to help the problem that the other drug has caused and then yet another drug to counteract the combination problem that the previous drugs have created and so the list goes on… but surely if doctors were really serious about your health and well being they would issue prescriptions for other things. How about a prescription for tender loving care or one for a series of spa sessions or for a daily full body massage?

I would happily fill prescriptions like these but that’s not what the medical profession is all about so it stands to reason that we have to take responsibility and take matters into our own hands, so I’d like to suggest that if we have to fill doctor led prescriptions that we also create some of our own after all we are part of or should be part of our own expert medical team.

I was given a prescription recently, I must admit it was an under the counter prescription but I was eager to try it out as it had nothing to do with swallowing little red or white pills and it was far more potent and more appealing, just reading it brought a smile to my face.

On reflection however, I think it was probably more like a recipe for well being, so maybe that’s what we need to call it. I’ll share mine with you and then your task will be to create a recipe for your own well being.

A cupful of Laughter
An ample helping of Fun
Unconditional Love and Support
A healthy serving of good Food
A sprinkling of good music
Good company

I was given a location and all I needed to do was to turn up and I didn’t even need to bring anything except myself.

This is how my recipe for well being turned out. It was a fine summer afternoon and the day before Chemo; my mind was a bit apprehensive but I was open to possibilities. Having negotiated my wardrobe I was dressed in light and comfortable clothing and open for what was on offer.

I arrived at my destination to find three other people two male and one female busying themselves. The two men were preparing an elaborate feast of different foods, different textures, delicate flavours and different colours all set to not only tantalize the taste buds but also to stimulate and support the mind.

Myself and my female companion who is now my lupus and chemo buddy (she is dealing with both cancer and lupus) got together for a bonding session and gave the men space to finish their work (the only thing that was missing was for them to have appeared in white aprons with bulging biceps oops that’s another fantasy)

We chatted easily until we were called to dine. And what a dining experience it was. We were served a delightful array of food and spent the next 7 hours, laughing, crying, chatting and generally feeling supported, pampered and loved.

At the end of the day when both my feet and my female companion’s feet began to swell we were treated to a welcomed foot massage. Now I’d say that this was far better than anything any doctor could have prescribed wouldn’t you.

So what would your recipe for well being look like?

I learned some valuable lessons that day:
It is possible to find an oasis in the midst of my health challenges
You don’t have to be alone in times of trouble
Sharing doesn’t just have to be about good things

Create your own recipe for well being, it can be anything you like but do it now as you owe it to yourself.

Thought for the day
Find yourself a supportive group of friends. It doesn’t have to be a large group just people you can connect with and who will support you through what you are experiencing.