Thank you Detroit News Herald!

Check out this great article from Amy Bell - this amazing world of technology means that I was able to talk to her in Germany last week via my computer. Thank you Amy! ANN ARBOR: Former resident featured on "The Doctors" for her 'mind over approach' to Hodgkins Lymphoma

Today about to head in for my day 8 of infusion goodness from the "red couch" waiting area - one of the residents at the clinic told me that his sister lives in Ann Arbor, saw this article, and asked him about it!

Life is AMAZING!

I give a book reading from...my book!

This is from late October last year and life is now organized, so now you can watch me give a reading from my book! lalala!

A video of me talking about I Dreamt of Sausage

I wrote this in June and finally taped it this past weekend in Michigan! Thank you CR for all of your great help!

Mastering my mindset...(requires constant vigilance)

A dear friend of mine wrote to me over a year ago an email about my book - and I knew it was important. I would read it and think of what it meant and read it again. I wrote out her email onto two post it notes, now folded and wrinkled. Tape is frayed on the edges from where it used to attach onto my computer monitor. This is what she said to me: "Dear Corinna, Your book is very different from other cancer survivors. Young. Refused to say yes, etc. The acceptance of your U of M doctors as you groped. Unusual in many ways. When you write don't follow formula for these kinds of books. Many r terrific. But they are not for your audience or not as much. Be clear about what is different. This is your story. - C. 6/22/10"

So here I am, over 14 months later - trying to work with my great publicist found through Balboa Press to put together a succinct intriguing 150 word phrase to pull people in. I wrote over 80,000 words and I am distilling that down to 150.

Then I struck on this phrase - "this book shows the myriad ways her relationship to the world is transformed because she transforms how she looks at the world." Which is remarkably providential because my inspiring and luminary friend Kelvin Ringold of Intensely Positive started recently signing off his Vitamin K  daily inspirational goodies with "Master your mindset and master your life."

Mastering my mindset takes work and awareness. It takes constant vigilance! (thank you JK Rowling). It takes a sense of humor and it takes patience.

I began the process when I wrote my book, going through my old journals and rereading what I wrote at the time, it continued when I read Eckhart Tolle. It continues every day I catch myself thinking a thought that is not so nice, being angry with my body for not being able to do something that it used to be able to do well (or at least that I remember as being so).

Stupid chemotherapy, I used to do this so easily.

I caught myself yesterday as we rushed through 5 sun salutations as quickly as we could in yoga class. I stood there with my heart POUNDING in my chest, lungs burning, dizzy, eyes closed and my first thought was to hate - HATE - (a word of huge yuckiness) my body. Then my awareness caught up.

Corinna! I have lungs that can burn and a heart that can thump. I have a beautiful body that is working hard to do what I ask of it! Be grateful for the taste of iron in your blood - I am ALIVE!

Thank you world, I am alive.

I Dreamt of Sausage Reviews for 2nd edition!!

"Survival behavior relates to one's personality characteristics. Corinna's book shares many of these factors and makes them easy to understand because she is a native who has lived the problem and can share her experience. It is real and practical and useful for those confronting cancer and other problems."

Bernie Siegel, MD author of Faith, Hope & Healing and 365 Prescriptions For The Soul. (Thank you Bernie!)

"This is a MUST-read for anyone dealing with cancer or involved with anyone who is. What do you do when your life is shattered by a cancer diagnosis? What forms of treatment do you choose? Why did you get cancer in the first place? Follow one woman's amazing journey as she shares her innermost thoughts and feelings on her quests for wellness."

Carolyn L. Mein, DC, author of Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils and Different Bodies, Different Diets (Thank you Carolyn!)

The book is ready!

After many many months of writing, editing, drafts, harassing friends to edit, copyediting, talking, etc etc. I pressed publish and it is done! Just in time to wrap up 2009. Well done me.

Please write me a review on the Amazon page, apparently that is what counts the most in the world of online sales. Otherwise you can purchase a copy of the book on CreateSpace (where more of a percentage of the proceeds goes to the Polly Hill Arboretum).

There are no ordinary days

This past weekend my husband and I drove to Chicago so he could run in the marathon. I was able to catch a glimpse of a very inspiring man, Richard Whitehead, who runs on two prosthetic legs. Richard's example is perfect in many ways. I did not think that I was going to be watching a man with two prosthetic legs running the marathon as I waited for my husband on that chilly morning. Dan Millman, in his great book Way of the Peaceful Warrior, says there is no such thing as a an ordinary day. I have been trying to hold that possibility and focus on it as a goal. So far, I am AMAZED what happens to my day when I look at it as a series of miracles that are waiting to happen.

I am going to keep track of my miracles and write them down. What is miracle is happening for you today?