Hey, guys. You’re probably wondering why I haven’t been around lately. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t doing so well up until recently.

I’ve got a hefty bit of summer anxiety. This summer is going to determine whether or not my dad will live past a year.

He went to the Mayo Clinic for another scan to see what chemo had done for him, and the spots on his lungs and liver have grown. Not only that, but there are new spots. Essentially, the chemo is doing little more than slowing it down.

At the same time, we have to move within the next year because of severe problems with our house’s foundations. It was built in the 60s, and the builder clearly didn’t know what the heck he was doing. This was back in a time where housing regulations were practically nonexistent, at least in our area.

Needless to say, we’ve got all sorts of structural issues now. My family and I have had the threat of a crumbling house over our heads for some time, and my bedroom happens to be at the epicenter of the worst of it. It’s surprising that my bedroom is still standing.

That, and there’s horrible 60s carpet all throughout the house, minus the basement floor, but that’s still decades old too.

So, with chemo doing little more than slowing the cancer down, we turned to our local holistic approaches. Our neighbor also happens to have gone through holistic cancer treatments in Tijuana, Mexico, and believe it or not… he’s cancer-free. He spent three weeks down there – that’s it!

Of course, cancer isn’t going to be killed in three weeks. There were follow-ups, and he was put on a special diet afterwards, but the cancer is gone. It all sounds kind of crazy, but there were a lot of reading materials, calls and consultations that our family has gone through with my dad to see if this approach was right for him.

I’m also giving therapy a break for financial reasons, but I’m doing quite well without it, considering. I hope to get back to regular blogging soon. It’s just been a tough last few months. The good news is that I’m much more positive these days, and work has been coming in a steady stream. I even have my own freelance writing business!

My goal is to get to the point in my business where I don’t have to constantly churn out articles just to pay my bills. I’m working on finding higher paying gigs that will allow me to take more time off to recuperate (I’ve been having some pretty bad spinal issues from sitting too much) and enjoy going out with friends, enjoying the outdoors, etc.

I’m also thinking of starting a blog for my cats. Well, not for them exactly, but more like an informational, playful site about cats and cat care. It’ll be fun!

I hope all of you are doing well. Stay strong!

5 thoughts on “Summer Anxiety & My New Mental Health Struggle”

  1. Hey Amber!

    I’m sorry to hear that your dad’s not doing well. I can’t pretend to know how difficult it is to watch a parent suffer and struggle like that. Please just know that God is watching over you and that you have family and friends who care. Also, I know that you need to care for your family, but don’t forget to continue to care for yourself as well. You’re important!

    I’m happy to hear that your writing business is going well and that you’re considering more projects. I wish you all the best and please remember that if you need to talk, I’m here.

    1. Thank you, dear. 🙂 My dad’s feeling a bit better now that the chemo is getting out of his system, but if the holistic approach doesn’t work, he may yet feel worse. Hopefully it works, though!
      I’m trying to take care of myself as best I can. It’s tough when you’re busy, but I make sure to take a day off now and then. ^_^

      1. I’m happy to hear that you’re dad is feeling a little better! Stay strong!

  2. Hello,

    Was just looking at anxiety blogs and came across yours. So sorry to hear about your father. I unfortunately lost mine due to lung cancer. Chemo is as deadly as cancer and PLEASE look into CBD oil or even regular THC. Sounds goofy but look into it. Also try mixing baking soda (pharmaceutical grade) and pure maple syrup (not Aunt Jemima’s). Believe it or not I heard that from a doctor. It’s all over the internet as to how to prepare it. Finally look up Dr. Bergman Chiro on youtube. He is amazing and just did a great video on lung cancer.

    Just try these alternative methods even if continuing with traditional treatment. It can’t hurt and can only help. I wish I knew about these when my father was suffering. I hope for the best and am sending positive thoughts your way. Take care!

    1. Wow, thank you! He can’t have too much sugar (maximum two tablespoons honey or pure molasses a day), but I’ll definitely look into the things you’ve suggested. Yeah, chemo sucks. He’s feeling so much better being off the chemo, but it’s like false hope, almost, considering the cancer is still there. Dandelion root is a big part of his diet – it’s supposedly a natural cancer-killer. I’m so sorry you had to lose your dad to cancer. It’s incredibly difficult seeing our loved ones suffer. I hope you don’t mind if I say a little prayer for you today. It’s never too late for prayers of comfort.

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