October Newsletter - Amber Love
Amber & Seeking Dharma Yoga
In this issue: Book Recommendation, Cancer Awareness & Organ/Blood Donation, Yoga Schedule for October, Local Charity Spotlight
Book Recommendation
If you've attended any of my Yoga classes whether aerial, chair, or modern, you've probably heard me repeat: Tune in to your body's feelings, sensations, and thoughts. This is something I learned from my own teacher in training, Romy Toussaint. SIMONE SAUNDERS' new book, WHERE DO YOU FEEL THAT IN YOUR BODY?, a fantastic deep dive into why it's important to explore those kinds of questions in yourself.
What makes Saunders' book different from earlier pioneering texts is that she focuses first on ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and then works outward to logical events and circumstances that might affect how people end up in dysfunctioning autonomic nervous system responses including: poverty, racism, neurodiversity, gender identity, cultural expectations, natural disaster survivors, political instability, and inadequate access to healthcare.
Read my review at SeekingDharmaYoga.com for even more about why this book is recommended.
--Amber
GIBSON'S FITNESS SCHEDULE
CHAIR YOGA - Wednesdays from 12-1pm GENTLE/YIN YOGA - Fridays from 9:15-10:15am
COMMUNITY CENTER OF BELVIDERE
CHAIR YOGA - Tuesday October 13th from 10-11am Amber (otherwise Michele) The Community Center is also a non-profit organization and welcomes your donations!
WHAT ELSE IS OCTOBER ABOUT?
The UN's website is an excellent source for learning about social issues and observances to bring more awareness to specific ones. In October, there are so many of these days not to mention, it's also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While people generally focus on women when it comes to breast cancer, I had a male friend who died from it. Men don't seem to be taught how to do self exams. Doctors might look into family history, but mammograms for men are not given the same attention and education. I don't have any family history, but I still go for my annual mammogram.
One of the services at Planned Parenthood is breast cancer screening. They also offers exams for many other cancers and pre-cursors like pap smears, cervical cancer, HPV, penile and testicular cancers, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, and vaginal and vulvar cancer.
October is also National Liver Awareness Month. This is another close to home for me. I talk rather openly about myself to students and that includes being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. A number of people have complimented me on weight loss without understanding why. I'm on one of the new GLP-1 drugs that is potentially dangerous. It clearly works for weight loss, but that's not what my GP and I were considered with. I agreed to go on the medication to see if my specialist and I could find evidence that any of this disease was reversible with this protocol.
The good news is that my liver enzymes are better. Nothing reverses cirrhosis. The tissue is too far advanced in a fibrosis state (hardening). Over the recent years, I first went through many diet pill regimens before GLP-1s came on the market. If my specialist and I were to only look at the data, back before reaching the stage of cirrhosis, the drugs seem to be working. However, the side effects of those medications altered how felt about my own life too much. I had to give my absolute all to teaching for a couple of hours and then collapse into bed. I couldn't wait to stop those pills.
The GLP-1 sure does have side effects too including lots of vomiting and constipation. My kidneys are now showing signs of suffering as a terrible adverse effect. People who want to talk about that kind of thing know I'm going through that. I'm fortunate to have such compassionate yoga students! Many of them have their own personal connections to liver disease.
While the weight has been visually great, that's not why I'm taking this drug. Plus, with the current White House Administration instituting "work requirements" for Medicaid members, I've already received notice that I'm in the group of millions of people that might be booted off their insurance as soon as 2027 arrives. One month of this medication is $1,350. That also doesn't include my other medications for daily pain management and allergies.
In other words, the weight loss people have noticed is very likely temporary like Every. Single. Other. Time. I've lost considerable pounds.
The kind of issue most people don't think about: organ and blood donation. Because of eye surgeries, I can't donate my corneas. They'd probably be denied as being of enough use. I certainly can't donate my liver. Now, I don't think my kidneys are valuable either. I also used to donate blood regularly and now I can't per my GP. The box is still checked on my driver's license, but I have no idea what could be cherry-picked from my corpse to be of use to anyone to save a life. Please consider being an organ and blood donor.
--Amber
Local Non-Profit Spotlight - NORWESCAP
Norwescap programs work to provide quality services to households in communities like ours across North-West New Jersey. Each year they serve tens of thousands of households; whether they receive nutritious foods from our food bank and partner food pantries, high-quality early-childhood-education and childcare from our Head Start centers and other licensed daycare centers, participate in our energy and utility assistance programs, or work with our staff to pursue new employment opportunities, each year we support families on their own unique journeys towards a place where they are not just stable, but have the opportunity to thrive.
