Journaling

Scripture of the Day:

Jeremiah 30:17

I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord, because they, called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

I'm Gonna Love You Through It

by Martina McBride

March 3, 2011        10:00 A.M.

They called about the results and asked if I wanted to discuss them now. I said no, but I knew.

Then I looked up fear in the Bible. The 2^nd scripture I looked at said “Fear not Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.” Gen 15:1 I just sat there (at school)

God – it’s only been 15 minutes sitting here scared out of my gourd and looked up. It’s only been 15 minutes. Time has stopped!

(Deut 9: 1-3) [Before we have a problem, God has the answer] He’s already taken care of it. He’s making your crooked places straight. Nothing will set you out of god’s hand.

Mr. Varney came in to observe me. I asked him not to and he said “You can do this, let’s just get it done”. I had been thinking of throwing in an educational video. But I went ahead and taught and got my evaluation done.

After School:

I called and got the news – invasive ductal carcinoma. She told me I needed another mammogram, surgery and MRI.

I went to talk to Susan. She told me that I wasn’t defined by my breasts. David got home around 3:30 or 4:00. I was just standing at the kitchen window looking outside. It was a cloudy gloomy day out there. He took it hard. Never in our wildest dreams did we envision the result of breast cancer.

After a while I started calling everyone. I put the kids off until last. It was the hardest thing informing everyone. They were all so upset. It was midnight when Emily finally found out.

It took David and Johnnie all of 10 minutes to make the leap to Dr. Brown 2 years ago.

Johnnie said she put God on notice that He was GOING TO HEAL ME! I called in sick to school. I couldn’t face the kids yet.

This song came out later, but it's like she wrote it for me. I'm sure there are others of us that feel the same way:

I'm Gonna Love You Through It

March 3, 2016.

It has been 5 years since I got the horrible news. Without realizing that I was doing something good for myself, I began to keep a journal. The above is what I wrote down the day I was told I had breast cancer. I kept it for only 1 year. I wanted to see the difference between how I felt then and how I felt a year later. Well, it turns out that journaling (there is a word for it) is a good idea for anyone who is going through anything that is traumatic, be it cancer or a divorce.  I discovered this when I read a book from my shop on the left. It is Recovering from a Mastectomy Emotionally. It is by Trish Duke and was a very easy read and on $2.99. So I did some research and it is out there as a way to keep from holding everything in. The article follows the link that I found. 

What is Journaling and It's Benefits?

What is journaling?

Journaling is creating a written account of events and emotions that you experience. A journal can be as rough or complete as you choose. Some people find that they can't end the day without putting an entry into their journal.

Research has shown that journaling may be able to:

-help people experience a greater sense of emotional well-being

-help people feel better physically

What to expect with journaling

People approach journaling in a variety of ways. If you're interested in journaling, don't set any rules — express yourself in any way that feels comfortable.

Some people use a journal to write about their emotions during a tough time such as an illness, divorce, or death of a loved one.

People also use journals as a way to relieve the minor stresses of day-to-day living.

A journal can also be used to set personal goals and provide self-encouragement.

Journaling doesn't always have to mean writing. Some people find that sketching and drawing in their journals can help to express emotions.

Keeping a journal can also help a person to gain perspective. Journaling can allow you to compare how you felt months ago to how you feel now.

Journaling practitioner requirements

Since journaling is personal and unique to the individual, instructors or specialists are not required. If you do find that you'd like to seek guidance about journal writing, cancer organizations such as Cancer Support Community frequently offer journal-writing workshops.

Research on journaling in women with breast cancer

There haven't been many studies on journaling in people with breast cancer.

One small 2002 study, conducted at the University of Kansas, followed 60 women with early-stage breast cancer who had just completed their treatment. The women were divided into 3 writing groups:

One group was asked to write their deepest thoughts and feelings about breast cancer, including hopes of recovery and fears of dying.

The second was to focus on the positive things that had happened during the breast cancer experience.

The third group was to simply report the facts about their treatment.

After 3 months, the first two groups, who wrote about their emotions, reported one-third fewer symptoms and medical appointments than the group whose writing was limited to the facts. Results of this study depended on how the women were coping before they started writing:

The women who tended to avoid thinking about having breast cancer:

improved more from focusing their writing on the positive thoughts and feelings that had arisen during their experience

had significantly fewer doctor visits for cancer-related issues

The women who expressed the full range of their thoughts and feelings about having breast cancer:

reported significantly fewer negative physical symptoms

had significantly fewer doctor visits for cancer-related issues

Although this study showed encouraging results, more studies will need to be done to determine which types of patients will benefit the most from emotional expression in writing.

Important things to consider before you try journaling

Journaling is generally viewed as a safe practice. However, journaling is not for everyone.

People who don't really enjoy writing may not benefit from journaling. If it feels like a chore, you may want to consider a different way to reduce stress.

If you're the kind of person who worries about the quality of your writing, penmanship, and readability, it might be difficult to let go and focus on your thoughts and feelings. If this is true for you, you may benefit from a more body-based therapy, such as yoga or tai chi.

Studies have shown that journaling only about negative feelings without including thoughts or goals may actually increase stress.

Back to Types of Complementary Techniques

Expert Quote

"I recommend that my patients keep a 'gratitude journal.' Positive entries and affirmations are recorded daily and reviewed at will. Any negative entries are written on 3 by 5 cards and then discarded. I feel it helps to keep my patients in the moment and focused on the blessings in their lives. The negatives are recognized, and then released."

-- Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.