Untitled - learningtolovecancer.com
Transcription
Untitled - learningtolovecancer.com
Can You Really ‘Learn to Love Cancer’? While most people fear hearing the word “cancer” just about more than anything, Annabelle Bondar learned to not only bravely face her diagnosis of breast cancer but also to love it. Through a challenging, roller coaster ride that was her healing journey, Annabelle worked through her cancer diagnosis with dignity and spirit and a determination that completely changed her life. In her healing journal, Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer, Annabelle shares her journey with you so you too can benefit and find grace in the most challenging of circumstances. “...reading Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer will be like planting inspiring new seeds in the garden of your heart and mind. It is a must for anyone serious about harvesting a true and lasting healing transformation.” Dr. John F. Demartini To obtain your copy of Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer, please visit www.learningtolovecancer.com 166 Insides_MFH_final.indd 166 11-08-31 1:45 PM W hat People A re Say ing a bout Messages f rom the Heart – Freeing the Butter f ly Within “Annabelle Bondar is truly an inspiration! It has been several years now since I first met Annabelle at my Breakthrough to Success event in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve watched as she has healed and evolved – applying the principles she has learned from the doctors and mentors she has chosen – until she has become a transformational leader in her own right. Now, through her workshops and books, she shares her experiences and what she has learned with others. If you have cancer or are looking to heal your mind body and spirit from any “disease,” Annabelle’s book is one that is meant to be read, absorbed, and acted on. Heal your body, take back your life, and get out there and live your dreams! If she can do it, so can you.” Jack Canfield Coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series and author of The Success Principles™ “This book is filled with gems of experience, heart, wisdom, and loads of truth. I’ve known Annabelle for many years, and I’ve watched, cheering from the sidelines, as she worked hard to heal from cancer, trained to run a marathon, and reclaimed her life in an amazing example of healing and transformation. This book is the gift she shares with us all – and she shows you how to walk that same road.” Stephanie Dorchik, longtime friend Insides_MFH_final.indd 167 11-06-28 5:47 PM “It was nine years ago when Annabelle first came into the Hoffman Centre for Integrative Medicine here in Calgary looking for help. She was sick and frightened, but courageously determined to find answers to some very tough questions. The toughest question? ‘Why did I wake up one morning and discover I had breast cancer?’ As we began to work together to discover the root causes of her cancer, I was so impressed with her focus, her commitment, and her willingness to change. The result of all her hard work was a complete healing from her cancer, and a burning desire to help others do the same. This book shares the tools she worked with at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. It is my sincere hope that it will inspire you on your own healing journey!” Doctor Bruce Hoffman, The Hoffman Centre for Integrated Medicine, Calgary “Loaded with wisdom from the heart about healing, health, and survival, Messages from My Heart – Freeing the Butterfly Within delivers gentle inspiration and education, all packaged up in a truly touching read. It is a perfect sequel to Messages from the Heart – Learning to Love Cancer. Thank you, Annabelle. Claire McDermott, colon cancer survivor Insides_MFH_final.indd 168 11-06-28 5:47 PM “Sometimes in life, we are so driven by other than what really truly matters to us. In this book, we are emphatically reminded that we must choose what matters in order to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. May this book guide you in finding what matters to you.” Eileen Ashmore, MBA, Strategist, Planner, and Coach, E.M. ASHMORE & ASSOCIATES INC. “Annabelle Bondar is a unique blend of soft power and unstoppable might. Her commitment to her profound and important work and message is an inspiration to me and to anyone who is serious about achieving big dreams. Her beautiful book will both touch your heart and inspire your soul.” Marcia Wieder, CEO/founder, Dream University Insides_MFH_final.indd 1 11-06-28 5:46 PM MESSAGES FROM THE HEART freeing the butterfly within Insides_MFH_final.indd 3 11-06-28 5:46 PM MESSAGES FROM THE HEART Insides_MFH_final.indd 4 11-06-28 5:46 PM freeing the butterfly within Annabelle Bondar Insides_MFH_final.indd 5 11-06-28 5:46 PM Messages from the Heart: Freeing the Butterfly Within ©Annabelle Bondar 2011 Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Bondar, Annabelle M., 1951Messages from the heart : freeing the butterfly within, book 2 / Annabelle Bondar. Also issued in electronic format. ISBN 978-0-9737094-1-4 1. Bondar, Annabelle M., 1951- --Health. 2. Breast--Cancer--Patients--Canada-Biography. 3. Breast--Cancer--Treatment--Popular works. 4. Self-care, Health-Popular works. 5. Motivation (Psychology)--Popular works. I. Title. RC280.B8B652 2011 C2010-907752-0 362.196’994490092 Cover design by Tammie Neumiller, Staff Ala Carte Insides_MFH_final.indd 6 11-06-28 5:46 PM Dedication This book is dedicated to my new little granddaughter, Lily Darwyn, born March 26, 2010. I love you SOOO much! Your middle name means “friend,” and your beautiful, innocent smile already lights up the lives of your family and little friends. Your life, Lily, will be enriched by the love that surrounds you from your mom and dad, your cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, great-grandparents, and, of course, Sid and Woody, your two special cats. Insides_MFH_final.indd 7 11-06-28 5:46 PM Insides_MFH_final.indd 8 11-06-28 5:46 PM Acknowledgments A wonderful world of outstanding people came into my life to assist me with this book. Sona Khosla – With love and gratitude, thank you for your friendship and for your expertise in the design of my first book, Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer. Thank you, Sona, for recommending our design specialist, Mieka West, for this special book. Eileen Ashmore – Thank you for your expertise and dedication in assisting with organizing, formatting, and writing this book and for continually encouraging me to complete things in a reasonable time frame. Claudia Volkman, our editor, gave us tremendous stride on the editorial side, moving quickly, efficiently, and very graciously. And to my assistant, Tammie Neumiller, thank you so much for your unfailing administrative assistance, and for simply just being you. Dr. John Demartini – you are truly there for your students in the world of human behaviour, universal laws, and personal development. I am deeply honored to be a student of yours and today an associate. You are a mentor and friend. In the cancer world, your work has been a magnificent gift ix Insides_MFH_final.indd 9 11-06-28 5:46 PM in my life for developing a deep level of understanding and gratitude. Your work has shown me how to neutralize the emotional area of cancer and live with an open heart. Thank you for writing the Foreword literally within twentyfour hours at a time when you were so busy yourself! Dr. Bruce Hoffman – an inspiration in the field of integrative health and an expert in the field of cancer, thank you for encouraging me to be the best I can be. You go the extra mile with your knowledge and dedication to your patients. Jack Canfield – the very best in the world for helping others build success strategies, thank you for encouraging me to ask for what I want. Marcia Wieder – thank you – you are a master of enrolment in a wonderful movement of dreamers, assisting them to find their way by separating the ego from the heart. To my family and extended family – there are so many wonderful things for us to be grateful for. Each of you enriches my life. To my children and grandchildren, you keep my world a very cozy place, and I love all of you from the bottom of my heart. You encourage me to be a part of your lives and, at the same time, we all have our own values and things that we love to do to make a difference in the world today. You, my family, are many beautiful butterflies living free to be yourselves. x Insides_MFH_final.indd 10 11-06-28 5:46 PM To my husband of almost forty years, what a journey – thank you for being you! Your work of so many years, your caring way with your favourite dog, Nella, your humour (which I still do not understand but sometimes laugh at anyway), and your love of quiet time are all qualities I deeply appreciate and love in you. This book is a follow-up to Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer. It is my hope and dream for everyone who reads this book that simple changes in your life will add years of health and wellness for you and your family. Taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures of deep breathing, visualization, meditation, nature, movement, journaling, exercise, eating organically, drinking plenty of water, reducing stress, and doing what you love are some of the most important things for reaching optimum health and well-being. xi Insides_MFH_final.indd 11 11-06-28 5:46 PM Thank You to Dr. Hoffman For the last eight years, since my cancer diagnosis, I have been a patient of Dr. Bruce Hoffman. I am very much involved in my own healing process, and I continue to learn from the protocol that has been created for me. My health is my number one value. It often takes something that is lifealtering to make you realize the importance of your health. Dr. Hoffman’s clinic looks at the mind/body/spirit connection to health and well-being. Through Dr. Hoffman’s decades of practice and continual study, he incorporates the tools for healing in an integrative way. This becomes a lifestyle, and I am delighted today to have the tools to listen to my body when there is even just a whisper that something doesn’t feel right. I was using a wonderful healing tool, journaling, as my body, mind, and spirit became stronger after cancer. Dr. Hoffman encouraged me to type up my journaling messages written each and every week. He shared with me the importance of the work I was doing. Thanks to Dr. Hoffman’s encouragement, this led me to the creating of my first book, Messages from the Heart: Learning to Love Cancer. Dr. Hoffman, thank you so much for your continual support and your expertise in the area of blended care and optimum health and wellness. xii Insides_MFH_final.indd 12 11-06-28 5:46 PM Contents Foreword xvii Annabelle’s Message from the Heart xx Sema xxiii C h a p t e r On e : Today 1 Our Little Angels by Jeanette Paterson 6 C h a p t e r T wo : Ou r Po t e n t i a l 9 Accomplishment Is Only the Beginning, Not the End 12 You Can Succeed 13 Surfing by Dr. Demartini 15 C h a p t e r T h r e e : Bu i l di n g f rom W i t h i n 17 Preparation: The Importance of Positive Thinking 17 What Is Cancer… Really? 20 My Mother’s Cancer by Francie Nobleman 24 Choosing Your Tools 26 Planning Is Key 26 Effective Ways to Build Your Plan 29 Your To-Do List Worksheet 31 Visualizing 37 Attracting 38 Love Yourself First 40 Journaling 40 Responsibility 41 Jill Bennett’s Story 43 Mentoring 44 How to Find a Mentor 46 xiii Insides_MFH_final.indd 13 11-06-28 5:46 PM Athena Starwoman by Dr. John Demartini 47 C h a p t e r Fou r : L i f e Pr i n c i pl e s f or Op t i m u m H e a lt h a n d W e l l n e s s 4 9 Life Principles 49 A Love Letter to Yourself 52 Action Steps 61 Great Wisdom Comes from Great Lessons of the Heart! by Susan Zimmerman 66 C h a p t e r F i v e : S e v e n S t e ppi n g S t on e s f or G e n t l e I n s pi r at i on 6 9 The Demartini Method™ 72 C h a p t e r S i x : A Da i ly Pro t oco l f o r Op t i m u m H e a lt h a n d W e l l n e s s 77 My Daily Protocol 78 Healing Meditation 79 Protein Shake Recipe 80 Garden Zucchini Pottage 82 My Weekly Protocol 84 My Ninety-Day Protocol 85 My Biannual Protocol 86 My Annual Protocol 86 Supplements for the Mind/Body Connection 87 What If You Go Off Your Protocol? 89 C h a p t e r S e v e n: Roa d bl oc k s A l on g t h e Way 93 Fear of Failure 95 How to Overcome Adversity 97 Unconditional Love 99 Have a Backup Plan 100 Pay Attention to Who and What Surrounds You 101 The Importance of Perseverance 103 Face Your Roadblocks and Overcome xiv Insides_MFH_final.indd 14 11-06-28 5:46 PM Any Adversity 106 C h a p t e r E igh t: T h e r e I s No B e g i n n i n g a n d T h e r e I s No E n d 10 8 Amazing Things I’ve Seen Others Do 109 A Challenge 111 A Thank-You Card from Sona 113 Dream Coaching 114 The “Dream Coach” Philosophy of Coaching by Marcia Wieder 116 One Day at A Time 120 A ppe n di x : S t o r i e s f r om R e a l Pe opl e 117 Gaylene Redmen’s Story about Her Mother, Annette 118 Gary Bricker’s Story about His Wife, Sherna 119 Elaine Amos’s Story about Her Mom, Martha Jean Hagel 122 Sandra Bueckert’s story about Her Mother, Edna Dawson Paul 124 Leanor Sciullo’s Story 125 A Piece of Cake by Janet Matthews 128 My Story of Surviving Colon Cancer by Linda Kopec 134 Diane’s Story 148 Women Cry by Author Unknown 150 Grant McReynold’s Tribute 153 A Dedication to Paula 157 I Am Me by Virginia Satir 164 xv Insides_MFH_final.indd 15 11-06-28 5:46 PM Insides_MFH_final.indd 16 11-06-28 5:46 PM Foreword Dr. John Demartini Annabelle Bondar is an inspired woman who has let nothing stop her from achieving her vision of helping other people and serving those who have been diagnosed with cancer. Through her books, workshops, and programs, she brings a new awareness to their lives. When they hear Annabelle’s message of hope and possibility they are able to re-empower themselves and take control of their own physiology, thereby engaging the greatest healing force of all – the healer within. But Annabelle’s transformation from being faced with breast cancer herself to becoming a transformational leader and teacher in her own right did not happen overnight. It was a journey that began in 2001 and is today moving into high gear. I first met Annabelle in 2002 when she attended my signature program called The Breakthrough Experience ®, where I shared with her my personal transformation methodology called the Demartini Method®. Initially, she was very challenged by the directness of the method and uncomfortable with portions of the program which required her to face xvii Insides_MFH_final.indd 17 11-06-28 5:46 PM a lot of issues deep within. But she persevered and experienced her heart-opening breakthrough. Today I’m inspired to say that she is now an associate – a competent facilitator of the Demartini Method™ – whereby she is able to take the great mission she has for this work and for her message and share it with others. In addition, she has been inspired to create her own specific program wherein she coaches cancer survivors into finding and engaging this healer within. She has been persistent in letting nothing stop her from her objective of bringing that methodology and her important message to all those that need it. The book you now hold in your hand is proof of that dedication. Annabelle now teaches what I teach, that disease is a feedback system and a guide to living an authentic, genuine, inspired, grateful long life. Finding meaning in our dis-ease and using it to live a purposeful life initiates the healing process once we begin. The symptoms of dis-ease, of course, are reminders of this yearning we all have – to get out and live an inspired and authentic life. Although we must certainly take care of our physical body and address the issues within it, with a doctor who resonates with us, at the end of the day we are reminded that the greatest healers of all are still love and gratitude. In this book, Annabelle brings that simple basic truth back to people so they can start to find hope and inspiration again. xviii Insides_MFH_final.indd 18 11-06-28 5:46 PM I’m inspired by Annabelle and the work she is doing today. Messages from My Heart – Freeing the Butterfly Within is her gift to you. Between the covers of this book are secrets – secrets that will help you live true to yourself, true to your dreams, and true to your God-given right to a state of vital wellbeing and health and a long, productive, love-filled life. These are secrets that she had to learn the hard way, but from her heart she now freely shares them with you. If you are facing cancer or any other disease, read this book, take it to heart, follow her advice, and follow in her footsteps. Fill yourself with gratitude, love yourself with all your heart, hold your inspiring vision of vital health before you like a guiding star, and keep shining no matter what. Just like Annabelle, you can heal yourself, recreate your life, and start living the magnificent life of your dreams. Dr. John Demartini Best-selling author of Count Your Blessings – The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love xix Insides_MFH_final.indd 19 11-06-28 5:46 PM Annabelle’s Message from the Heart I wrote this book for you, my reader, and this letter is from my heart to yours. Messages from the Heart – Freeing the Butterfly Within is about how I discovered the beauty in healing from breast cancer by becoming impassioned and focused on creating optimum health and wellness in my own life. Because of this, I am living the life of my dreams. If you are healing from cancer, I’d like to inspire you and show you how you can do this too. As a cancer survivor, I realized that if I was to discover the beauty in the healing journey, I had to look at every aspect of my life in order to find balance. This included looking at my family, my relationships, my finances, my spiritual life, my work life, my emotions, and, of course, my physical body. All these areas weave together to make a rich and textured composite called… your life. Part of my journey has involved discovering my own unique value system and determining what is most important to me in my life. For you, your most important value might be your family. Or it might be your work, or perhaps your spiritual life. You may discover that you want xx Insides_MFH_final.indd 20 11-06-28 5:46 PM to focus on other areas of your life, such as spending more time in nature, or perhaps reading, or getting more physical exercise, eating organic foods, or even saving more for your future. Once identified, these desires will all be easily achieved by putting some simple goals in place. Here is a beautiful example. Let’s say you decide that you want to spend more time enjoying nature. You can actually mix three things together – you can include some physical exercise by hiking or perhaps paddling a canoe, listening to the sounds of nature around you, and taking a healthy piece of fruit with you to enjoy along the way. How will you feel when you get home? I promise that you’ll have a smile on your face and you’ll be thanking yourself. And next time, you might decide to walk a little further, or take a friend with you, or take ten minutes and sit quietly on a rock to listen to the gentle sounds of nature around you. You might choose to have this experience at a different time of day, or take a different path to see different sights and spend some time thinking about someone you love to be with. This fills your heart with love, the most healing experience of all. As you focus on doing these things, you may start experiencing a feeling of gentle inspiration. As you keep doing them, you’ll continue to feel more and more gentle inspiration. You will also begin to experience more wellness in your life. xxi Insides_MFH_final.indd 21 11-06-28 5:46 PM Within you there is a beautiful essence yearning to be free and authentic, and I call this essence the butterfly within. As you continue to nurture yourself, the butterfly within will continue to awaken. As you free the butterfly within, you will allow the songs of your heart to start leading you to experience more gentle inspiration with each small step you take. The butterfly within will free you and lift you to your dreams, as it has done with me. My inspiration is all about sharing my journey with you. It is my hope that you will resonate with one of the many messages from my heart, and that this will inspire you to love yourself enough to realize your own dreams and begin to take steps toward achieving them! xxii Insides_MFH_final.indd 22 11-06-28 5:46 PM SEMA Lovely and elegant She walked gently through our hearts Her quick, beautiful smile Lighting up our lives Concerned more for others Helping, listening, kind and steady Loving with honesty, being only herself Always a good sport, cheerful and fun Interested, admired, trusted And loved By all whose lives she touched. From the family of Sema Belzberg xxiii Insides_MFH_final.indd 23 11-06-28 5:46 PM Insides_MFH_final.indd 24 11-06-28 5:46 PM · CHAPTER 1 · Today T oday, I am experiencing the joy and accomplishment of being cancerfree for ten years. But my life story and my journey began back when I was a little girl learning to ride a pony. Every Saturday morning my dad would drive me and my girlfriend to a local stable. We took a total break from family and studying and spent the entire day in the open field with our horses. We began first with just walking them, and then we learned to trot. As we developed trust in the horses, we began to gallop around the field for hours on end. By doing this, we experienced the complete freedom of nature with a beautiful, majestic animal taking us on an adventure every time. At the same time, we were responsible for ourselves and our meals and for feeding and grooming the horses. During these years, we learned to love and respect the environment that magically became ours every Saturday. We also learned to love and accept ourselves and the horses, and we took care of them. During breaks, we would remove their saddles and blankets, give them salt and water, feed them carrots, 1 Insides_MFH_final.indd 1 11-06-28 5:46 PM pat them, groom them – and, of course, take time to have lunch for ourselves. After lunch, we’d mount again, ready for another experience in the wilderness, where we surrendered to the beauty all around us and the trust we had in our horses. We had the same protocol every Saturday, and on that day, our horses were our number one focus. We trusted them. Throughout the day, we had tons of energy and absolutely no fear. I believe this experience gave me lifelong lessons in friendship and an appreciation and love for nature. Later in life, when we are faced with difficulties, it is these past experiences and lessons that will give us inspiration, courage, and an ounce of prevention for handling what is before us. This can be an ounce of prevention that lasts a lifetime. Maybe it was simply how we grew up. In the 1950s, life was so simple, without cell phones, computers, or even television. Today, my story is one of returning to the simplicity of life and ridding myself of the enormous stress created by the fast pace of today’s busy world. These stresses have become our collective toxic burdens. Ten years ago, I was working out five days a week with my trainer at a health club in downtown Calgary. I was trim and toned. I had good energy. I thought I was in the best physical condition of my life. Generally, I finished up my workout with situps. One day during that final part of my workout, I blurted out in fatigue and frustration, “Dan, I just 2 Insides_MFH_final.indd 2 11-06-28 5:46 PM can’t do these sit-ups!” When I got home, I took a shower, and it was then that I felt the lump in my right breast. It was very hard, and I knew there was something wrong. My heart began to sink. When I called my family doctor, she sent me for a mammogram to the same clinic where I’d been told after my last mammogram that I didn’t need another one for five years. But now they just kept taking more and more pictures, and my heart continued to sink deeper. Later when the call came from my doctor saying she wanted to see me in her office, I knew there was a serious problem. It was then that I really went into heavy stress. The mammogram showed a lump all right, so my doctor booked me for an immediate biopsy with Doctor Way, who specialized in breast cancer surgery. At first, I was told that the biopsy looked good, and they thought everything was fine. But this turned out to be false hope, as the lump wasn’t benign after all but rather a cancerous tumor that needed to be removed right away. I did not know what to do. After receiving the test results, Dr. Way was confident, but not sure, he could save my breast with a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy. Have you ever had a time in your life when you had to dig really deep? I’m sure you have – we all have. Prior to this, I’d had very few visits to doctors and only one surgery to have my gallbladder removed. So 3 Insides_MFH_final.indd 3 11-06-28 5:46 PM for weeks I had to dig really deep, with not knowing that the doctor would save my breast and everything would be fine. On the day of my surgery, an emergency caused it to be delayed. There I was, sitting in that hospital room, hooked up to an IV pump, just waiting. My family was also standing by uneasily, so after assuring them I would be all right, I sent them home. Dr. Way was able to save my breast with a lumpectomy. There was very little pain with the surgery because the breast has very little muscle. I was supposed to go home that same day, but due to the delay, an overnight stay was required. My journey of healing was beginning. If something difficult happens in your life where you are forced to make a decision regarding your health, first find a doctor you resonate with, one you trust who is knowledgeable and sincerely cares about your health. Find a doctor who not only treats the physical symptoms but also knows the true meaning of integrating the mind/body/spirit in transformational healing. This is what I call “discovering the beauty in healing.” For me, it was finding Dr. Bruce Hoffman and the Hoffman Centre. Because I trusted him, I surrendered to Dr. Hoffman’s care. If you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, my message to you from my heart is to take a deep breath, get a second opinion, and visit www.learningtolovecancer.com, where I share what it feels like 4 Insides_MFH_final.indd 4 11-06-28 5:46 PM to be diagnosed with cancer. Just like you, I know the indescribable feeling of hearing the shocking news that you have breast cancer. But you also need to know that with hard work, determination, and knowledge, by taking responsibility and making your health your top priority today, you’ll join the many people who are living well and recovering fully from cancer. I am an example of this; here I am in the prime of my life, living to the fullest! In looking at the mind/ body/spirit connection and not just the symptoms, you too will discover the true beauty in the journey of healing from cancer. Today – and every day – I live my commitment to take optimal care of my mind, body, and spirit, and I trust the way I am living. I have no fear that cancer will return; instead, I fill myself with the certainty that I am healed. I have learned to surrender to the beauty of healing the mind, body, and spirit into being a wholesome, healthy, human being. My life now is about trust and surrender, which is what I learned in childhood riding my pony all those Saturdays with my girlfriend. Today, my life is about a shift and a transformation into what’s important to me. This transformational shift starts with looking at your own potential. It’s time to get started! 5 Insides_MFH_final.indd 5 11-06-28 5:46 PM Ou r L it tle A nge ls Jeanette Paterson My mom and dad were of French descent, and I was born into a family of ten children where I was the third eldest. My mom, an only child, bore thirteen children over sixteen years. Three of those children died at birth, but my mother lived to be ninety-five years old. Because my mother gave birth to so many children and, just like my mother, I was a good Catholic, I knew I would have a few myself. My husband Ralph and I had three beautiful daughters before having three sons. When our oldest daughter was six, I gave birth to identical twin boys on May 18, 1965. We named our twins Michael Patrick and Mark Anthony. While still in the hospital, they both contracted an infection and lived for only three days before dying of pneumonia. The doctor explained that because they were identical it was the same as having one body – a “phenomenon,” he called it. An autopsy showed that there was something wrong with their white blood cells, which is why they couldn’t fight the infection. Had they been born at home, they might have lived for a number of years, but then they would have contracted leukemia. At that time, there were no bone marrow transplants, and so they would have died. 6 Insides_MFH_final.indd 6 11-06-28 5:46 PM My family sees it as a blessing that they were taken so soon after their birth. As difficult as it was, had they lived for eight or ten years and then contracted leukemia and died, it would have been far more difficult to bear. It was very hard to deal with their loss, but we still had four other children to look after. Time heals all wounds. Then came the breast cancer. 7 Insides_MFH_final.indd 7 11-06-28 5:46 PM To purchase Messages From The Heart: Freeing The Butterfly Within, please visit our website www.itsmeannabelle.com. Insides_MFH_final.indd 2 11-06-28 5:46 PM