Yup, that's me in the Lexington MA reproduction of It's A Small World on IceI love sports way too much, and I'm obsessed with figure skating. (Yes, that's me in the photo, with the sexy knee socks and too-small overalls. You're welcome.)

Strange, I know, this obsession of mine with skating, but let me explain. When I was a young kid, I was incredibly energetic and awkwardly athletic at the same time. This is not a good combination for any budding Olympic hopeful. I attempted to master almost every sport, each for longer than I should have. For example, when I was figure skating (and ALL my friends were playing hockey), I prayed that my DNA would spontaneously mutate and I would get the hang of it. Damn you Triple Axel and Lutz! Like many young kids, I had dreams of representing the USA, competing in the Olympics and winning a medal. In fact, I would even daydream within my dreams about the Olympics. Once I was old enough to shave, I was also old enough to realize that I was not going to make it as an Olympic figure skater or high jumper or archer or table tennis champ.

What I did excel at was dreaming and visualizing my place on the podium or crossing the finish line or seeing my full body scan with no cancer cells “lit up” like the Olympic Torch.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, my delegation of caretakers all had some form of life saving advice. Eat this, read that, pray inside here…give yourself an enema with this! My brain was overloaded lots of advice from lots of incredibly caring people because most everyone wants to be part of the cancer crushing process, I get it. However, from my perspective, the out-of-control feeling that penetrated and permeated my every waking moment seemed insane. Mix in the library of unsolicited “cures,” and it’s mentally and logistically impossible to try it all. Or even listen to it all.

Having said that, the one thing I feel helped me control the uncontrollable was to visualize the cancer being destroyed inside my body. There are many different ways in which the mind-body connection can be activated, and this is one of them. I breathe deeply and evenly, feeling the cleansing power of oxygen permeating my body's cells as I inhale, and then the release of carbon dioxide waste as I exhale.

I have a few wacky routines that I cycle through on a daily basis: I visualize the little Fraggle Rock Doozers driving a mini snow plow and pushing the cancer cells out of my body. I fondly remember when the beautiful Ms. Pac-man was zooming around my veins chomping on all the little cancer dots and enabling me to rise to the next level. The most calming scene that I visualize is the crown chakra (at the top of your head) opening as though it were the lens of a camera. I would imagine strong pure white and green healing rays flow into my crown chakra, entering my bloodstream, through the arteries and permeating the cells of my entire body and feeding the healthy cells so they can perform better at destroying the unhealthy ones. I’m not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure this is considered pure science, right?

Lastly, as I visualized my scenes of triumph, I would softly chant these words out loud. My fellow cancer crushing friend, Alfredo, hand-wrote these comforting phrases and passed them over to me. I focused on these words and what they really mean.

Everyday and in every way I am getting better and better.

I am stronger today than yesterday, but not as strong as I will be tomorrow.

I will be healed.

I am healing.

I am healed.

I am cancer free; NOW and FOREVER.