Personal Update: Breast Cancer Diagnosis and What My New Book Is About

11/30/21 • 12 min

I was thrown for a loop this summer by a diagnosis of breast cancer. Here is my story: I felt a lump in my breast, it was surgically removed. When we got the pathology report back it showed that I had a form of cancer called Ductal Carcioma In Situ (DCIS) which means the cancer is contained in ducts in the breast. Just the word cancer scares everyone. And in a split second, I had to make the decision about starting radiation therapy immediately. When my mind started to spin, I knew from my past lupus diagnosis experience with green space – that I needed the help of nature to ease the ruminations of “what if” and “if only.” My boys said “read your book mom.” Since I know that time in green space goes right to our physiology, mentally and physically, I knew I was not only helping myself to think clearly, but I was putting my entire body into a less stressed state. Green space not only calmed the landscape in my mind, but allowed me to reach out to others immediately who helped me feel comfortable with my treatment decision. I opted not to have radiation at this time and instead use “active surveillance” option to see if the cancer was spreading. In November 2021, my mammogram was all clear of cancer. Relief for me and my loved ones, but I became doubly aware of the profound impact of a cancer diagnosis on the person, their loved ones, and their community.

As I planned I did spend the summer with my loved ones outside swimming, walking, cycling, golfing, and gardening – and we enjoyed the black bears that passed through and sometimes stayed for days in my back yard in Pine Falls, Manitoba. It was a wonderful summer in spite of the cancer uncertainty.
I am so excited to share with you a synopsis of my up coming book. It has been part of my life for a long time – 3 years now. It is about my friend who I love, who died suddenly. Their were a lot of challenges in writing this book: I struggled with the fact that the love of Leslie’s life Bill would be reading it, that her family and friends who also loved her, all live in our small town of Pine Falls, Manitoba.I worried that Leslie was hiding something from us – maybe she knew something we didn’t about her heart and her health? I had no access to Leslie’s medical records, but I did know all I had to know: Leslie was on no heart medication, (so no heart dx) and was not referred out to a heart specialist (so nothing wrong with her heart that would warrant a specialist referral). So in writing this I had to get the balance right between the love of my friend and the peer reviewed science of heart and environment. I am so proud of getting it done, especially in light of these challenges. The book is close to finished and will be out in the New Year.
For transcript please visit https://treesmendus.com
Book: Take Back Your Outside Mindset

For peer reviewed research on how your time spent in green space can change your mindset, balance your nervous system and your heart rate please go to verlafortier.substack.com and check out my books Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space

Previous Episode

Why I Need To Pause This Podcast

This time instead of a podcast guest, I am going to talk about my own situation. I have not even tried to book any more podcast guests. My body and my mind have been telling me that I need to take a break and it is time for me to listen.

When I started this podcast a year ago, I was in the middle of writing a book about my best friend Leslie who died suddenly. I wanted to know if there was something I could have done to help save Leslie. This is what started me on the journey of writing the book.

The book is with my editor now. At this point I am not even sure that I have the energy to take it across the finish line. Where my first book, Take Back Your Outside Mindset, just poured out of me, this book about the death of my best friend was harder to write. I kept wanting to check in with Leslie to see what she thought. And Leslie would tell us. She had no trouble expressing her opinions - and her clear assessment of the situation.

I can’t wait to talk to you about Leslie, what she was like, why her death was such a shock, and what I knew as a nurse at the time she died. If you knew Leslie, you would know that she would have a great and entertaining story to tell you of what happened to her. And one thing I know for sure is that while she was telling her side of things, she’d expect me to be there giving the medical/nursing/health administration inside scoop of how the health care system really works.

So that is what I try to do this in the book. I do what Leslie would have expected me to do -- become a nursing detective on why she died like she did. The detective tools that I end up using are heart rate and heart rate variability to help me to figure out why Leslie died so suddenly – when she was fine two days before she died.

I combine these two tools with rock solid green space research to discover the culprits and silent assailants on Leslie’s two day road trip. Ultimately this book is about your heart, and the world the surrounds your heart – and how to protect your heart to make sure what happened to Leslie does not happen to you.

I know if Leslie were here right now, she would tell me to take my own advice. If she were still here she would tell me to take a break - step away for a while – “be good to yourself.” she’d say something like “if you want my story to help others, you better put the oxygen mask on yourself first.”
Verla Fortier's transcript of this episode visit treesmendus.com.
Verla Fortier's book and workbook: Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Prevent Dementia, and Control Your Chronic Illness

Next Episode

Anna Cooper Reed on Canada's Nature Prescription Program

Anna Cooper Reid tells us that PaRx is breaking ground as Canada's first national, evidence-based nature prescription program. Two hours a week is all it takes.
The following notes the minute mark for points in our conversation:
6 minute mark:
PaRx program what it is. Evidence based and national (Canada)
9 minute mark:
How evidence will help further research: unique provider code & prescription pad compatible with electronic patient record in that province.
12 minute mark:
Will be able to evaluate how well it works
14 minute mark:
What prescription looks like is up to the patient (a meaningful connection with nature is individual).
Time required in green space: 2 hours/week at 20 minute intervals
20 minute mark:
climate/covid. People who are connected to nature are more likely to protect it. We can thank the planet when we get out in nature.
23 minute mark: the future is exciting, providers are excited, patients are involved, PaRx will launch in other provinces, and will be available for use in licensed health care providers (nurses, social work, pharmacy, physicians, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy) undergraduate course content.
28 minute mark:
one thing listeners can take away, have a conversation with your health care provider. If you want to iand my website nform your provider go to the website: www.parkprescriptions.ca
Here you will find a tab for patients and a tab for prescribers.
Also organized according to older and younger age groups, heart health, respiratory heath.
Graphics and easy to understand.
31 minute mark:
Everything on the website is linked to research. All the evidence in there. You can explore the studies. If you want to reach out to Anna or ask questions you can do on the website (ask for Anna).
33 minute mark:
Wrap up with Verla. Please check out my book and workbook Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and my website treesmendus.com for more practical tips, information and resources. As we know getting outside does not require a trip to the pharmacy, but to your local green space where you can soak in the positive and overlapping benefits of green space.