by Joe Birch | Jun 3, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
Join Lakota Joy and Me for Yoga in our Japanese Minka.For a cancer patient, life can change so much from day to day.Cancer is unpredictable, and so are the side effects of treatment – whether surgery, radiation, ablations, hormone therapy, chemotherapy.This...
by Joe Birch | May 19, 2025 | Blessings from Nature
When our Beloved Hopie Boy passed over the Rainbow Bridge on 4-27-25, the hearts of my Husband and I were broken and saddened. So much grief and sadness! The following morning, we sat in bed and spent two hours discussing our feelings and thoughts. I shared my Journal...
by Joe Birch | May 7, 2025 | Lessons From Brutie and Hope
In all my years writing on LinkedIn, this is one of the most raw, personal, and intimate Articles I have ever written. The first was in 2017, when our Beloved 15 ½ -year old Australian Shepherd boy, Brutie, passed. This is my second, when his little brother, Hopie,...
by Joe Birch | Apr 14, 2025 | Lessons From Brutie and Hope
Nothing affects me more than the Health and Wellbeing of my little Boy Hopie. At 2:30am he woke up feeling ill – lethargic, nausea, on the verge of throwing up. He has Stage 2 Kidney disease and his symptoms can vary from day to day. He is restricted to eating...
by Joe Birch | Apr 11, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
For those who do not know me, I am Judith Anne Desjardins – 4-year-six-month Pancreatic cancer Thrivor, Holistic Psychotherapist, and cancer Advocate.In this video I am inviting you to visit me in my brand-new outdoor Sauna.I purchased this sauna as a...
by Joe Birch | Apr 10, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
For those who don’t know me, I am Judith Anne Desjardins and I have been living with Pancreatic cancer for 4 1/2 years now. I was first diagnosed in October 23, 2020, and after my Distal Pancreatomy and Splenectomy, in January 2021, I started what would be 8...
by Joe Birch | Mar 27, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
In this video you will see the start of my second Infusion with Oxaliplatin, in conjunction with taking Xeloda (5FU) at home. I sat in the chair in a peaceful, relaxed state. And why not? Three weeks prior I had had my first infusion and innocently thought this round...
by Joe Birch | Mar 25, 2025 | Blessings from Nature
As an author, publisher, and Steward of the Little Free Library on Pearl Street in Santa Monica, California, I highly recommend this book for children as well as adults. It is simply the most beautiful, most profound children’s book that has ever graced my...
by Joe Birch | Mar 25, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
As a nearly 5-year veteran of living with Pancreatic cancer which has metastasized, I can’t tell you how important it is for your treatment outcome to be proactive on your own behalf! This is true after surgery, radiation, ablations, and chemotherapy. I am now...
by Joe Birch | Mar 25, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
Chemo induced Hand/Foot Syndrome is a painful, frightening side effect of chemotherapy. Experiencing it myself has motivated me to develop a protocol for healing it. It usually appears several days after an infusion or taking the “at home” chemotherapy...
by Joe Birch | Mar 5, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
Hi, this is Judith Anne Desjardins, Holistic Psychotherapist, 4-year and 5-month Pancreatic Cancer Thrivor, former Oncology Social Worker, and Cancer Advocate. My last video showed my fears and anxiety about having my PORT installed. This video focuses on the first...
by Joe Birch | Feb 26, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
I have been on the home chemotherapy pills Xeloda (5FU) for 6 rounds, and my Oncologist recently decided to increase its effectiveness by starting me on a second chemotherapy drug, Oxaliplatin, to be administered by an IV infusion every 3 weeks.To my amazement, I told...
by Joe Birch | Feb 24, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
Hi, my name is Judith Anne Desjardins, and I am a Holistic psychotherapist, 4-year and 4-month Pancreatic cancer thrivor and cancer advocate.I had a Port installed this last Monday and 6 days later, the PORT, canula, and displaced chest tissue have healed.Tomorrow I...
by Joe Birch | Feb 17, 2025 | Finding and Nurturing Your Spirit
Prior to cancer, I have been a 40-year devotee of Yoga. I did my yoga practice at least 3 times a week in class and at home. When I started my 4-year and 4-month series of treatments for Stage 1 Pancreatic cancer in 2020, (surgery, chemotherapy, ablations,...
by Joe Birch | Feb 13, 2025 | The Battle with Cancer
After 2 weeks of brutal side effects from an increased dose of my Xeloda (5FU) home chemotherapy pills, this is the first day that I feel like my normal, peppy, joyful Self. This rebound from chemotherapy side effects is the result of the loving care I have received...
