Check That Skin Spot; It May Save Your Life

Check your skin, I did.

In 2008, I noticed a spot on my left calf. It bothered me because it didn’t “feel” or look right. I had my primary physician look at it during my yearly check- up but he wasn’t worried about it. As the months passed I did note that my mark, this excrescence, was getting larger and changing in shape. I finally scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist. She didn’t like the way it looked so I agreed to do a biopsy. 

For three weeks I worried about the possibility this growth could be cancerous. Were my things in order? Was my Advanced Directive and Will updated? Was I living the life I wanted to live? Well the time came for me to get my biopsy results and I sat in the waiting room for nearly an hour with no word. I was asked several times if I was OK and offered water which was unusual for a follow-up medical exam.  I got really nervous.

A few minutes later, I was finally called by my doctor and she asked if I was ready for the procedure to have the growth removed? “What?” I asked. “Does that mean it’s CANC--?”

She cut me off and told me, “Breathe.  It is a benign growth, not cancer.” I was immediately relieved. However, the pathologist recommended the growth be completely removed as soon as possible, just to be sure. This growth which is technically called a dermatomyofibroma was unusually large and in an odd location of my body. Apparently, this kind of growth would appear on a person’s upper body. I agreed I wanted it to be removed. 

I realized no matter how uncomfortable it is to have things checked by doctors sometimes, it is necessary to save one’s life at most and have peace of mind at least. A complete excision of the growth was gone. The only temporary set back was having stitches, minor discomfort and orders to modify my exercise for a couple of weeks. This is when having a trainer really comes in handy. So while I’m healing I’m working out my upper body, doing push-ups, and yoga. Once I’m back to normal I will resume my combination of full body strength training, cardio and yoga.

What should you look for?

So do you have something you need checked out? A strange pain somewhere, an itch, an odd mark somewhere in your body, even if you don’t get much sun exposure? Do you have an ongoing cough, or headache that won’t go away? Or do you have a nagging feeling something may not be right in your body or mind like depression, or anxiety? Trust yourself and get it checked, especially if you are fortunate enough to have insurance. I know it’s not fun to get a colonoscopy, GYN exam, mammography, see a proctologist, or even getting a regular physical but the peace of mind and treatment possibilities may be worth it.

I have included some links for anything related to skin cancer in case you want to check some information. Also, WebMD.com is very popular for checking  many kinds symptoms and conditions. But most importantly, breathe and know you always have options. I’m not sure what I would be saying if my results were different, but I do know that the five years I got with my mother after her cancer diagnosis and treatment were cherished beyond words.

Links

www.skincancer.org

www.skincarephysicians.com

www.webmd.com

www.preventcancer.org

www.cancercare.org

Here is some more information on general skin care. Aside from using sunscreen to prevent sun damage, there are other steps to take to keep you minimize sun damage.

1.  Keep skin hydrated, both inside and out by drinking plenty of liquids (preferably water) and using proper skin moisturizers. 
2. Before heading out into the anywhere where you will have sun exposure, apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before.  
3. If you want a glow, try self-tanners that are made for a variety of skin types.  
4. Check any odd spots and remember that no matter what your skin color is, everyone is prone to getting sun damage. Additionally, other factors other than sun exposure can lead to skin growths, so check everywhere in your body, it’s better to be safe.
5. Get plenty of rest. The saying that says "I'll sleep when I die" is ironic because lack of sleep causes aging, and all sorts of health issues. 

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There is one more link for you to check www.skincancertakesfriends.org for information on how Olay had teamed up with the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery to sponsor free screenings with a dermatologic surgeon for a friend and you.

Want to know more? Schedule a coaching session on this and other issues at This is Diana. Sign up for my email list and receive a free e-book.

~Always with Love, Light and Common Sense Manners~

Diana Navarro, M.S.

On a Quest to Bring Common Sense Manners Back!

When Calamities Spark A Spiritual Awakening

YOU CAN NOW HEAR THIS IN A BROADCAST HERE

Disclaimer: This post is informational only. Any issues should be first addressed with a medical professional to properly diagnose and exclude any physical, psychological and mental conditions and/ or illness. 

A Visit To My Spiritual Awakening
I wrote a manuscript seven years ago. It's in my computer's hard drive. This manuscript is about my spiritual awakening. However, every time I thought I was reaching a good place to stop writing and send it to be published I would encounter another huge challenge that put the breaks on it. I realized I didn't need the book published in order to share is crucial information that can potentially help many in a spiritual state of emergency crisis and confusion. I already do that through my blog, and intuitive sessions, talks and broadcasts. So welcome to some information I trust will ease your process and make this journey as exciting as it truly is.

I went through a series of extremely difficult challenges beginning in 1999. It began with my mother's sudden death from a rare cancer, and continued into my move to San Francisco California where I endured ridiculous adversities. These included caring for someone who was very ill and struggling 3,000 miles from anyone I loved and trusted. I experienced for the first time issues of being completely isolated. I myself became ill. I ran out of money, no one would hire me no matter how qualified or educated I was and it was 2002 a post 9/11 world. To top it all off I was facing eviction. I was very close to being in the streets with my cats and belongings.

After working tons of temp jobs, running out of unemployment extensions, getting that eviction notice, still openly grieving my mother's death, I had what I call "The Dark Night of My Soul". I walked in one day to my quaint studio apartment on Nob Hill from yet another disappointing interview, turned off all my lights and phone and laid down for what felt the deepest darkest moment of my life. I thought to myself I give up, I can't fight any more. I sank into a deep sleep. I didn't drink, eat or take anything. I just fell into darkness. The deepest pain I've ever felt. All the years of going to college, graduate school, working multiple jobs, counseling people rescuing animals, all for nothing. I couldn't survive without material resources to eat, pay rent and live. 

I don't know how long it was before I felt a warmth on the right side of my head. Apparently I was sleeping on my back and in addition to this warmth I felt a bright light. I know when I fell into this sleep it was evening and I didn't get direct sun light into my living room. So what was this light? I wondered. The warmth enveloped me and I saw, literally saw a light in the ceiling above me. I lived in the ground floor of a walk-up and clearly didn't have a hole in the ceiling. I cannot describe the light except it was utterly beautiful. Up to this day I cannot put in words what I felt at that moment. It's as if that light had consciousness. It was alive and communicated to me with pure love and no verbal words... "It's all right". I felt as if when a loved one puts their forehead against yours. A rush of emotion like I had never felt moved through me like a tidal wave. I wept from the deepest part of my soul, not feeling alone for the first time since my mother's death. I cried for what seemed forever. I cried so much my abdomen ached. But I felt alive again. That was the beginning of my psychic opening and awakening. But it was not the end of my challenges and struggles. and I had some doozies ahead.

Throughout this time something odd happened to me. What I always thought was a defect, my being oversensitive to everyone and everything, was actually a psychic gift. I was an empath.

In a recent post I put some information about who psychics are, are not, and what some of the names which are used describe psychics. I also spoke of my particular affinity to be an empath and for the sake of ease and clarity I have placed it again below.

An Empath is an Intuitive who in addition to expressing empathy (the ability to put oneself in another person or animal's place emotionally, physically and spiritually), has abilities and characteristics that go beyond the normal five senses. Empaths are extremely sensitive to their environment, people and animals. S/he literally “feels” and senses what others feel, think and the motives behind these. An Empath can receive psychic information by feeling what others feel/think but also via visual flashes, dreams, and connecting synchronicities.

Discovering I was an empath was a messy and clumsy process. Although I had extensive knowledge of psychology and research, there wasn't much written about this phenomenon I was experiencing. What I did know was that it wasn't an illness and I knew it changed me fundamentally. I put my research skills into practice and searched everywhere until I found information on what is called spiritual emergencies.One of the resources I found is a book called: Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis (New Consciousness Readers) by Stanislov Grof and Christina Grof . It was extremely helpful and I was able to put the many other pieces of this fragmented process together with some time and begin healing old wounds while preparing for this exciting journey.

What Causes a Psychic Awakening/Opening and What is it Like

Spiritual Awakenings have occurred since the dawn of humanity. It has many names but no matter what race, ethnicity, religion, gender or age it has very specific patterns and manifestations. What triggers an awakening is very individual. Some seek actively seek it. They may go through a religion or spiritual practice. It happens for others when something huge happens in their life, usually a tragedy or a series of adverse events. For others, it may be a gradual process that occurs via prompts, signs and synchronicities. The ultimate reason why an awakening begins is known to your higher self. We all have a calling, a purpose for being here. Some of us know, others don't. Your awakening brings you closer to this calling. What you do with this knowledge is always up to you. 

No matter that the trigger or the reason for an awakening the effect is unmistakable. The person's life is changed from inside out. Soon after an awakening you may experience some signs that have been studied, observed and researched.  These experiences vary from person to person. Not everyone feels the same things and in the same intensity. Some are physical, some are emotional and some are spiritual. Below are just some of the signs, not an all inclusive list. For that,  I suggest you do some online searches.. Oh, one more thing. Not everything is going to resonate with you. So use your common sense and gut to determine what does. 

Some signs that may indicate a spiritual awaking are:

• Changes in your five senses (should you have them all). Heightened or changes in hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and seeing. You may see, hear, taste, smell and feel things differently. You may experience things with your senses that are not experienced by others around you unless they have spiritually awakened. See flashes of light, shadows, hear sounds bells, music, feel heat, cold not due to regular environmental factors, etc. 
• Drastic changes in your sleep cycle. You may need much more sleep, much less sleep or sleep in chunks of 3 hours at a time.
• Strange vibrations within your body. Some report feeling as if they had their phone on vibrate but with nothing out side to cause this sensation. It is internal and an effect of your nervous system interacting with your subtle (spiritual) body. 
• Intensely lucid dreams, including out of body experiences. These dreams are un-disputably vivid and you are fully aware you are dreaming. You can often control events in your dreams. So experience soul travel or out-of-body experiences where your astral self is aware it is outside of your living, breathing resting body. This is nothing to worry about and there is much literature on it to help with any fears associated with it. 
• You may affect electronics around you, watches, computers, other machinery may not function normally. This is again a reaction of your own body's electromagnetic energy interacting with the outside to such a degree it disrupts the normal function of of those items.
• You may feel very differently about your life, career, family, friends, politics, religion, animals and the planet. Many times spiritual awakening be be your initiation into the process of Lighwork. The work of healing, self and others with light, love, your personal talents, and skill sets. I find this to be one of the most challenging because you need support during this time. If others don't "get" what you are going through they may openly cause you distress and increase any feelings if uncertainty you may already be experiencing.
• Higher sensitivity to violent and harsh situations which will lead you to want to avoid these as much as possible. Violent movies, games and even sports you  may have thought were enjoyable are no longer pleasing. 
• Developing different tolerance for food in your diet. You may have an intense desire to change what you eat to healthier, cleansing and whole foods. Some find eating meats no longer possible while others may need to eat more to calibrate their system into balance.
• Developing sudden allergies and skin sensitivities and acne outbreaks. This is very unpleasant but doesn't last forever. Do your due diligence and check with your physician/nutritionist/do our own research if you don't have one, and see if there is an external factor that is triggering this. 
• You may be more focused on healing, loving and helping others. This may seem like a huge task but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Start with yourself of course, then do simple things like recycling, donate to reputable established organizations doing good for the world, open the door for others, say thank you, smile, pet an animal, save an animal, talk to a plant...they DO hear you and it's been scientifically verified. 
• You may desire isolation for some time. This is tricky because again, friends and family may mistake this for depression or illness. After you have checked you are physically and emotionally ok, you may want to give your self the gift of isolation for introspection, meditation, learning and body work like exercise, yoga, listen to high frequency healing sounds and music for instance. 

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What Can You Do About It

Once an awakening has occurred, it is virtually impossible to go back to a "normal" life. The way you see the world, people, animals and your space will change. You are fundamentally the same but your senses are heightened and transformed. 

The best thing you can do is take a deep breath...a lot of deep breaths. The second next thing is do some good old fashion research. Fortunately there are a lot more resources available than there were 10 years ago. On on the internet alone you can find most of what you'll need. However, nothing can replace the help of another human being to hear about what you are experiencing. Ideally, you would want to have multi-prong resource plan available. 

• Read and research a lot. There is so much information available including what others have experiences, how they are coping, and what to expect so check as much literature,(books, blogs, articles, magazines) as you can.
• Find a professional in the spiritual healing community (a legitimate psychic/intuitive), 
• Explore seeing a holistic therapist, or other mental health professional versed in spiritual emergencies.
• Research a group of fellow individuals who can share your experiences in a private, secure environment. Sometimes the people closest to you may have the most difficult time supporting you through this process. This may be due to fear, lack of knowledge, confusion, or even a bit of envy. With time and the correct way of communicating with them this can be eased. But sometimes, sadly you may have to distance yourself from anyone who is hurtfully negative towards you and your experience.
• Take more mindful care of your body, your emotions and your spirit. Self nurture is very crucial. 
• Don't rush this process. Many get eager and start exploring ways to accelerate their spiritual journey and get themselves burned out or over-loaded. Everyone has their own pace, so rushing into practices like kundalini yoga (or any mind/body/spirit practice), beginning to explore tools like tarot, pendulums without proper preparation, guidance and information, can be very counter-productive and even dangerous.

I discuss much of this with my clients during intuitive sessions. I often find that people who seek this type of guidance do so because they themselves are highly intuitive and may be going through a spiritual awaking or spiritual growth spurt and frequency leap. In any case, it is important to note that this is not a linear process with predictable steps. However, there is enough information and tools from the many people who have and are experiencing this incredible transformation. Congratulations on your awakening and welcome to the world of Lightwork. 



Oh and by the way...follow me here............. 

With Light. Love and OM
Diana Navarro, M.S.
www.Thisisdiana.com
Psychic--Empath with a Psychology background, Radio and Video Broadcast Host, Speaker, Entertainer, Consultant and features topics on Lifestyle/Manners, Humor, Entertainment, Health, The Paranormal and Causes.

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