#Prayers & Healing Energy for Fr. John Tokaz Fighting Prostate Cancer

I am sending out a prayer request for Father John Tokaz. If you could please keep my friend in your thoughts and prayers, I would appreciate it very much. *Update* Father John's surgery originally scheduled for January and again postponed last month due to illness and infection is slated for today at Dana Farber.

Dr. Father John Tokaz

Dr. Father John Tokaz is a Capuchin Monk and served as the Priest at Saint Joseph's College of Maine for quite a number of years. I attended Saint Joseph's College of Maine at the start of my college career, where I met Farther John. He is a truly remarkable man who is difficult to put into words. 

When you think of the words "Priest, Minister, Monk, Cleric" you do not typically think of a man driving a black PT Cruiser blasting Godsmack or other Rock and Metal. 

The license plate from Fr. John's Black PT Cruiser "Really Insane Priest" coined by the Baseball team

This is part of what makes Father John one in a million. He would blast music over the intercom. Many recall him singing Voodoo by Godsmack when it first came out. He prayed over the baseball team whenever they had practice or a game. He would go out of his way to make conversation, to say "Hello!" or just make people smile.

Fr. John was someone who everyone could relate to and was drawn to, a truly likable but humble man: a man of God. He shared with us his own experiences and struggles. His homilies, for those of you who aren't of the Catholic faith it is basically a story were always something I came away with wanting more. There was nothing that made me feel better than attending Sunday's service to hear his words of wisdom. How he would intertwine biblical text and current news or on-campus events was something I have yet to witness any other clergy member master. He is currently battling Prostate Cancer and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove his prostate on Thursday February 18th. 

My Candle and Rosary from Confirmation. Also pictured is a cross Fr. John gave while I was visiting my twin sister. I was struggling with mental illness.

Above is a photo of the candle and rosary from my Confirmation. During my Freshman year at SJC, I along with a half dozen or so others were confirmed into the Catholic faith. I left Saint Joseph's College to deal with what I now consider to be a long journey of finding myself. For many years I struggled with mental illness in the form of severe depression. I saw numerous doctors and went through various treatment regimens and prescribed medications.

The wooden cross was a gift Father John gave me while I was on a visit to see my twin sister, Desiree, while she was still at St. Joe's. We spoke and he told me he had something he wanted me to have. It was this cross made by an order of monks. He told me the message and meanings of the symbolism of which I cannot remember in its entirety. I do not consider myself to be materialistic. Aside from my family and pets, these are some of my most prized possessions.

 

Saint Joseph's College of Maine

My twin sister went on to complete her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's online. It took me much longer to complete my Bachelor's degree, but I finally graduated with my BSBA in Business Management in December 2014.

I am sending prayers and positive energy. Father John has been and continues to be an inspiration to many in and around the SJC Community and in Jamaica Plain, MA where he currently resides. May God's healing energy surround him and help him beat his battle with cancer!

Front View

Back View

A booster to help with his medical costs, closed recently.

Leading a Healthy Lifestyle and Classical Conditioning

I grew up with the notion that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, something I still believe. I have always liked learning about new things. Keeping your mind "tuned up" helps maintain its youth. Health has become increasingly important for me because I have a family and like many others I am trying to ward off the aging process and lead a healthy lifestyle.

I have one of these candle holders, a smoke colored dish and a bud vase of vibrant color.

I enjoy writing, cooking and baking. I have always enjoyed art and antiques. I even own a few pieces of carnival glass. They are nothing that would sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars but nevertheless I find them to be eye-catching. I have become more involved in my writing lately. I have even started loom knitting to keep my mind active.

Yoga is practiced all over the world and what I really love about it is it can be adapted for anyone.

I have found yoga and meditation and are helpful with anxiety, provided that I keep up with them as a part of my routine. A cyclical or circular breathing technique when practiced in combination with tightening and relaxing muscle groups can bring a sense of calm and help relieve stress and anxiety. This practice can become second nature if practiced enough, reducing the time it takes to reach a relaxed state of being.

Your mind makes this connection with the aforementioned activities and the sense of peace they bring, similar to Classical Conditioning. If you’ve heard of an experiment with Pavlov’s dog in the field of Psychology, you know what I’m referring to. Classical Conditioning is a learning process in which an innate response to a potent stimulus comes to be elicited in response to a previously neutral stimulus; this is achieved by repeated pairings of the neutral stimulus with the potent stimulus.

Pavlov's Dog Experiment Simplified

During the 1890s Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov was looking at salivation in dogs in response to being fed, when he noticed that his dogs would begin to salivate whenever he entered the room, even when he was not bringing them food. In his initial experiments, Pavlov presented a stimulus and then gave the dog food; after a few repetitions, the dogs started to salivate in response to the stimulus. Pavlov called the stimulus the conditioned (or conditional) stimulus (CS) because its effects depend on its association with food.

Pavlov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1904. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his pioneering studies of how the digestive system works.  

What do you do to be healthy? What do you do to help you relax when you experience stress or anxiety?

#Review Santamedical SM-165 Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

The SantaMedical SM-165 Finger Pulse Oximeter is an affordable and accurate way to check pulse rates and blood oxygen saturation levels. Self-adjusting finger clamp plus simple one-button design allows for easy operation.

Take it anywhere! It's small, portable size makes it easy to handle and carry.

Helpful for athletes and pilots to obtain quick and accurate oxygen saturation readings.

Features include an easy to read bright digital LED display

• 30+ hours of continuous monitoring on one set of batteries
• Integrated SpO2 probe and processing display module plus SpO2 and Pulse Rate and bar
• Low battery level indicator

The SM-165 comes with 2 AAA batteries, a protective carrying case and lanyard. After inserting the batteries the unit is ready to use. It can be used on adults and children. Some of my favorite features are the large lit, easy-to-read display and that when not in use the unit will shut off. Results are nearly immediate.

Note: patients cannot have long fingernails or fingernail polish for the oximeter to work correctly.

Find the Fingertip Pulse Oximeter I Reviewed Here!

I can personally vouch for the accuracy of this device. This weekend our 5 year old daughter woke up in hysterics and in a panic. She was coughing like a seal and struggling to breathe all while crying and screaming. My poor baby! I felt so bad. Dad got up to help calm her down. Mike was more nervous than I was. It was in that moment after having calming our daughter down that I grabbed the oximeter I received for review and asked Renee for a finger. To my relief her oxygen levels were good at 98.

We bundled up and drove to the hospital. I knew that although there was something wrong I was slightly less panicked knowing she was getting the oxygen she needed. The ER doctor determined right off she has the classic case of Pediatric Croup. Something we've never dealt with. After a chest x-ray and some medicine we were on our way home and back to bed.

Disclaimer: I recieved this product for free, for testing purposes. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.