In this article, Jacqui Tew shares how her sister's diagnosis with thyriod cancer taught her how to stop worrying about things that she had no control over.

When my sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, my need to help her leapt into action. She was ill with cancer three times and then had two back operations. All in all, she stayed in hospital 19 times over eleven years.

At first it was perhaps my family instinct to want to help her. As time went on, I became frustrated at her lack of wanting to help herself.

One great lesson she taught me was that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink!

Her first cancer was in the thyroid and after having it removed she was put on a daily dose of thyroxin. Initially I used to ask her if she had had her thyroxin tablets for that day and she would say she had not done so. I used to worry because I knew it was essential for her to take this medication.

Imagine this: A spa treatment in a woodland sanctuary. Singing in harmony around a campfire. A workshop with an inspiring teacher. A steaming cup of scented tea in a quiet room.

Ahhh…such are the rewards of retreat.

The retreat experience is a temporary break from the rigors of daily life. It’s precisely the change of environment that refreshes mentally and physically. The rules: no laptop, no cell phone, and no paperwork.

But what if time or financial constraints make it difficult to get away to a spa or retreat centre? No problem. There are many ways to have the retreat experience without leaving town or even spending a dime. Jennifer Louden, author of The Women’s Retreat Book describes “mini-retreats” as alternatives to long retreats.