As a 30-year survivor of Stage IV Melanoma, I understand what it takes to beat cancer and live a long and healthy life. (Read my story here.) Because Templeton Wellness Foundation is all about empowering others, I’d like to give you 10 key lessons I’ve learned about healing on my journey:
1. Take control. When this illness hit me, all I knew was to go to a doctor, have them tell me what’s wrong, and fix it. But what they had to offer only made me feel worse, and I felt like I was losing the battle. Most of us are taught to be patients, to sit quietly, and do what we’re told. I learned through research and the healing testimonies of others that I could take control and do things that felt right to me. So I charged like a bull into my own healing, and it worked.
2. Fully commit. Go all in and do whatever it takes to heal. You have to do the research, create a plan, do the work and have faith you will heal. You need to believe 100% that the path you’ve chosen is the one that will heal you. It’s not an easy battle – you need to fight like you’re in the ring with the prize-fighter, going for the heavyweight title.
3. Stay positive. Even when I couldn’t do much more than rest in bed and prepare a few meals, I stayed positive. I visualized my healing, and how I wanted to live my life. I researched and read healing stories from people using the same techniques I was to get inspired. I didn’t let worry, doubt, or depression get a hold of me. One thing I’ve done from the day I took control of my health is set goals for myself, and each time I reach one, I set another.
4. Eat a clean, healthy diet. I researched the macrobiotic diet and had confidence it would work for me. But, the diet that got me healthy isn’t the diet that keeps me healthy. After working with Dr. Hazel Parcells, I expanded my diet and transitioned away from macrobiotics. (Diet is so important for maintaining health, I’ll go into greater detail about it in my next post.) There are many diets for cancer prevention and healing out there, and most have several things in common. The most important points are:
- eliminate processed foods and sugar
- choose organic foods
- reduce or eliminate meat and dairy
- eat a lot of vegetables, especially dark leafy greens
- small amounts of low glycemic fruits for an occasional treat
- replace coffee, soda, milk, and juice with a lot of filtered water
5. Find a healing community. Because I was so committed to healing, I wasn’t tempted to go back to living the way I had been before I got sick. But I was lonely, and I wanted others to share my journey and help me stay focused. Once I surrounded myself with people who were on the same path I was, it was easier and more enjoyable to live my new lifestyle.
6. Tune in emotionally and spiritually. Unloading emotional baggage and developing a deep spiritual practice opened me up to levels of healing I wasn’t even aware I needed. Deep breathing exercises, visualization, meditation, and connecting with nature have been an integral part of my healing journey.
7. Supplement with herbs and vitamins. I started using Vitamin C in fairly high doses early in my healing, and I noticed I seemed to feel better than others around me healing from cancer. I later added Iscador (mistletoe injections) at the advice of my holistic-minded doctor and found even more healing. These 2 experiences gave me the confidence I needed to use other healing herbs and supplements when I learned from Ann Louise Gittleman and Dr. Hermann Bueno that I had parasites.
8. Stay open-minded and keep learning. I was shocked to learn about parasites. It never occurred to me this could be an issue in our hygiene-focused society. But researching them, finding out which ones I had, then treating those specific parasites led to another level of healing for me. Cancer survival is usually measured at 5 years and sometimes 10 years because the rate of recurrence is so high. I pay attention to new therapies and research new products to beat the odds.
9. Find the root causes, detox, and rebuild. Tooth issues, heavy metals, nutrient-poor diets, contaminated water, toxic mold exposure, candida, parasites, EMFs, radiation, stress, and toxic emotions – these are some of the root causes of diseases that manifest in our bodies. Once I learned this, it started a fire in me to teach others and provide resources for healing.
10. Live with a purpose. Healing is hard work, and it needs to last a lifetime. Find what makes your life worth living and worth fighting for. Realize your own value, you alone are worth the battle. I’ve been strong and steady in my healing for 30 years now.