Healing Circle!

The title of my blog is the name of a book I just read . The book given to me by a fellow cancer survivor as a gift. The book is co authored by Dr. Rob Rutledge and Timothy Walker PhD. Rob Rutledge is a Radiation Oncologist, Tim Walker is a Psychotherapist. The book is a great read for anyone who has cancer or a family member with cancer. Everything that I'm trying to accomplish in my cancer journey is talked about in this book. I want to survive for as long as possible! One of the reasons I find this book so interesting is because this is a doctor speaking of alternatives to conventional medicine. Rob refers often throughout the book of Dr. Siegel a surgeon who wrote a book called Love, Medicine and Miracles. In his book he wrote of the "Super Patient!" He was curious why some patients, even ones with terminal illness cured themselves or lived much longer then what doctors predicted they would. What Dr Siegel discovered was that these people empowered themselves with a balance of conventional medicine, diet and exercise, and alternative techniques. The Healing Circle explains these techniques and how to apply them. They take the time to explain how to get the best out of the conventional medical system. Rob a radiation oncologist admits that conventional medicine can only bring us so far. Almost all cancers are still incurable to this day. Basically the book has many amazing stories of people and there cancer journeys. Many who were not giving long to survive and that are now cured or lived much longer then they were expected. It also gives you techniques on how to let you live your life, as opposed to cancer  living your life. To me this is huge, since I've come out of the post cancer shock I've been determined to live my life. It really took me 4 months to come out of the shock and anxiety of my diagnosis and start to relive my life. They speak of diet and exercise as one of the key components to the super patients survival. Although he never speaks of any specific way to eat, he speaks often that these super patients take there diet and exercise seriously, alot of them also using naturopath and homeopath remedies. Well as many of you know that read my blog, the diet and exercise is a lifestyle for me now. This will be for the rest of my life! The naturopath and homeopath techniques are being researched and are on there way soon. I really think it makes sense to incorporate the naturopathic and homeopathic perspective into incurable cancers. What do you have to lose?  The last part of the book explores alternative techniques for example, yoga, tai chi, meditation, reiki. He talks about the importance of these techniques, how they reduce stress and bring a sense of wholeness and inner peace. They know that the body fights cancer better when the bodies relaxed.  How do you relax somebody with cancer? Not easy we're a bunch of freaks... I'm the most calm laid back person I know and I was freaking. So things like Reiki, and yoga were so helpful. When I was going through my chemo I practiced all of the above examples. Yoga in particular helped me so much with relaxation, most notably with my sleeping. After reading this book I realize I need to start back into them. I mean all this is free through wellsprings London, so why wouldn't I take advantage of them. Yoga was my favorite followed by art therapy and reiki, even though I'm shit at art it's very relaxing and therapeutic for me. Throughout the book there are stories of people and there amazing journeys. One that caught my attention was a gentlemen with AML a aggressive type of leukemia. He was in the middle of intense chemo when he had 2 viruses attack his body at the same time. He couldn't eat he was vomiting, convulsing and blacking in out of consciousness. He remembers it got so bad that the doctors and nurses rushed in to shove a feeding tube down his throat. He heard the doctors say to his father this is are only chance to keep him alive. For some reason the were having a heck of a time getting the tube down his throat. He remembers his dad shouting, " have you had enough son?"  Followed by, " give me a sign and I'll make them stop!" Meaning to let him die. He never gave his dad that sign. After he came out of the coma 3 days later he slowly recovered. He's still here today and cured, and using the techniques in the book. To be that close to death and make it, WOW! After I read that I looked at my wife, handed her the book and said, "read this story!" That was the most powerful story in the book. There's a woman with breast cancer who talks about her journey. All I'd have to do is change the name and the type of cancer from her story. Every detail she wrote about was a mirror image of how I felt in my cancer journey. Just how she realized that her cancer would no longer run her life. Very powerful to me! In a nutshell after I read this book I realized that I want to be a super patient. The main reason is because I want to watch my daughters grow up. Another is egotistical, but I want people to say I know that guy and he beat cancer. I want to help other cancer survivors. I want to be a better person, part of that is being more balanced in body, mind and soul. Diet and exercise should be a no brainer for all of us regardless of having cancer or not. So maybe cancer sucks but it certainly doesn't have to ruin my life no matter how much time I have left. I will not let cancer run my life! To myself, 2 little girls, my wife, and all else who love and support me I promise that... That's a promise worth keeping I'd say.


Oh yes to Derek thanks for the tips on the naturopath!

Also To Craig thanks for the link!