I have written about the benefits of these therapies before but never from such an intimate perspective. My past writings were based on experiences my clients shared, studies I had read and stories from other practitioners. This story is based on my very personal experience and I must say the benefits I received were more than I imagined.
In Nov 2020 I received a completely unexpected diagnose of lung cancer. It was found during a preventive heart scan. Needless to say, I was initially shocked, and traumatized by the news. How did this happen? I had no symptoms, am careful about the products I use on my skin and in my home, ate a decent diet, and exercised 1-3 times a week. Once I was over the initial shock I asked what the next step was and I was referred to a surgeon. My appointment with the surgeon was in 10 days. I was feeling very anxious, not having a plan or knowing what needed to be done was very unsettling to me. My sleep was disrupted and I woke up several times during the night. Sometimes I would do a mind-clearing or open spiral technique paired with the essential oil of Ylang Ylang and fall back to sleep. Other times it was not effective and I would lie awake for an hour or longer with various thoughts running through my head. On the nights I didn’t sleep well I had increased anxiety the next day.
What I realized was when I was in such a high state of anxiety from all the uncertainty it was difficult for me to concentrate and to care for myself. So I reached out to my friend and colleague Jeri Lawson for help. She gave me a healing touch session and it really calmed my nervous system. I was less anxious, my concentration improved, I slept better for several nights, and felt more peaceful. I was also using Frankincense essential oil with the intention of slowing or preventing cancer from spreading and to help calm my emotions. It was very helpful; I applied it topically and used it 1-3 times a day.
Once I spoke with the surgeon I felt better emotionally because now I had a plan. He did share that looking at the scan there was a possibility that it had gone into the upper lobe a little bit so they might have to take a section of the upper lobe too. We set a date for surgery in 2 weeks to remove the tumor but I also needed to get other tests to see if cancer had spread to other parts of my body and be sure I could function normally after having my lobe removed.
Now I must confess waiting for all the tests to be completed did evoke anxiety in me, what if cancer had spread? What if the lung function tests showed I would not be able to hike, ride my bike or do physically exerting activities? I continued to use the Frankincense and added Geranium to keep my spirits high.
Anxiety was again building up in me. It was hard for me to stay grounded. Fortunately several of my friends offered to give me healing touch sessions. I was able to receive 1- 2 sessions a week. The main intention for these sessions was that the cancer was fully contained in the left lower lobe, that I would heal without complications and be able to function fully after surgery, and to support my immune system. These sessions assisted me in keeping my vibration high, staying calm and grounded, stopped the “what if” scenarios from taking over, enhanced my immune system, and helped my energy body prepare for surgery.
One test did disrupt my energy field a lot. I had an MRI of my head to be sure the cancer had not metastasized to my brain. This test uses large magnets to create the images. During the test, I could feel energy shifting around in my body. Immediately after the procedure, I felt light-headed, off-balance, and “out of sorts”, it was nothing I could specifically pinpoint. I called my friend Bear to see if he could give me a treatment once I got home and he said yes. He found one chakra was actually out of alignment and one of my fields was “rippled”. This surprised me since I have been giving and receiving treatments for 13 years and no one has ever noticed my chakras being out of alignment before! While he was working on me I could feel the energy move all the way up my body. When he was finished I felt much better, very calm, relaxed, and grounded. He told me he was able to realign the chakra and smooth the field.
All of my tests came back clear; the cancer had not metastasized to other parts of my body. My lung function test came back great; I was above 100% for my age! That was a major relief. I believe that my lifestyle combined with all the healing work contributed to this very positive outcome.
I understand that one’s perspective or mindset influences health and healing. When I spoke with friends and extended family I stayed positive and asked that they send me funny cartoons, jokes, comedy, or heartwarming movie suggestions to help prepare me for surgery and for my recovery. This kept my vibration high and I believe it also helped them. Our thoughts can bring us down or lift us up.
I also did imagery and spoke with my lung as well as envisioning my recovery. I was feeling some grief and loss knowing that a part of my body was going to be removed. I imagined my lung and had a conversation with it. I thanked it for all it had done for me through the years and explained I was sorry to see it go but it was necessary for the overall health of the body. It was able to speak to me too. I won’t go into all the details but images are full of information and express emotions and feelings. I was able to ease my sense of loss and process most of my grief before the surgery.
I did a separate visualization about my recovery. I saw myself right after surgery with a chest tube that was uncomfortable but easily tolerable for 2 days, I would be up and walking the day after surgery, eating well, etc. I imagined myself a few months in the future hiking, riding my bike, and leading an active, happy life. This prepared my physical and energetic body to be able to do those things. Our mind and body want to be in synch so our thoughts have a very physical effect on our body. Imagery is the natural language of the subconscious mind and the autonomic nervous system.
The day before surgery I felt calm even though I did not know how much lung the surgeon would need to remove. I received a healing touch treatment from Patti in the late afternoon with the intentions I spoke of before and added that the surgery staff would be well-rested and healthy in order to do their best work possible. Occasionally I experienced brief moments of anxiety but they passed very quickly. I felt I had done everything my mind, body, and spirit needed to prepare for this surgery which was going to improve my health. I was ready and looking forward to it.
Part two about the post-surgery experience will be next month!