Cancer Thriver: Cortney from Green Drink Diaries

This week I had the opportunity to speak with Cortney of Green Drink Diaries. She is a holistic cancer survivor and she gave me permission to print her story. I think you'll be impressed.

How I Beat Cancer

3 months before my cancer diagnosis.

In October of 2008 I was diagnosed with Stage II Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After weeks of testing and the staging confirmed by PET/CAT scans and a bone marrow biopsy, my husband Kevin and I had to make a decision. Were we going to go with the oncologist’s recommendation of R-CHOP chemotherapy and radiation? There were so many unsettling factors. The type of Hodgkin’s I had was very rare and there were no conclusive studies on what type of conventional treatment was MOST effective. The chemotherapy that was suggested by my oncologist had many side effects, but the one I found completely unbearable was infertility.
On the same day we received my official diagnosis and were given our tour through the chemo room and the wig shop, Kevin and I came home feeling unsettled and bewildered.  While I was lost in my thoughts of whether to freeze my eggs or agree to have embryos frozen, he began research on alternative cancer treatment. Neither one of us had any experience in the alternative cancer world. He began discovering other people who felt similarly as we did. They believed there had to be another way, a better way to treat cancer. We also found several survivors who treated or were treating naturally, such as Jerry Brunetti and Kris Carr.

Over the next few weeks, packages arrived at our door on a daily basis. Kevin began to read about the reasons that conventional medicine was not always the best way to approach treating cancer. He became more and more educated on the effectiveness of alternative cancer treatment. I had difficulty having faith in his new alternative cancer philosophy. How could this “natural” treatment be so effective, but yet doctors continue to treat almost exclusively with c​h​e​m​o​t​h​e​r​a​p​y​, radiation, and surgery? It must be because modern American medicine was superior to diet change and supplementation? I needed to educate myself on it. I focused on a book by Bill Henderson called “Cancer Free: Your Guide to Non-Toxic Healing” and in November began the protocol he lays out in his book:
1. Beta 3-D Glucan Immune Boosting Supplement
2. Raw Organic Vegan Diet, No Meat, No Sugar, No Processed Foods, No Cooked Food
3. Budwig Protocol (Cottage Cheese/Flaxseed Oil)
4. Vitamin C/ Green Tea Supplement
5. Barley Power Supplement
6. Dr. David Williams Daily Advantage Vitamins
7. HcG Urine Test to monitor progress

After many heated arguments and tears, I had finally agreed to give alternative cancer treatment a 3 month trial period. Our next step was to find an oncologist who supported us in our journey. After leaving the first oncologist, we found a holistic M.D. at first who knew of an oncologist, Dr. Stephen Szabo who she heard was more-open minded to patients trying alternative treatments. After one visit with him he confirmed that he believed I had “time to try alternative therapies” and agreed to monitor the cancer while I continued my nutritional protocol. It was shortly after this I began to notice the cancerous lymph node in my neck drastically reducing in size, almost to the point of non-detection after only a month on my new diet.
In January of 2009, I attended the 12 day detoxification and raw foods course at the Living Foods Institute here in Atlanta. It was there I was introduced to new ways to enjoy raw foods.  I also received 7 colonics to detox my colon in order to allow proper assimilation of the cancer-fighting nutrients I was putting into my body. I did many other things to detox my body also, such as drinking Essiac Tea, reflexology, drinking Alkaline water, sweating in a dry heat sauna, and exercising on a Cellerciser rebounder. During this time I also kept my anxiety levels calm through prayer, reading biblical scripture, and reciting positive affirmations.
My January HcG Test showed improvement from my November score. I was set for another HcG test in March when I discovered I was pregnant. It was a scary and uncharted territory for us. My oncologist seemed confident and we worked together along with my OBGYN through the next few months of morning sickness and blood tests to make sure my body was handling the pregnancy well and the cancer wasn’t acting up.

Finally, on May 4th, 2009, Dr. Szabo gave us the surprising news that I was in “clinical” remission! He believed that CT/PET scans were NOT a superior way to monitor the form of cancer I had because of its indolent nature. Instead, I am monitored via bloodwork and physical examinations.  Following several months of excellent health reports, I received “clinical” remission status. I went on to have an unmedicated and natural birth to Ruby-Claire Campbell on November 19^th 2009.

As of this writing in October, 2011 I remain in clinical remission. I have chosen to address my cancer through lifestyle change. This is a lifelong commitment. My diet is not as extreme as it was in the beginning, but I still stay completely away from sugar, processed foods, and conventional foods. I eat a TON of nutrient-dense, organic vegetables: a big, colorful salad and 64 ounce veggie smoothie everyday. I rarely eat meat, but when I do, it is grass fed, free-range meat or wild-caught fish. I still drink green tea, take Vitamin C, and Dr. David Williams’ vitamin supplements each day. I eat the Cottage Cheese/ Flaxseed Oil mixture at least 4 days a week.

I think there is a place for conventional medical treatment and intervention/monitoring. For my husband and I, it was a PRAYERFUL decision to approach the cancer the way we did. We believe that God gave us a fully functioning, self-healing body that when brought back to its original state can fight off the malfunctioning cell growth of any form of cancer. It will be a journey to keep the cancer away, not a destination. That is how we hope Americans will begin to look at their health care.
For a more detailed version of this story, please click HERE.
My Series on Fighting Cancer with Alternative Therapies
Introduction
Part 1: A Day in the Life On My Alternative Cancer Protocol
Part 2: 5 Tips for Alternative Cancer Confidence
Part 3: You Need an Advocate to Support You!
Part 4: Facing the Critics of Alternative Cancer Treatment: Friends, Family and Forums Who Mean Well
Part 5: The Three Day “Eat For the Cure!”

Cleanse Days 5-7

After some initial rebellion and internal struggle with some of the food changes, I think I'm finally settled. Green Smoothies help tremendously. I've noticed I rarely crave sugar, and if I do I have a nice pulpy glass of orange juice. I did purchase some low sugar chocolate snacks, but haven't really needed them yet. Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and saw my favorite pimento cheese and I just stood there for two minutes, then walked on. I barely glanced at the Bothhouse farm drinks (I like the Mocha Cappuccino) and for the most part managed to make some really good shopping choices.

 Coconut Based chocolate ice cream, cacao nibs and macadamia nuts, raw almonds dehydrated and seasoned with vanilla and maple, coconut ice cream bars, vegan/gluten free dark chocolate and orange bar and raw chocolate bar with superfoods. All very low sugar options and great for chocolate cravings.

 So good, I'm addicted

  LOVE this cereal! Reminds me of Grape Nuts without  the crap

I started coffee enemas this week, and have done my meditations while holding the enema. You do a fresh water enema first, releasing immediately, then follow up with the coffee enema, which the goal is to hold for 15 minutes. So far I've gone anywhere from, not going to happen, to about 12 minutes so far. I think it gets easier the more you do it. Here's a great video from Jess the Wellness Warrior on doing coffee enemas:



I'm starting to see some results. I had major fatigue issues through October, and as the week has gone on I've had more and more energy. In fact, yesterday was the first time I didn't nap in who knows when. Not only did I not nap, I tried to go to bed, and ended up laying awake for an hour and getting back up! I still went to bed at a decent time, and got about 8.5 hours of sleep, which usually I sleep for about 12 hours, but I haven't need to. In fact I've had problems with boredom now that I'm not sleeping as much. Suddenly, I have all this time and I have no idea what to do with it. I cleaned off my two tables filled with mail and sorted through. I organized my bills and created a payment plan. I've watched some Hallmark Christmas movies and done some things around the house. I need  to make a list of activities. It occurred to me that I could do that puzzle from my 31 Things list, finish putting together the photo album, also from that list. Shoot, I could actually start writing! My brain was too foggy, but it's clearing up so now it the time. Also, exercise and emotional/spiritual exercises. So we'll see how it goes.

 Green Smoothie

 Vegan Protein Powder

 Oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and a dash of almond milk

Right now one of my biggest projects is finding the right supplement balance. I REALLY hate that Cellect, the mineral/vitamin powder that has like 97 things in it. It's nasty, smells nasty, and just doesn't go away. There really isn't anything else like it though; however, I believe I found an herbal remedy (that I already have some of) called Merlin's Herbal Magic Root Elixir. It has over 30 herbs in it. I will still need to take all my alphabet vitamins (A, B6, B12, B17, D3, E), and Iron. There is also something called Colustrum that is in the Cellect  and a great part of it that I can get on it's own. Plus I can start doing MSM again, Bee Pollen, and look into some other things. Some of the stuff is in pill form, but several things can be tossed into my smoothies.

So what's up for week two? Adding in exercising, which will be bouncing on the rebounder. Also, dry skin brushing and I really need to do the neti pot. I plan on thawing out the pesto I made this summer and making a delicious pesto pasta with Quinoa noodles, another soup, either corn chowder or baked potato, and trying out a Creamy Coconut Beans and Rice recipe. And of course, more green smoothies. I'll leave you with a photo of tonight's Buddha Bowl. This one has brown rice, diced potatoes, orange bell pepper, green beans, and seasoned tofu. Bowls are very easy to make. Pretty much use rice as your base, then any kind of veggie you could possibly think of, toss them together, and there you go. Delicious.

My Cancer Protocols Explained

This past weekend I posted a Cancer Update and listed some of the protocols I've implemented or am in the process of implementing. I realize that most of that is gibberish to the general populace, and quite frankly up until last week was for me as well. So I thought I'd break it down a bit. Feel free to ask any questions and I will link to sites with more info, for those of you also going through health issues.

  

MSM/Colloidal Silver

MSM is an extremely vital mineral, that in combination with the silver, kills the microbes in cancer cells. Alone, these two would not have this affect, but by taking the MSM, than waiting 15 minutes and following up with the silver, the MSM opens up a "doorway" to allow the silver to come in and kill the microbes inside the cancer cells, allowing the cell to restore to a natural healthy state. 

Limu Juice

This product is a seaweed juice, with a tiny bit of fruit juice to improve the taste. The seaweed has cancer killing abilities and is a good addition to any protocol, but not necessarily a stand alone product. It's also crazy expensive. However, one of the main benefits is that it gives cancer patients more time, allowing other protocols to kick in. The taste leaves a little to be desire, but I've been throwing it back like a shot, so it's not so bad. Right now I'm taking about half the recommended dose of 16 ounces a day, but I am already feeling the affects. 

The Cellect/Budwig Protocol

This protocol has six parts 1) Vegetable Juice 2) The Budwig Diet 3) Cellect 4) Coffee Enemas and other detox methods 5) Vitamin B17 6) Real Sunlight. I have been doing green smoothies, and will now do a quart of smoothie and a quart of juice daily. A member of our local community was kind enough to loan us a juicer, so we'll be starting that portion this week.  

The Budwig Diet consists of a blended portion of cottage cheese and flax oil, at I 2:1 ratio, with the larger portion being the cottage cheese. While it sounds odd, this protocol was discovered by a German scientist in the 50's named Johanna Budwig and has been used successfully to heal cancer patients for many decades. The combination of the flax oil and cottage cheese causes a chemical bond that allows the cells to easily absorb this combo. It creates an electrical charge in the cells, causing cancer cells to die and strengthening healthy cells. This protocol is done twice a day, on an empty stomach, and the goal is to work up to a 6:3 ratio. Some people really love it, personally I think it has a bit of an after taste, but I'm used to chucking down pretty much anything by now.

B17, also referred to Laetrile, is found primarily in apricot pits. Back in the 70's you could purchase B17 supplements at your local health food store, but sadly people were being cured of cancer, and so the FDA, guns ablazing, came in and removed the product. Until recently people were still getting arrested for selling the seeds, but apparently that is no longer the case. However we did purchase this in pill form, and I'm attempting to determine the dosage as the bottle is in Spanish. Thank you international orders. Laetrile contains cyanide, which in this format does not harm healthy cells, but is deadly to cancer cells. This products main focus is to kill cancer cells. There are entire villages in South America where the people have never had cancer, because they eat the pits of the fruits. This is a highly effective treatment, but works best in conjunction with the Cellect, which provides the nutrients needed for the Laetrile to be absorbed by the body. The Cellect, which is a major portion of this protocol, is a powder that you take 6-8 scoops a day, and contains tons of minerals, which essentially support the immune system and aid the B17 in killing cancer cells.

Detoxing is another important portion of this protocol. Once these methods start to work, your body works like heck to release toxins. Any toxins that get stuck recycle back into your blood stream, which can open the door to viruses and cause fatigue. Currently I am doing weekly colonics, and will start doing coffee enemas twice a day. The reason for the coffee is that it not only removes debris from the rectum, but also releases toxins from the liver, making it more beneficial than a typical enema. The more toxins you can move out of your body, the better you will feel and the less work your body has to do and the faster it will heal.

The Vibe Machine
Here's some info from the website "The VIBE Machine works on five different levels by using a medium electromagnetic field. In this field, a high voltage pulse is added along with ozone. The charge is placed at a negative voltage which is being transmitted to an antenna designed to twist the magnetic field. It is then routed through noble and inert gases. These gases are in a plasma state, varying in frequencies which relate to human cellular frequencies. Plasma is found between the protons and electrons of all cells in the human body. By oscillating this plasma state, the cells are energized by the Vibe Machine. Disease is a state found in non-vibrating, non-charged, or non-energized cells. The VIBE Machine brings the vibrational level of your body back to its natural state of being. It is a technological breakthrough in enhancing the human body by helping it reach optimum vibration and energy." Interesting eh? This is $10K machine, that a wonderful community member is lending to me during my treatment. You do two five minute sessions daily.

Resonance Repatterning
This is an energy psychology technique, designed to release blockages to emotional health. I used this several years ago to clear a pattern of attracting rapists wannabe (I'm not joking, I had DAILY issues from kindergarten through my early 20's). Anyway, after ONE SESSION, I received a compliment and date offer from a NORMAL man, and shortly there after met someone who I dated for three years. I also, after 20 years of being assaulted, sexually harrassed, etc., have never had another incident. This is powerful stuff people. Here's some info from my gal Bobbie Martin's website. "Resonance Repatterning is a process designed to clear beliefs, behaviors and negative emotions that create limitations in your life.  Much of what holds you back originates from subconscious patterns (or programming) which took place early in your life.  These subconscious patterns interfere with your ability to create the happiness, abundance, fulfillment, love and health that you desire. Repatterning works by bringing these subconscious patterns into your consciousness so they can be addressed and cleared, allowing you to move easily and naturally towards a state of what we call coherence. Coherence, as defined in Resonance Repatterning, is a greater balance, aliveness, harmony, and alignment with your goals." I am using this method to keep my positive mojo going and release any feelings of wanting to die. I've had one session in the last week, and my spirits are improved tremendously. I highly recommend this for anyone with emotional blockages.

 

In addition to the items listed above, I will also start using a rebounder, which is a mini-trampoline, designed to move the lymphatic system. You can be as gentle or as enthused as you want. Even just standing on it and moving your feel just a little bounces you enough to move the lymph system. This is so important as the lymphatic system does not have it's own pump, so without movement it can get sluggish and cause illness. I am also taking an assortment of supplements, including Hydrocloric Acid and Digestive Enzymes (for processing my food) and Milk Thistle to support the liver, D-Ribose to support immune fuction, and B12, Vitamin D and Iron. Obviously I'm also eating a healthy diet, mostly vegan, lots of veggies and good grains, and drinking tea as often as possible. 

Whew! Healing is a full time job, but I am fully dedicated. I am so much Gratitude and Love for my Supporters. Thank you for being there, and you are all invited over for Christmas Dinner, because, I WILL be here, and will be stronger than ever. 

Love,

Shanna

Cancer Tips For the Newly Diagnosed

People often contact me when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. It's such a frightful time initially, most people simple don't know what to do, and just step in line with whatever the doctor tells them. I have put together a list of tips that should be helpful to newly diagnosed patients, regardless of the method of treatment you chose to go through.

1. Your cancer did not appear overnight. That's right, you did not wake up one day and have cancer, it's been slowly growing in your system for years, YEARS, before you or your doctor discovered it. What does this mean? It means that there is no need to rush into a treatment plan. While you might not want to wait months or years, you have a few weeks to explore your options, get multiple opinions and do some resesearch before diving into a plan. Your doctor will likely attempt to immediately drag you into the chemo room, but hold fast little cancer patient. Take some time to discover what treatment options feel right for you. 
2. Get more than one opinion. I've talked to people who had one oncologist insist they needed a port, another both chemo and raditation and another wanted to try localized chemo treatments, no port, all for the SAME cancer. It's also important to realize you will be working very closely with this person, so having an oncologist that is supportive and informative is very important. And if you are interested in incorporating holistic methods, or going holistic all the way, see a Naturopath as well. In fact, if you have more than one in your area, shop them too. They will also likely have different treatment suggestions. 
3. Read this blog entry: What Your Oncologist Never Told You About Cancer before letting them cut into you.
4. Before starting chemotherapy, read Chris Beat Cancer's excellent blog entry: Why I Didn't Do Chemo. Great source of information.
5. Chemo and radiation are extremely hard on the body and can make you feel very sick. Ginger is great tool for battling the nausea. You can get them as chewable tablets, buy fresh ginger or pills. Personally when my stomach is upset I think slowly chewing the pills helps a lot. I have a friend that swears by this for enduring chemo treatments. Also, chemo can cause a lot of nerve pain and damage. Acupuncture is a great tool for healing this. Set up your appointments directly after your chemo treatment, therefore you won't be spending the night in agonizing pain. 
6. Become a nutrition expert. It's so important to support your body during cancer treatments. Cancer feeds on an acidic state and loves sugar. Green smoothies are an easy way to get started. Check out Victoria Boutenko's book "Green for Life" and the "Green Smoothie Revolution." Crazy Sexy Cancer chica Kris Carr recently released a wonderful book called "Crazy Sexy Diet." This book gives you a step by step process for transforming your diet. She's a kickass cancer warrior and I highly recommend all of her books. 
7. Shake Your Booty. I realize that fatigue is a big issue for a lot of cancer patients, but the more you move your body, the better you will feel and the faster you will heal. Your lymphatic system does not have it's own pump, it only moves when you move. When it gets sluggish, toxins can re-enter the bloodstream, making you feel sick. One of the best ways for cancer patients to exercise is the rebounder. This mini-trampoline is fun and easy and 10 minutes on it is worth 30 minutes of walking. It gets the lymph pumping and for those with little energy, do 5 minutes multiple times a day. Keep that lymph moving. Yoga is also a great tool. It helps with your breathing, flexibility, stress levels, etc. 
8. Detox, Detox, Detox. It's so important to move those toxins out of your body. If they don't come out, they will just be recycled back into your bloodstream, yikes! Dry Skin Brushing, neti pot, enema's, parasite cleanse, colonics; these are all great tools. Read more about them on my blog entry: Detox Your World
9. Not every treatment works the same on everyone. I have tried many different treatments during my cancer journey and some have had amazing results, and others not so much. However, some of the things that didn't work for me did wonders for others. Each person is different and the best way is to do something, and get frequent blood tests to see if the treatment is having an effect. Holistic remedies can be expensive, so there is no point wasting money on something that is having no affect. Also, if it's not having an affect, you definitely want to find something new that will benefit you.
10. Read other cancer blogs. Here is a list of wonderful blogs that are written by people healing themselves from cancer: Chris Beat Cancer, Polly's Path to Health and Happiness, Crazy Sexy Life Blog, The Wellness Warrior, and Walkstrong.
11. Take Care of Your Emotional Health. I believe that cancer is an imbalance not only of the physical body, but the emotional and spiritual as well. Plus, a lot of emotions can come up when diagnosed. Healing modalities such as EFT (emotional freedom technique), Reiki, meditation, affirmations, etc. can be a great help. Louise Hay is a wonderful woman who healed her cancer using daily affirmations. She has a great book called "You Can Heal Your Life" that I highly recommend. 
12. Read this blog post: Let Your Ladies Hang Free: Why I Stopped Wearing a Bra.
13. Educate Yourself. Read anything and everything you can on healing. There are a ton of resources out there and more coming out all the time. I've created an Amazon module at the bottom of this post with my recommendations of cancer healing books. Check it out!
14. Get social. People who are not going through cancer treatments are often sympathetic, but don't always understand everything we are going through. Crazy Sexy Life is a social networking site run by Kris Carr that has over 23,000 members, all healing from cancer. Many of these people are combining converntional medicines with holistic rememdies. There are many "Groovy Groups" for supporting people going through cleanses, specific cancers, people new to yoga and meditation, recipes, etc. Great resource for support. 
15. Buy This DVD. Cancer is Curable Now. An amazing look at the cancer industry and how you can heal now, without chemo or radiation. Watch it before you decide on a treatment plan.
16. Read the incredible story of Jane VanBenthusen, who healed herself from cervical cancer after being told there was no cure. Read her story here: Jane VanBenthusen

This is really a starter guide. Dive into this, then if you have further questions or want more information, feel free to email me or leave a comment on this blog post. I wish you the best in your cancer journey. Click here to read about my personal cancer journey. 

My Cancer Journey

Seven years ago this summer a lump in my neck turned out to be Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymphatic system. I like to joke to people that on Monday of that week, I received a promotion at work making me the General Manger of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. On Thursday I signed the papers for my first home, and on Friday, I was diagnosed with cancer. It's not really funny, but amazing to me that so many life changing situations happened literally at once.

When I found out my diagnosis, I was relieved. I had been suffering from severe depression, to the point of suicide and had prayed that something would happen to take me from this world. I felt like I got my wish. A few weeks after my initial diagnosis, I had an appointment with an oncologist, who discovered the cancer had spread to both sides of my neck and down through my chest. This is highly unusual, and at the time I believed it happened because I wanted to die. Why I still think that may have been a part of it, I've recently learned a bit more about cancer and it's possible the biopsy they did actually cause the cancer to spread. You can read more about this in my previous post, What Your Oncologist Never Told You About Cancer.

My parents were of course extremely concerned; my Dad's reaction to the news is the reason I initially decided to live instead of letting it take me. I told my doctor I would not be going through chemo or radiation and she told me I wouldn't make it to the holidays. Seven years ago. Never allow the doctors to scare you with a death deadline, you create your own destiny.

Once making the decision to heal holistically, I checked out every book, blog, dvd, etc. that related to healing cancer. I believe that any disease, is an imbalance in the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. Most western medicines only focus on the physical, and most of the time the symptoms rather than the actual cause. I started out by changing my diet, going on a strict vegan raw food diet for the first year. I lost over 100lbs, and completely stopped the spread of cancer. I also did some emotional healing. Check out my post on Healing With Energy Psychology for more info on this.

After a couple of years, things remained stable, and I got frustrated. I fell off the wagon, started eating junk again, ignored the emotional work, hadn't even acknowledged the spiritual work, and dove into work. I worked a lot of hours and had the weight of the world on my shoulders. In the Spring of 2009, I started having a lot of fatigue issues. I went in for my tests, and the cancer had spread like wildfire. I had cancer in my lungs, under my arms, kidney, etc. Everything on my blood tests was off the charts bad, my organs had started to shutdown, and this time my Naturopath, who normally is very supportive, told me there was nothing more to be done and to put my affairs in order, it would only be a matter of weeks. I realized at this point I couldn't jack around anymore. I had to make a choice: live or die, and that choice had to be mine. I couldn't do it for my Dad or anyone else, it had to be for me. I took a couple weeks off of work, ate lots of veggies, spent a lot of time in bed, because by this time I could barely move, and decided that I really hadn't given life a proper chance. So I made my choice.

Two years later and obviously I chose to live. This time, instead of focusing mostly on the physical and half-hearted with the emotional, I have undergone entire lifestyle changes. Physically I got back into a healthy diet, focusing on Green Smoothies. I incorporated Superfoods into my diet, reversing many of the poor results on my blood tests. Triton, my furry 142lbs newfoundland/great dane mix got my booty shaking with daily walks. I also bounce on a rebounder, and started getting into yoga. I detox my body daily by skin brushing, make regular colonics appointments, etc. I got certified in Reiki, an energy healing tool, and receive other energy healing from my Mom. You can read about how one of the tumors in my neck shrank in under 15 minutes with several witnesses in my post Healing With Tuning Fork Sound Therapy.

Emotionally, I started doing mirror exercises, reading Louise Hay, using EFT (emotional freedom technique) to release the emotional causes of my cancer, forgiveness exercises and much more. Spiritually I recognized my connection with the Universe, meditate daily, and next week will embark on a Spiritual journey as I fly to Oregon for a Vipssanna Meditation retreat.

So how am I doing? Tumors in my armpits are breaking into pieces. The primary tumor in my neck split into two, and once piece is shrinking, while the other is slowly pushing itself out of my body. Whoa! My energy levels are up, I am still anemic, but I did go up a point on my latest blood test. I'm healing, and with a little more work and a lot of faith, I plan on ending 2011 completely healthy and free of cancer, eczema, anemia and hormone imbalances.

The things mentioned are just a few of the healing tools I have used, but the ones I found most effective. Once I return from Oregon, I will get updated tests, and I intend to kickstart a new healing program. More on this later.

What do you do to stay healthy? Have you ever faced a major disease? How did you handle it?

My Personal Cellulitis Battle and Tips for Taking Care of Your Skin

 Friday night, after spending 36 hours in agony, I finally broke down and went to the ER. My right leg had swollen like a balloon, and had a sore that oozed yellow puss. I tried many things to get the swelling down on my own, but alas, no luck. When I finally got in to the hospital room, they determined I had an infection called Cellulitis. I've been dealing with eczema for almost two years now, and have many sores, primarily on my legs. Apparently one of the sores got infected, causing the swelling and oozing. After a dose of painkillers and an anti-biotic prescription, they discharged me. The pain has greatly reduced, along with the swelling. Infections such as this can be dangerous without treatment. Upon reflection I'm a little surprised this hasn't happened before, due to the eczema sores. I have done everything under the sun to eliminate this skin issue, however, I think my immune system is just on overload with cancer, anemia, hormone imbalance, etc. However, there are many things that can be done to prevent these issues, and I know that as the rest of my body heals, my skin will as well.

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It also is an important outlet for detoxing toxins from our system. Here are some tips on keeping your skin healthy, and dealing with skin issues.

Skin Care Tips

1. Use Natural Skin Care Products. Throw out the hard soaps, the body washes filled with chemicals, and stick with natural products. Burt's Bee's makes a great body wash. I personal love Zum soaps, made locally here in Kansas City. When showering, it is not necessary to soap our entire body each day. My dermatologist told me that by washing our entire epidermis daily, we are removing protective layers, drying out our skin. The only areas that need to be thoroughly washed daily are under the arms, bottoms of the feet and our privates. Otherwise, I wouldn't do a full body wash more than once a week. The rest of the body gets clean during the shower process without the aid of soaps. 
2. Throw Out Your Lotion. Instead of using lotions, many of which are actually drying and contain chemicals, I put coconut oil on my body after getting out of the shower. It's a great moisturizer and extremely healthy. 
3. Dry Skin Brushing. Our skin is constantly shedding itself. Dead cells can build up on our skin, causing it to dry out, lose it's shine and block toxins from properly exiting the body. Use a skin brush daily before your shower will remove these dead cells, keeping your skin clean and fresh and healthy. Check out this article for more information: Dry Skin Brushing For Whole Body Health.
4. Use a Moisturizing Skin Mask Weekly. Meghan from the blog Making Love in the Kitchen has a great recipe for a skin mask that will revitalize your skin. Check it out here.
5. Tea Tree Oil. If you do have skin eruptions, tea tree oil kills bacteria and is a great tool. I would also suggest after cleaning the skin with the tea tree oil, using zinc oxide to heal the wound. 
6. Proper Diet and Exercise. What we put in our body is often reflected in our skin. Highly processed, sugary foods will certainly make your skin break out. Drinking green smoothies will help you in many ways, including keeping your skin fresh looking. Exercise is also important for moving toxins from the body, many which are released through the skin. 

 

Stretch~ing

There comes a point where we start to really feel good.  All the tools and tricks to suppress the Ego and get in touch with our ~ing or inner guidance system are working and life is grand.  So what generally happens? We feel so good that we stop doing our daily gratitude, we don't think to check in with our feelings, offer forgiveness, use EFT to release blockages, make our love lists, because hey, we're happy, who needs to do that. Unfortunately, that's using when the Ego finds a way to creep back in and start filling us with fear and doubt again.

It's during this time that we need to Stretch our self-help muscles and really focus on not only staying in this positive state, but stretching ourselves beyond imagining, to an even more enlightened state. This is the time to rev up your practice. Start by re-evaluating your feelings, make a new forgiveness list, get in balance, do some mirroring exercises, release those romantic illusions, climb to higher thoughts, break out your journal and use it as a tool to process. So plump up that meditation mat, get out the rebounder, shout out your affirmations, write love notes to yourself in bright red lipstick in the mirror, laugh out loud, give yourself a hug, and pray.

Fighting Fatigue

I feel like I've been living in a bit of a fog these last few weeks. Two weeks ago tonight I started my Reiki III training, an experience that is clearly kicking my ass.  Each level there is a cleanse, as your body attunes to the new energies. Level I is a physical cleanse, II an emotional cleanse and III a spiritual cleanse.  During my first week, in addition to the cleanse (which lasts 3 weeks), I also contracted the oh so popular flu bug. Luckily, my dandy flu tips helped me ward that sucker off, but I've still been majorly fatigued for the past few weeks, which I'm attributing to the Reiki cleanse. I've been sleeping quite a lot, in fact last week I slept right through Tuesday, missed it completely, quite a bizarre experience. I've watched over 40 hours of Buffy and really done little else. It's bizarre, I have absolutely no motivation, strength, energy, etc. and I have to ask, "how is this spiritual?"

I realized last night that I've allowed myself to "rest", to just do nothing, to lose myself in Buffy, and maybe that's the problem. This morning I made myself do my energy routine and bounce on my rebounder, and what do you know, I have a teeny bit of energy, enough to put this blog entry together. It also occured to me last night that maybe my body is encouraging me to take a physical break, and maybe a mental break, but not necessarily an emotional or spiritual break. Meaning, how much physical energy does it take to meditate, pray, read poetry, contemplate, do some spiritual reading?

In the past, when the going got tough, I always turned to Buffy. The lessons, the friendships, and comfort I experience while watching that show is like no other. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should be turning to myself, my inner guidance or ~ing, developing my own lessons, building my own friendships and finding comfort in my spirit guides and the Universe.

I know it's not a physical ailment that I'm experiencing, even though I have physical symptoms. I know what's it feels like for your body to start shutting down, what tumors feels like when they are growing, spreading, when your organs stop working and the process of dying begins. This is not the same. There is no pain, just intense fatigue, which probably will improve as I continue to push myself just a bit, do some spiritual work, and detox, detox, detox!

Watching TV, sleeping, numbing life away seems like the easy path, but really, what fun is that? Sure, we all need our chill days, but there is more to this life than being an observer, I want to be a participant. So yes, I still have a week of cleansing, and likely will continue to experience unbearable fatigue, but this is the time to break out that enema kit, do some yoga, and get started reading "A Course In Miracles."

And of course, learn psychic surgery in my Reiki class tonight....

12 Steps to a Healthier You

Getting healthy and staying healthy is a full time job and can be a daunting task. There are so many different aspects to being healthy; physically, emotionally and spiritually. There are many tools, that each take a few minutes of your day. So how does one balance this? Where do you begin and how do you stick with it once you've started the process? I've created a 12 Step Program, based on my own experience.  A few tips before I share the program; don't despair. How many times do you set a weight loss goal or decide to cut out coffee, and then on day five you break down, have a drink or binge on processed food? Most people say screw it, and go wild after that. Take a moment to access what happened, forgive yourself, and reset your intention. Everyone breaks, I don't care who you are, or how many years you've been on the strictest regiment known to man, we are all human. Don't beat yourself up because you just can't stand the idea of exercising today, just make sure to fit it in tomorrow. Learning to love yourself and accept yourself is an important tool to achieving a healthier you.

12 Steps to a Healthier You

1. Meditate.  Ok, so this may sounds strange to some of you, and others may wonder why I didn't start with cutting coffee or daily exercise, but trust me, this is the first step if you want to implement a successful health program into your life. Start with 5 minutes, every day to meditate on your desires, the things you want to improve, and what areas in your life you feel you may not be as healthy as you like. Meditation has several purposes a) you can figure out what your healthy goals are b) it helps center and focus you on achieving those goals c) it creates balance.  Try meditating for a week on creating a healthier you. Visualize yourself with an abundance of energy, an easy smile, a body type that allows you to wear anything you wish, freedom from disease and pain, etc. Feel it, know it will be yours, focus your energy, and you'll be ready to take the next step.

2. Establish Your Health Goals. Now that you've meditated and focused, what areas did you find need improvement. Are you tired a lot? Not getting enough sleep? Do you get colds frequently? Constipated? Do you feel depressed? Are you a mess Spiritually? Write down what you discovered about yourself in meditation, and create some achievable goals, start small. For instance, if weight loss is a goal, instead of saying you will loose 50 lbs in three months, start small, 2-5 lbs a week. Personally, I think you should throw out that scale, and focus instead on how loose your pants are getting and how much better you feel physically, but each person must make that decision for themselves. Starting with weekly, or even daily goals, will definitely make it more likely you will succeed. If for some reason you don't hit your goal that week, you can always start fresh with the next week!

3. Daily Affirmation. Ok, you've meditated, you've set your goals, now you need to affirm everyday to yourself that you are a superwoman/man and can easily achieve what it is that you desire. Post your goals on the mirror so you can see them each morning. When you get up, look yourself in the mirror and say "I love you. I believe in you. You're a rockstar!" Then, create an affirmation regarding your goals. For example, "I am on the path to a healthier me. I deserve to be fit, happy, and connected to the Universe/God. I love my body, I believe I am worth it, and today I am empowered to be the best me I can be." This is going to be extremely difficult for most of you at first. "I love myself...whaaat!!" It's an important step to successfully transforming your life, and I guarantee you it will get easier over time. You can also Empower Your Affirmations With EFT, a wonderful tool that will release some of the emotional blocks you may have.

4. Green Smoothies. Most of the time, the mindset initially is "what can I eliminate from my diet".  While eliminating things is important, and a lot of health advocates do say it can be more important than what you add to your diet, I feel that part of where people fail is they feel denied. So personally, I think adding something fun and delicious, that will immediately make you feel better, will make it easier to start eliminating when the time comes. You can read more about adding green smoothies to your diet in my blog entry Healthy Eating Monday's: Green Smoothies.

5. Shake That Thing! Exercise is extremely important. It moves the lymph, which clears toxins from your body, it boosts your endorphins, giving you a happy vibe, and gives you energy! It's so important to find something you like. If you hate your routine, you will not do it. Don't like the gym, don't get a gym membership! There are so many things you can do from the comfort of your own home. Take a walk, ride your bike (can you walk/bike to work?), bounce on a rebounder, do yoga, pop in an aerobics video, just MOVE!! You can mix it up, see what feels like fun each day, and it NEEDS to be fun. Dancing is also a great way to exercise, simply pop in a CD, and shake your thang!

6. Eliminate Coffee/Add Tea. Coffee is a stimulant, and gives you a false sense of energy, followed by a big crash.  Learn to say no to coffee, and yes to tea instead. Personally, I feel black tea is virtually worthless, so make the switch to green, red, yerba mate, white or an herbal blend. Allegro teas are inexpensive and have fun names such as "Engage Your Brain" and "Feel Flawless".  With the exception of red tea, most teas do have some caffeine as well, but also contain many herbs and anti-oxidants that will improve your health and clean your liver.

7. Forgiveness. Things are starting to get sticky, we've added some new things to our life, and now eliminated something precious to us as well.  It's time to break out the emotional tools and keep ourselves feeling good. Chances are, there has been a day (or two) that you've fallen off the wagon a bit by now. You are also probably remembering all those past experiences, where you tried to make the change and "failed". It's time to forgive yourself and release that toxic energy. Read more about Forgiveness tools in my previous blog on the subject.

8. Elimination Time! It's time to cut some more "no no's" from the diet.  In my blog post So You Want to Eat Healthier and Feel Better, I discussed cutting back on carbs, eliminating processed foods and soda pop, and participating in Meatless Monday's.  Check it out here: http://existingstricky.blogspot.com/2010/08/so-you-want-to-eat-healthy-and-feel.html

9. Detox Your World. At this point you should feel a real shift in how you are feeling. Chances are you are having more bowel movements, your skin may be breaking out or clearing up, you have more energy and feel balanced. It's important to detox during this period. There are many important tools, such as Skin Brushing, colonics/enema's, Epsom salt baths, neti pot, infra-red sauna, deep breathing exercises, parasite cleanse, etc.  If you don't move the toxins out of your body, they will recirculate into your blood stream and can cause fatigue and illness.  Pick one or two tools, and incorporate into your daily practice.  Most take only a few minutes, but for some you may have to schedule yourself a bit.

10. Laughter.  Laughter increases oxygen to the brain, stimulates your cells, strengthens your stomach muscles, is great exercise and makes you happy! The more you laugh, the better you will feel. Start off by setting aside one full minute to laugh each day. Set a timer, and just start cackling. You will likely feel ridiculous at first, but over time it will get easier. Ideally, you want to spend 30 minutes a day laughing. Find a great comedy, giggle with your girlfriends, subscribe to humorous quotes or blogs, enroll in Laughter Yoga, and start belly rumbling! Hint: if you are having trouble laughing, start by smiling, smile at yourself in the mirror, it will crack you up!

11. Balance Your Energy. We are all energy, and regardless of how healthy our diets are, how much we exercise, and all the emotional releases we have, sometimes our energy meridians can get thrown out of wack.  If you are following all the steps, and still feeling some fatigue or imbalance, I would suggest that this has happened to you. I blogged a bit about this a few months ago in my Energy Medicine entry. I highly recommend implementing Donna Eden's 5 Minute Daily Energy Routine into your schedule. I do it first thing when I get up. It removes any energy blockages, and I've noticed an immediate energy increase since I've implemented this tool. Check it out here: http://www.squidoo.com/energy-routine

12. Prayer. It's important to have a sense of grace in your life. Regardless of religious or spiritual beliefs, at some point, you need to get out of your own way, and let go/let god. Prayer is simply a way to release your fears, your desires, anything to the Universe. Let it go, take a step back, and watch the Law of Attraction at work. This is a great tool to manifest the life you want, and develop a healthier you on all levels.

What tools have you used to transform your life? Let me know how these 12 Steps work for you, I'd love to hear about your progress!

Love and Gratitude,

Shanna ♥

Balancing the Mind

This month I've been terribly out of balance.  Actually, if I'm really honest with myself, I've been out of balance for a long time.  I snapped a bit a few weeks ago, when I realized how caught up I was in The Attack of the Should's.  Since then I've done a lot of fictional reading, very little in the healing department, a tad bit of writing and pretty zero socially.  Monday, I woke up and decided, screw Facebook, Squidoo, Twitter, Blogging, Email, chores, etc., today I'm going to do all those things I desire, but never have the time for.  I started out with a killer Superfood Smoothie, did a Ho'oponono meditation, a prayer meditation I'd borrowed from my Mom in July, rebounder, practiced yoga for the first time in two years, got out my Oracle Cards, walked Triton, did a full body Reiki session on myself and set up a Girls Date Night.  Guess what?  I still had time to write, play on the Internet, watch TV, read and whatever else I might have wanted to do.  Which tells me that we are capable of accomplishing all the things we desire, we just have to prioritize and balance ourselves.

I've always been a pretty left brained person; I crave order, discipline, schedule, etc.  However, lately I've been more right brained, free wheeling, creative, no real order or schedule.  Balance is finding that middle ground.  I need some stable things in my life, but maybe i can be flexible in the when and how, or switch it up when creativity strikes or new opportunities come up.  This is something we could all benefit from. 

Meditation, yoga and rebounding are all great tools for balancing one's self.  Incorporating one or more into your day will help stabilize and balance you out.  When you get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say "I love myself and I am balanced."  You can also do affirmations while rebounding; it's powerful and fun! Balancing our energy is also extremely important.  If your energy meridians are crossed, it can throw you out of wack.  Check out Donna Eden's 5 Minute Energy Routine for balancing your energy. 

What do you do to regain Balance?

P.S. Cutting down on TV will free so much time, check out the No TV for 30 Days Challenge for tips on cutting back on your TV viewing.

Bounce Your Way To Fantastic Health!

I made a promise to myself this month that I would spend at least 10 minutes each day on my rebounder (mini-trampoline).  The rebounder is a great tool for exercise, creating balance, and it's fun!  Bouncing on the rebounder moves the lymphatic system, the only system in our bodies that does not have it's own pump.  When the lymphatic system becomes stagnant, it can create a slew of health issues.  Rebounding is also one of the most oxygen efficient exercises and it's low impact, so the likelihood of being injured is rare, compared to other forms of exercise.  The rebounder is great for everyone, but especially those fighting disease.  A lot of times disease can create fatigue, making exercise difficult or even painful.  With the rebounder, you can still get many of the same benefits simply by walking slowly or bouncing lightly in place.  This still moves the lymph and improves oxygen flow.  Over time, doing this at least 10 minutes each day, you will notice more energy, strength, endurance, and feelings of joy.  The rebounder has been proven to aid people with depression, because it gets the endorphins flowing and reduces stress.  The rebounder also increases the metabolism and is a great tool for reducing cellulite. 

Check out some of these great articles for more information on rebounding and where to order:
Health Benefits of Rebounding
How to Get Rid of Cellulite Through Rebounding
How to Choose the Right Rebounder For You



You can do this while watching TV or listening to music.  I also recommend doing it with your affirmations.  It's so empowering to shout out your daily affirmations, "I am worthy", "I am love", "I am healthy" "I am beautiful".  Try it out and let me know what you think!  Do you rebound?

Loving Tuesday's: Health and Beauty

I love my new Desert Essence Organics Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner, Burt's Bee's facial scrub, goji berries, fresh purple basil from the farmer's market, bouncing on my rebounder, walking down the Trolley Trail with Triton, picking out delicious sounding yogurts for Mom (even though I wouldn't eat them myself), reading Shazzie's Detox Your World, my dry skin brush, Silk's new Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, cozy black sandals, ballerina slippers, going out without makeup, curling my hair, colonics, deep restorative sleep, raw "southern greens" (yummy kale and collards with cayenne and garlic), RAW CACAO, green smoothies, meditation, dancing to Grace Potter and the Nocturals, local natural soap company Zum, Bad Seed Farmer's market, Tooth Soap, exfoliating with my foot scrubber, aloe vera, walking in the park, smelling the fresh Irises I just put in a vase, raw veggies, strawberries, the zapper, painting my nails in wild colors, laughter