So today I got some news that could have felt bad but instead meant nothing (to me). My appointment at U of M Neurosurgery (for a second opinion) next week has been canceled and rescheduled with their Neuro-oncology department for three weeks from now. The reason given: "It looks like the Neurosurgeon looked at your MRI and determined that the gliomas are inoperable." Translation: No need for a surgeon and an assumption I most likely have brain cancer.
I had already been told they were inoperable by the neurologist and neuro-oncologist in Grand Rapids. And had been told they may be gliomas (aka a type of tumor which are really bad news) by the radiologist and neurologist after my first MRI in April. I was also told they could be scar tissue by the neuro-oncologist.
Either way my faith in the macrobiotics and in myself to reverse whatever is going on is all I need to deal with them. Which is fortunate because they may be all I have. While chemo/radiation might be an option everything I've read is that they aren't highly effective in treating thalamic (deep brain) lesions (tumors). So it's up to me.
And thankfully I've been listening to the HEAL documentary online summit all week and know I am already on the right track, and have been for several years, to take control of my own health <3 healdocumentary="" https:="" ref="br_rs<br" www.facebook.com="">
I'm feeling great (emotionally and physically) and very hopeful that things are turning around. I'll soon be blogging about a book I purchased and have begun using written by my friend Holly See. Literally the day I began incorporating Chinese reflexology into my daily life I saw an immediate improvement in a very unexpected way.
Also, even though I've lost 18 lbs recent blood tests by my Primary Care Physcian showed that I am not suffering from any nutritional deficiencies. My new diet and lifestyle are working wonders. My chronic facial pain has become a distant memory, gone 5 days after I started living my new macrobiotic life. This new selfie is to reassure anyone who has been worried about me that I am more than fine. Am feeling confident, healthy, and happy once again after shaking off the shock of the MRI results back in April.
And for the curious Denny Waxman is the professional Macrobiotic Counselor I am working with.
I want to tell you about a movie that is empowering, inspiring, and helping me to find my way through my current situation. It's called "HEAL."
Before some of you dismiss it at first glance I want to be clear there is something for everyone in this film. It's about how the science of medicine combined with food choices, positivity, emotions, and spirituality can change the outcomes of terminal, inoperable, incurable, and chronic diagnosis'.
My takeaway from the movie is that modern medicine saves lives... But sometimes, more often than we realize, if the conditions are right we can also heal and save ourselves.
From the website:
"Director Kelly Noonan Gores' documentary takes us on a scientific and spiritual journey where we discover that our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions have a huge impact on our health and ability to heal. The latest science reveals that we are not victims of unchangeable genes, nor should we buy into a scary prognosis. The fact is we have more control over our health and life than we have been taught to believe. This film will empower you with a new understanding of the miraculous nature of the human body and the extraordinary healer within us all."
I have seen a radical remission happen by playing a very small role in it. I mentioned in an earlier blog post the reason I chose to start the macrobiotics following the discovery of my brain tumors/scarring/tbd was because I personally know someone who reversed a terminal cancer diagnosis by changing her lifestyle and diet 180ยบ on a dime. The doctors told her there was nothing more they could do for her and were basically sending her home to die telling her she had a handful of weeks left. But one mentioned she could look into macrobiotics. I loaned her some macrobiotic books I'd collected, went and talked to her, she hired a professional counselor, and is still alive over 20 years later.
When my friend Carl learned of my situation he reached out and told me about HEAL. I immediately ordered a DVD. It's cheaper on iTunes and Vimeo but I can't stream out here in the woods where my high speed (LOL) internet speed is a whopping .4 to 1.33 mbps at any given time. So anyway, the movie... It was exactly the reassurance I needed to see and hear right now. It wasn't so much much news to me but more confirmation of what I already knew and suspected: That a prognosis is a likelihood but not a sure thing. People defy terminal and chronic diagnosis' all of the time.
But how?
Researcher Kelly Turner, PH. D. says in the film that she studied 250 patients who had received terminal diagnosis' and experienced "radical remissions." There were 75 things these patients did to try to reverse their cancers and restore their health but the nine they all had in common were:
As I scanned the list I thought to myself, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check! Some, like my diet I just started recently. Others I've been working on for years. It was comforting to know I am on a track that is both healthful and makes more sense now that I've seen this movie. There were so many instances during the movie where I would say to myself "yes" or "Yes" or "YES!"
So if you are in a similar situation to mine and are in trying times at this moment, I would recommend this movie if you are open to the possibility that you have more control over your health than you might realize. To radically change one's diet is as simple as it is difficult. But few worthwhile things in life ever come easily. I've found, for me, the most important things in my life have come with a lot of emotional investment and tenacity.
I am doing my best to get back on track. I allowed myself some time to be derailed by the news I received in April but now that the reality that my scheduling marathon is over, for now, I'm realizing even more so that I must stay on track. I want to keep being creative and productive. I want to keep working on getting better, and now that the second MRI is scheduled it will hopefully confirm everything else I'm doing is making positive changes and the spots will either be gone or smaller if they are lesions/tumors/gliomas. They may not be. If they are lesions/tumors/gliomas my macrobiotic counselor told me it can take 4 months for things to stop progressing and begin reversing. Or, if they are scars they may still be there but won't have gotten any worse. Because they can get worse if I continue to have migraines. The Neuro Oncologist told me migraines can also cause brain scarring. So no more migraines even more so means I must reduce my stress. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it :)
In other good news U of M contacted me to let me know my request for a neurosurgery consult had been scheduled. The relief was huge. So huge it took me by surprise. The moment it sank in I was literally so exhausted I laid down and fell asleep. I don't normally take naps so it was strange and unexpected. I think my mind and body were finally able to truly relax and the next thing I knew I was out like a light.
