PART 2: CONFIDENCE IS EVERYTHING!

ATTITUDE makes the biggest difference in overcoming the challenges that come with choosing holistic cancer treatment. If you have visited here often, you probably know at least ONE thing about me: I wholeheartedly believe that holistic/alternative cancer works. But YOU have to believe with ALL of your heart that YOU will get WELL!

5 Tips for Holistic Cancer Confidence:

#1- You MUST Believe Cancer is Survivable. While I was beating my cancer I learned as much as I could about how cancer worked and spread. ALL cancer has basic behaviors that are reversible. You MUST learn to understand your cancer to build this confidence. Know your facts. The best way I did so was to READ READ READ and watch movies about cancer, specifically the resources at the bottom of this post geared towards holistic/alternative healing. I became confident that I could beat it if I became militant about my diet, thoughts, and seeking out everything I could to beat it.

#2- Arm Yourself with Survivor Stories. When I finally agreed with my husband to try my holistic protocol for 3 months, it had a lot to do with the confidence built from reading survivor stories. There were two in particular that really influenced me. One is Kris Carr of “Crazy Sexy Cancer” fame. She chose to live with a rare, Stage IV, incurable vascular (lung/liver) cancer rather than undergo the treatments the doctors offered her. She thrives on an all raw, vegan diet and has done many other alternative protocols to keep her cancer stable for 8 years now. The other survivor is Jerry Brunetti who had Stage III Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was told to do the same chemotherapy my first oncologist suggested to me or he would die. He has been in remission for 12 years now from nutritional and detoxification protocols.

Next week I will begin a new, ongoing series on holistic/alternative cancer survivors. Definitely come back and check those out. Also, the Cancer Control Society has an excellent page to contact holistic survivors. They are listed HERE. CancerVictors.net also has a network of holistic survivors and people fighting cancer currently.

#3- Don’t Settle For Just Any Doctor. Your cancer fighting attitude must include the desire to find a doctor who is on board with what YOU WANT. This is not about who’s right and who’s wrong, it’s about you working WITH your doctor to heal your body. It took us 8 weeks to find the right one. By the time I finally found my oncologist, Dr. Stephen Szabo, MD I had already been on my cancer fighting diet for 6 weeks. So don’t waste time eating junk, staying up all night worrying, and throwing a pity party for yourself. Get Fighting!

If a doctor won’t work with you then find one who will. See the Cancer Control Society’s website for a list of doctors who support holistic healing. Georgia wasn’t on that list so it wasn’t much help to me. If you have the same problem, you should also call naturopaths, holistic chiropractors and M.D.’s, herb shops, and acupuncturists in your area to see if they recommend anyone. I found my doctor through a holistic health care center here in Atlanta. Also, check your local Whole Foods or health food store for the free newspapers near the front door. There are plenty of advertisements in there. Don’t give up until you find the right doctor, but DO start improving your diet immediately in preparation for sharing your desired protocol with your doctor. My oncologist agreed to monitor me while I followed Bill Henderson’s protocol. (See a day in the life of that HERE.) He thought it was pretty amazing how quickly the walnut-sized tumor in my neck shrunk to the touch (about 10 weeks.)

**REMEMBER that YOU hire your doctor and pay THEM! You can fire them too if they are not willing to work with what you want.

#4- Tap Into Your Spirit. Whether this means you pray, meditate, enjoy the outdoors, or listen to music and relax your body, you NEED to make time to go Inward and Upward. I am a believer in Jesus as who HE says he is, not from what other people say he is or what skeptics say he is (although I used to be one…more on that another time!) I found all of my comfort in Him because I believe he came from God and is God. I believed with all of my heart he would heal me if that was in His plan. I couldn’t think of anything else but to fully believe that it WAS in his plan.

#5- You Don’t Have to Answer to the Critics.

You will be surprised how many people will come out of the woodwork and question your decision of how to treat your cancer. My entire family and husband’s family was WORRIED sick. To top it off they thought it was my husband (of only 3 months) that was “feeding” me these ideas about alternative cancer and the relationship was strained. And I was in the middle of all of it. Things did get better though. Once I finally made up my mind and got my Cancer Fighting Confidence and Attitude, I was able to speak confidently about my choice to my parents, other family, and friends. They needed to know it was MY choice. Now, 3 years later and after having a daughter, my parents are THANKFUL to Kevin for his leadership and determination.

You need to know and believe that you have no obligation to share your personal choice about YOUR health with anybody. ANYBODY. A vague “I’m still weighing my options regarding treatment <smile>”  is all you need to say when people ask you why you haven’t done chemo/radiation yet.

That held people off for a while for me, but once I became firm on my decision to take the holistic route, I actually created a speech of sorts to say when people asked about my treatment.

It went something like this:

“We have decided on a holistic approach. It has had success with many people with different kinds of cancer. I am being monitored carefully and am excited about how much better I feel already. We are just as concerned as anyone else and will reflect on my progress in 3 months and make a decision from there.”

Don’t expect a huge conversion, but if you seem like you know what you’re talking about and are CONFIDENT, most people won’t probe any further.

What about those who keep questioning? What if they have questions you don’t know the answers to? What about friends/family who have had cancer and are in remission from chemo or radiation?  And my favorite one: What about the friend who talked to their doctor and their doctor said that what you’re doing is unproven and won’t work!

Well, once again. You don’t have to say anything. BUT I will address all of these in a later post about Critics and Naysayers.

Resources I Recommend for Confidence Building:

#1: “Cancer Free: Your Guide to Gentle, Non-Toxic Healing” by Bill Henderson.

#2: Watch Mike Anderson’s: “Healing Cancer From the Inside Out” DVD.

#3: Watch Jerry Brunetti’s “Nuganics: Food as Medicine Series” (free)

These are my top 3 suggestions for YOU, the cancer fighter to read. I like them because they are all in layman’s terms. Simple reading and viewing on a complex topic. Write all over Bill’s book and take notes. Don’t worry about any others for right now, as it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Watch Jerry Brunetti’s video in 2 or more parts as to not get overwhelmed and stop the video to take notes.  Mike Anderson’s DVD uplifted me and gave me the final confidence boost I needed to commit to delaying any decisions about chemo and radiation for 3 months. Then I went hard core with Bill Henderson’s protocol. It all felt like going to Cancer College and was EMPOWERING.

The rest of my book and movie recommendations I will give tomorrow for your advocate to read. You MUST have an advocate (spouse, family member, friend, or acquaintance) who will support you. To hear, read, or watch all of this information is overwhelming to the person with cancer. They are typically in an overly emotional state. (This coming from a woman- men correct me in the Comments section if you have your own take on this!)

Join me later for Part 3: You NEED an Advocate!