When I got "the call", the one saying my doctor needed to see me that afternoon, I knew something was wrong. I sat there in the waiting room alone, I hadn't told anyone where I was, I was trying to convince myself that it was just a routine follow up. Then it came, the words that everyone dreads "you have cancer". At just 32 years old I had the dreaded "C" word, something I never believed I would have to face.
Initially, after being told the lump was most likely a fibroadenema, a non cancerous lump commonly found in younger women, I wasn't concerned. I naively thought, as if I would get cancer. I was one of the most health conscious people I knew.
I was the girl who bought organic produce from the farmers markets and health food stores. I was the girl who activated her nuts and seeds, drank bone broth, consumed ferments and made everything from scratch from nourishing wholefoods. I was the girl who did coffee enemas for fun, had a bookshelf full of natural living books, a veggie patch and backyard chooks. Heck, I even had a blog all about living a nourishing wholesome life!
Whilst it may have seemed I was doing all the right things on paper I also knew that I was stuck in other areas of my life. Even though I whole heartedly believe we are what we eat- we are also so much more than what we eat! We are physical, mental, emotional and spiritual beings.
The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We’re just quick to hit the snooze button.
Brene Brown
After being diagnosed with cancer I knew I had to go deeper than simply eating a clean diet and sniffing a few essential oils. Cancer has been my wake up call and although I am still at the very beginning of this journey I am already incredibly grateful for this experience and what it is showing me.
Any dis-ease, not just cancer is how our bodies talk to us. In my case, my body was yelling pretty-damn-loud! I had forced my body to demand my attention through something pretty serious. The smaller, more subtle, niggly signals, symptoms or instincts my body, mind and spirit were sending out obviously just weren't loud or uncomfortable enough to have me make significant changes. I will write a post more specifically about why I believe I got cancer in the future.
I believe I have been unknowingly preparing for this moment in time. The understanding and knowledge I have accumulated over the years through studying foods that heal, gut health, detoxification, self-care, mindfulness, and low-tox living has given me a plethora of tools to work with. It is this knowledge that has given me the courage, confidence and fearlessness to make educated and informed choices about my cancer treatment and not simply going along with the status quo.
I am not against modern medicine. In fact, I still chose to use it in my healing journey, however I feel empowered enough to literally pick and choose what I believe is best for my body and my personal healing journey. I am using the best of both worlds: modern and holistic to ultimately support, nourish and enable my body to heal.
Stay tuned! In my next blog I'll be writing about more specifically what I am doing.
