Dr. Daniel - The Cancer Directory

To help you identify the process of recovery, it is wise to see it in four distinct phases:

Phase 1 Getting through diagnosis and treatment positively

Phase 2 Dealing creatively with the problems of illness

Phase 3 Health revival: the state shift to get the body and mind strong again

Phase 4 Life revival: getting into a healthy, happy and fulfilling lifestyle.

• Take the time to go through your reactions to the diagnosis

• Set up your support network

• Make appropriate adjustments to your working and social commitments

• Obtain full and clear information on all of your treatment options

• Make a truly informed decision regarding treatment

• Prepare well for treatment psychologically, physically and practically

• Convalesce properly from treatment.

It may be that the cancer itself, or the treatments you receive for it, creates some residual health problems or troublesome symptoms. Often, creative solutions are available for these problems from complementary and mind – body medicine. There are also specialized support organizations that can provide individually tailored help for specific cancers and the problems or disabilities associated with such cancers or their treatment so, in this phase, attention is given to:

• symptom control with natural medicines

• the mind – body approach to symptom relief

• complementary therapies for symptom relief

• complementary therapies for the side-effects of treatment

• help with specific cancers

• help with specific disabilities

• help with specific cancer-related issues.

This starts with good old-fashioned convalescence after illness and treatment – a sadly forgotten concept in the modern lifestyle! Often, people do not even stop work for their treatment, let alone take the time to recover properly. Yet, this phase is absolutely essential for the overall recovery process as cancer treatments are usually extremely taxing on the body and its resources. An intensive detox and health-revival period is needed to compensate for this.

But even more important for overall recovery is the need to change the underlying state and chemistry of the body and mind, so that it is no longer a hospitable place for a recurrence of cancer.

Creating a state shift in the health of the body and mind involves changing from being:

• low energy

• poorly oxygenated, unfit with sluggish circulation

• poorly nourished

• acidic

• under par or damaged in terms of immune function

• full of excess sugar, toxins and fat

• stressed, fearful and anxious

to being:

• high energy

• well oxygenated

• lean and well nourished

• fresh

• alkaline

• fit and supple

• calm, happy and positive.

To achieve this state shift, you need to focus on:

• excellent nutrition

• a low-acid diet

• detoxification of the body

• re-energization of the body

• physical fitness, stretching and oxygenation

• healthy breathing patterns

• relaxation and rest

• immune stimulation

• freeing the body and mind from the grip of fear, stress and tension.

In Chapter 9 you will find that the most important determinant of long-term health and survival is the state of our spirit. This means having a strong will to live, a clear purpose in living and a joyful spirit, with genuine sources of pleasure, personal fulfilment and spiritual uplift.

So, in this phase of the recovery process, we are doing the ‘earthworks’ to help bring ourselves fully alive into a lifestyle that totally expresses, inspires and energizes us.

This involves:

• changing your priorities in life to focus on that which is really important to you

• removing any destructive influences from your life

• replacing that which drains you with that which nourishes you

• taking time to enjoy yourself

• putting yourself first

• learning how to nurture yourself properly

• reconnecting with that which gives you true joy and excitement.

Most of us brought up in the developed countries are hard-wired into the medical model. This has taught us that, when we are ill, the doctor is in charge. He or she has all the knowledge and expertise, and we must do as we’re told and be good, compliant patients.

There may well be times in your recovery process where you will need to put your complete trust in your doctors, and their expert knowledge and skills. However, the medical profession is far from having the answer to cancer, and it is likely that your contribution to your recovery process will make as much of a difference, if not more, than the cancer medicine you are taking.

It is very hard to hear and believe this when you are first diagnosed with cancer, as we all believe that there is a great big medical safety net underneath us that will catch us if we fall. But, sadly, this is often not the case with cancer and, to make matters worse, doctors often (understandably) oversell the potency of cancer medicines. While it is important to empower the medicines and treatments that we are having, it is not advisable to be lulled into a false sense of security when doctors say you are all clear after cancer treatment.

Indeed, doctors may well have succeeded in removing all detectable cancer from the body, but what medical cancer treatment has not done is changed the underlying conditions in the body in which the cancer developed in the first place. In fact, medical treatments will have made the body more toxic and weakened the immune system. Moreover, it is not possible to detect the microdeposits of cancer that may cause recurrences in the future. So, as uncomfortable as it may be, it is important to wake up early to the potential threat of recurrence, and become fully active in your own defence from the time of the first diagnosis of a primary cancer, rather than waiting until a second or third recurrence before taking action.

Cancer is a lifestyle disease in which the main causes are poor nutrition and toxicity in the body due to chemicals, radiation, viruses, alcohol, smoking and lack of exercise. It is possible to revive your body’s ability to detect and heal cancer but, to do this, you must let go of your dependency on the medical model and belief that cancer medicine alone will cure you. Put yourself firmly in the driving seat and in control as the most important member of your integrated medical team.

This will mean from day one addressing the really big nitty-gritty issues of whether or not you really do have a genuine reason for living and whether you are therefore sufficiently motivated to put in the effort required for your recovery.