Day 29: Healthy action to support cancer healing

27 March 2020: I want to take healthy action to support my cancer healing. A month ago my surgeon cut out all or most of the cancerous tissue. Now it is up to me to live healthy, in the widest sense of the word. This includes supporting my immune system to do its thing: detect and remove any current and future cancer cells before they gang together and start another rebellion.

How others have supported their own cancer healing

I was already living a relatively healthy life when I got cancer, and I’m a bit perplexed to know what else I can do – or stop doing. So I am very grateful to have been lent a copy of the book Radical Remission by Kelly Turner.  She interviews and studies case reports on over a thousand people who have made remarkable cancer recoveries that are well ahead of the statistical curve – either without conventional treatment or after that treatment didn’t complete the healing job.

Waiting for my first post-surgery cancer test

It’s two weeks before my first cancer test to see if all the cancer has been removed, and I am anxious. I definitely don’t want to go into the next levels of treatment, whether further surgery, radiation or hormone treatment. So I am deeply motivated to do whatever it takes to make my body an inhospitable place for cancer cells to congregate.

Identifying factors that support cancer healing

I feel comfortable with her approach, because she is clearly “not at all opposed to conventional cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. ” This is super helpful and non-shaming to me as one of those “most people [who] will need conventional medicine to outrun cancer.” She also implores her readers not to indulge in false hopes of miracle cures. Rather, she invites us to learn from those who have made radical and quite remarkable remissions. She situates her work clearly in the field of complementary health.

What she has done is to identify nine key factors that occur in almost all of the 1000+ radical remission cases she has studied:

• Radically changing diet
• Taking control of my own health
• Following my intuition
• Using herbs and supplements
• Releasing suppressed emotions
• Increasing positive emotions
• Embracing social support
• Deeping spiritual connection
• Having strong reasons for living

I like this already! I can already place a check mark next to a couple of these factors. And I know I am working on further improving my diet. Now, in this retreat corner of heaven, I have the time and space to explore what else lies in my healing journey.

Postscript: My review of Kelly Turner’s book Radical Remission on Goodreads