When Cancer Strikes a Loved One

When cancer strikes a loved one, it's a good time to appreciate how precious and beautiful life is for all of us- image by Texas Hill Country

Hey y'all,

Today I want to get personal with y'all. Yesterday I got news that a dear loved one had been stricken with Stage IV cancer.

There is no Stage V.

When you get news like that, what is your first reaction? It's a huge shock, isn't it?

Everything you believe in gets questioned. You want to rush in to help, to love, to nurture, to support, and to please God, make it go away. Your spiritual beliefs get challenged. Who do you trust, really? Doctors? Herbalists? Foodies? Yourself? God?

Decisions have to be made, and some decisions *must* be left alone to the person who is fighting cancer.

"Good" doctors will be honest about the prognosis. It must be tough to tell someone how long they can be expected to live. I know it's tough to hear that a loved one has an expiration date.

We all have an expiration date. News like this makes me evaluate the life I am living right now. What am I doing with the time on Earth I have been given?

I have been studying natural healing and herbs for over ten years now. I have been intensely researching and self- teaching myself, with the guidance of some truly amazing friends for five years. I know a little, but I do not know how to cure cancer. Neither do doctors.

Like many of you readers, I strongly believe in preventing cancer and other illnesses through healthy lifestyles. I have heard some amazing and exciting stories of people who absolutely have healed themselves from every disease out there.

I am extremely impressed with raw vegan food, juicing, staying well hydrated, cayenne pepper, heliotherapy, hydrotherapy, body work such as deep tissue massage, and a long list of herbs and superfoods. I am completely convinced that our mental and spiritual attitudes and beliefs can control our physical healing and sense of well being.

With the exception of body work, I have done all of these things myself. I know they help me. I love these things as if they were my best friends. I have a personal goal of implementing all of them into my life at the same time.

If I did not believe in natural healing, I certainly would not be blogging about it.

However, each person must choose his or her own way to deal with the cancer which is attacking "their" own body.

I have watched two of my good friends from high school go the medical route and beat cancer. They are cancer- free! They are still here, alive and kicking, for their friends and loved ones to enjoy for a long time.

I have a very dear young friend my children's age who has beat brain cancer twice with the medical route. Twice. This lady can tell you a thing or two about surviving.

But I also have had a long love affair for people like Kris Carr of Crazy, Sexy Cancer, who beat Stage IV liver cancer naturally.

I've also watched loved ones slip away to the other side. They fought hard, trust me. They fought cancer with every cell of their being. Cancer is nothing to be trifled with. When someone is battling cancer, especially as the stages progress, it's a fight for life or death.

When cancer strikes a loved one, it's a call to love. Hopefully we don't judge a person because of how they choose to fight it. I think the important thing is that they are choosing life!

The medical community does not have a great track record of "saving" patients with cancer. I have no idea what the track record is for people who choose to heal their cancer naturally. I want the number to be bigger on the natural side. This is my bias. I have seen some really encouraging anecdotes on the Internet, but I don't think there are any real statistics.

When cancer strikes my loved ones, I do whatever I can to be in their support system. I pray hard, sending them all the loving thoughts and vibrations I can. Sometimes that's all I can do. Sometimes just talking about it, or giving them a hug, or bringing meals to the family so the cancer patient can rest helps. Sometimes joking helps, because everyone else is looking at them like they are dead already.

If they are open to alternative treatments for cancer, I can share what I know. And here on my blog, I will give all the scientific data and support I can find to back up my research. I do not trust hyperbole. I'm not a medical professional. I'm not a licensed herbalist. I'm a natural health writer with a passion for helping others.

Cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence. I've seen too many people beat it to believe that lie.

Regardless of the path our loved ones choose to fight cancer or any other illness, our responsibility is to respect their choices and love them through this.

Please share any stories or comments regarding cancer successes below. I'm sure all of the Bluebonnet community would love to hear it.