There is no preparing yourself for hearing the doctor tell you that you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, or any cancer for that matter, even when it’s not your first battle with cancer. There is nothing that cushions the blow of those words. They resonate in your mind, and blend your emotions into a jumbled mess that then escapes through tear ducts and streams down your face in an interminable torrent. At least that was the case for me. I had no idea what I was in for, nor how to overcome it. I only knew to cling to the fact that God was building my testimony. Somehow, I knew I would be okay. That’s me being the optimist. Those who know me, know that I try to put a positive twist on everything in life.
How do you take breast cancer, or any cancer, and give it a positive twist?
You figure out what works best for you in healing and overcoming it, and you share it with others to help them in their trial.
Healing from cancer is a unique and very individual journey. A lot of people struggle with the changes that need to be made. Some people don’t learn about those changes, and some end up getting a recurrence. Others learn and make the sacrifices of getting rid of certain foods and things in their lives, and overcome as best they can. There are still others for whom none of that is even an option.
I’ve always been a bit of a hippie at heart. I’ve always loved making my own concoctions and experimenting with things. I’ve been making my own lotion for years now, and I never knew when I first made it that only 5 years later it would become an integral part of my healing from radiation. My radiation oncologist, after looking at the ingredients I was using, had me use my own lotion instead of the prescription lotion he was going to give me. It simply worked better and I healed better. He still looks at my chest and is impressed with how well I healed. I’ve decided others need to know how to take care of themselves. Not only do I now need to make my own lotion, but I make my own face scrubs, body scrubs, deodorant, and various lotions. It’s working for me, so I decided to share it with the world. I believe God uses these trials so he can be glorified through it. He gave me the strength to get through this illness, and he gave me the wisdom and the means to figure out how to heal. Like I said, it is a different journey for each person. This is just a part of mine.
Chemicals are not our friends. Whether chemicals are ingested or penetrate through our skin, we are not doing ourselves any good health favors when we use them. I’m not going to name a bunch of random brand names just to call them out, but I can say I’ve gotten rid of all chemical based products, and I look and feel a lot better as a result. I will not make claims about the products I make, but I can say that after making the first batch of lotion years ago, and passing it out to my friends, I’ve received more than one testimony about the results they’ve had. One friend called me about a month after giving her some to ask for more because her son’s eczema was gone from using it. I don’t claim it heals eczema, but my friend’s experience was a very positive one.
Unfortunately, many skin care products are loaded with hidden chemicals that either counteract some of the healthy ingredients, or even worse, cause damage themselves. Cancer survivors need products that are chemical free. Treatment for cancer is loaded with chemicals as it is, and after treatment, we need to rid our bodies of those chemicals in order to reduce the long term effects from them.
In a world where we are confronted with ads about everything under the sun, it is easy to get caught up in the assault of alluring colors and aromas of various products and their claims. In our efforts to reduce the amounts of chemicals, and forge ahead in a healthy manner, it is now our own responsibility to be aware of everything that goes on or in our bodies. While I’ve chosen to focus on skin care, it is important to mention that even clothing and some dyes, as well as soaps and cleaning products can be dangerously tainted with chemicals that burden our immune systems and cause damage.
I urge everyone to research about these things. Study and learn as much as you can about the type of cancer you had, what feeds it, what kills it, and adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly. Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies, holding a very important job. It is vital we take good care of it. We have to do whatever we can on our own in order to help our bodies heal and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Life is precious and meant to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. I’ve discovered that making these lifestyle changes has not been as difficult, nor as expensive as I feared it would be. For me, living clean and naturally has been very liberating. Start small. Change what you put on your skin, and watch the glow of a healthy life start shining again.
