prayer – Page 5

Japanese word for healing-gettyimages.com

Yesterday, I visited with a young couple. The young man has undergone six rounds of chemotherapy and will soon start on another round of six ‘treatments.’ I single quote that word because chemotherapy drugs are so harsh it’s hard to think of them as treatments.

First, a disclaimer: These ways of healing are what worked for me during and after my cancer treatments eight years ago. Two methods are what works for another cancer patient. Discuss your use of any pain relief methods with your doctor.

The young man looked so much better than I expected, he still had some hair, his eyebrows and mustache, his face wasn’t gaunt. I expected him to look like I did after chemo–bald, pale, tired. Different types of cancer, different chemo treatments.

We talked about how he felt, both physically and emotionally. I think it was hard for his fiancé to hear us talk, but she knew he needed to talk.

He asked me how I dealt with the physical pain, especially the tenderness of the scalp, fingers, palms, the joint pain that doesn’t let you sleep, the stomach distress. The pain meds the doctor prescribed did very little to ease pain.

We shared our stories.

These are some ways that helped me heal and cope with the pain of cancer and healing from cancer.

Meditation music temporarily helped, especially with stress, but also with pain . I slapped on earbuds, played pleasurable music (I seemed to prefer water sounds) and zoned out for a couple of hours. Many hospitals, community centers teach meditation and mindfulness. Dr. Lisa Rankin talks about this and more in her book, Mind Over Medicine.
Reiki (Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”). This was offered at the cancer center I attended. I was a skeptic, but now I’m a believer. You can find more about reiki here.
Marijuana:

“Whatever you do, don’t take Marinol (concentrated THC in pill form). It didn’t help at all with my nausea, just gave me the munchies,” I said.

You should have seen the expression on his face, hearing that I ingested Marinol (under doctor directions) and wished California had medical Marijuana back then. He smiled and said he tried an “Edible,” which is marijuana baked into a food like a brownie or cake pop. It dulled his pain for a couple of hours and didn’t hurt his stomach like the pain pills.

Edible Cake Pops-Huffington Post, photo by weedmaps.com

This is legal in California if you have a medical marijuana card. In Colorado you don’t need a card (other than proof of age, 21) and they have strains of marijuana that are lower in THC and higher in CBD (Cannabidiol)a major, non-psychoactive component of cannabis that helps shrink inflammation and reduce pain without inducing the euphoria effects of THC. Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks about this in his CNN program about medical marijuana. Several studies are researching placing marijuana into a pill for pain relief.

There is an old remedy used in Mexico, and here, where a liniment is made from soaking marijuana in alcohol for a couple of weeks and applying it on painful joints. (I know of a couple of elderly people who use this for their rheumatoid arthritis and they say it works.)

4. Juicing vegetable and fruits. I wanted to heal myself from the inside out. The dietician at the cancer center emphasized 6-8 servings of vegetables/fruit daily. It was so much easier to drink the juice of carrots, apples, celery, spinach than to eat them, especially when you’re nauseous or don’t feel like eating. I still juice a few times a month or buy a vegetable and fruit combo at Trader Joe’s or a health food store.

I Dwell on Positive Thoughts-Louise Hay card

5. Positive affirmations and prayer, every day. During my cancer recuperation I bought a deck of 64 Wisdom Cards by Louise Hay. The card above and quote below resonated with me.

“The moment I say positive affirmations, I step out of the victim role. I am no longer helpless…I’m taking the next step for my healing.”

Healing really comes from a mind, body, and soul connection. I’m not saying it will cure your illness. For me, I became more holistic in my ideas about healing. Dr. Deepak Chopra has a wealth of information about holistic healing.

6. Hope: This couple made a bucket list of places and experiences they want to enjoy when chemo is completed or on the young man’s ‘good days.’ They look to the future, believing the cancer will be healed. They have hope. Together they tackle the pain of the present and look to the future.
I left our visit hopeful for this young man’s full recovery. I look forward to his marriage, the creation of a family, and the end of cancer appearing in his life ever again, or mine, or your own.

When I passed by the firehouse this morning the flag was at half-staff. The breeze waved memories of JFK and my childhood back into view.

My uncles and aunts had just arrived for the Thanksgiving holiday the night of November 21, 1963. I, along with my brother and two sisters were at grammar school. The Principal, Sister John Bosco, appeared at the doorway of our classroom, whispered to our teacher, Sister Bernard. Her eyebrows raised as her hand flew to her mouth.

“Everyone kneel down,” she said, waving to the floor. “Our President has been shot.”

Among gasps and questions, thirty little kids fell to the floor, bowed their heads and prayed. I kept thinking why would someone shoot our President. His photograph was on our wall, with the Pope. He was Catholic, like us. We’re supposed to be protected, with prayer, isn’t that what the nuns tell us. This was very confusing for me.

The school released us early. We walked home and saw our uncles, aunts, and my mom all leaning towards the television. They were all red-eyed. We were told to go upstairs. It’s the first time I remember feeling afraid. Later, Mom told us that President Kennedy died.

My mother still recalls watching the parade, my uncle remarking on the President as a hero, serving as he had served in WW II. She said they were shocked into silence when they saw that the President had been shot. I wanted to ask her why he wasn’t protected by prayer, but I couldn’t. She was too sad.

To this day she gets teary eyed when she views JFK’s life on T.V. Even now she still thinks it was “The Republicans or the Russians,” who killed JFK.

For me, this was the beginning of an era marked with assassinations, fear, protests, and change.

President John F. Kennedy had an interesting life.

It is fifty years to the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, but his life – and death – continue to fascinate. He was certainly one of America’s most charismatic Presidents. But how much do you know about him?

Here’s 22 things you may not have known about him, by Colin Falconer, Author.

Tag: prayer

Six Surprising Ways to Heal Illness

We shared our stories.

“Whatever you do, don’t take Marinol (concentrated THC in pill form). It didn’t help at all with my nausea, just gave me the munchies,” I said.

“The moment I say positive affirmations, I step out of the victim role. I am no longer helpless…I’m taking the next step for my healing.”

Catholic School and JFK

It is fifty years to the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, but his life – and death – continue to fascinate. He was certainly one of America’s most charismatic Presidents. But how much do you know about him?

We shared our stories.

“Whatever you do, don’t take Marinol (concentrated THC in pill form). It didn’t help at all with my nausea, just gave me the munchies,” I said.

“The moment I say positive affirmations, I step out of the victim role. I am no longer helpless…I’m taking the next step for my healing.”

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It is fifty years to the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, but his life – and death – continue to fascinate. He was certainly one of America’s most charismatic Presidents. But how much do you know about him?

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