Posts Tagged ‘holistic medicine’

The Difference Between Curing and Healing

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

lissabuddhasmall

The Origins of Pain

I saw a patient today who inspired me- let’s call her Sally.  She suffers from a host of medical conditions that threaten to rob you of your mojo- fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and chronic pelvic pain.  When this young woman walked into my office, she looked like crap. Before looking at her chart, I thought she had cancer.  Gaunt and pale, her skin hung on her skeleton like she was in the last grip of life.  During the first half hour, she didn’t smile once. I felt the anxious tug we doctors feel when we see people like this, the one that says “I’m not going to be able to help this person,” which triggers insecurities and, often, judgments, in our own minds. It becomes about us, rather than being about them. We have a tendency to turn off because we don’t want to fail. But I vowed not to do this.  Sitting in her presence, I was determined to be present for Sally and sit with whatever is true, rather than letting my own stuff get in the way.

What is true for Sally is that she has spent the last decade plagued by pain, fatigue, and a body that is betraying her.  She has been to universities, fancy alternative medical clinics, and specialists. Someone told her that her condition is “incurable,” and somewhere, a while back, she decided to believe them. But she never gave up trying to be well.

When she came to see me for a gynecologic complaint, I heard her words, but what I saw in front of me told me that her condition was deeper than what her words betrayed. This was not about a pain in her pelvis, this was about a core wound.  I listened while she talked about her pelvis, but I focused more energy on watching her, feeling her, being with her in the moment. What rang out loud and clear was this message: “I am not well.” And yet, I could see this glowing, radiant energy beneath the surface, a vision of a vibrant, vital being, leaping in the air and spinning with glee.

Unbidden, she began to tell me about her favorite place, a remote town near Santa Fe, where she owns a vacation house. She fantasizes about quitting her job, living there full time, and spending time with animals in some way. Currently, she owns her own business, selling software to help people maintain their gardens.  She works until 2am many nights, finishing projects and meeting deadlines. A team of people bow to her leadership. Years ago, she gave birth to her company from a place of passion, but lately, she dreads everything about it. It has become her ball and chain, and she suspects it is related to her illness.

The Power to Heal

Last year, fed up with being sick, she considered quitting her job. She went as far as selling her primary residence, with the intention that she would live full time near Santa Fe. With money in the bank to help support her, she settled into a new life. And miraculously, her symptoms disappeared. For two whole months, she felt like a vibrant twenty year old, brimming with energy and vitality.  She hiked every day, ate wholesome food, wrote in her journal, and meditated. “I did everything right,” she said. And her body rewarded her with new life.

Then her mother had a heart attack, and she left Santa Fe to return to California, where she is now caretaking her family. Because she is back in the area, she has resurrected her business. Within days of returning to her old life, her symptoms reappeared. She has been coming to our integrative medicine center almost weekly ever since. Her thick chart belies a series of supplements, laboratory tests, and referral letters that conclude, “There is nothing we can do.”

Yet, to me, seeing Sally for the first time, the answer is obvious. Her body has already told her what it needs to be healed. She needs to release the expectation she has placed on herself to care for her family.  She needs to let go of her business. And she needs to move back to that small village near Santa Fe, where her body knows how to heal itself.  Only I can’t say this to her. It is not my place to give advice.  Advice implies that someone is broken- and nobody is broken.

Instead, I ask her, “What does your body need in order to get better?”

She says, “I need to find care for my mother, let go of my business, and move back to Santa Fe.”

Bingo.

When she says this, I see, for the first time of our visit, a faint smile. I ask her what she will do when she is there. She says, “Hike, ski, paint, play with my dog. Maybe start a new business, something related to animals.” Her smile widens. She begins to talk about the steps she would need to take in order to put this plan in place. Some steps she has already begun, as she has known intuitively what she needs to do. Within moments, she is grinning. I ask her how her pain feels in this present moment- right here, right now, and she says, “It’s gone.”

Then something shifts. A dark cloud wafts across her. She curls her shoulders inward.  Her smile disappears. Her brow furrows. Sally says, “I can’t do this. And what’s the point? My doctor said there was no cure for my condition.”

Healed Versus Cured

I can’t help telling her the story of my father. Dad was diagnosed with a gigantic goomba of a brain tumor when I was 7 months pregnant. A body scan revealed that there was cancer everywhere. A biopsy confirmed metastatic melanoma, which comes with a near certain death sentence. My father, a physician who did his senior thesis on melanoma, knew the facts about his prognosis. So when he called me one morning at 4am to say that he had a vision and that God had come to him to tell him he had been healed, I groaned. “Oh no,” I thought. “The brain tumor is growing. He’s delusional. And he’s in denial.”  I nodded and told Dad I was thrilled that he was healed, but I dreaded the repeat body scan that would tell him the truth. When the body scan showed that the tumors were growing, Dad got quiet. He didn’t speak of his vision again. My heart ached.

A month later, Dad failed to experience any of the expected symptoms of a gigantic brain tumor. He had no headaches, no seizures, no vomiting, no dementia. He was plain old Dad, only with a bald head from the whole brain radiation they gave him.  So when Siena was born and Dad said, “Can I go now?” I wasn’t prepared. What did he mean, “go?” What exactly did he plan to do?  Dad said he was going to quit eating and die a peaceful death. He wanted our permission. Reluctantly, we gave it.

Dad kissed us goodbye, and when I asked whether he was scared, Dad said, “I’m not scared. I’m joyful.” He kissed away our tears, closed his eyes, and died peacefully 48 hours later.

Only in retrospect did I learn a very important lesson- one that has fundamentally changed the way I practice medicine. I realized that, in spite of my skepticism, Dad had been healed- that there is difference between healing and curing. I always thought they were the same.  Now, I realize that you can healed without being cured, and you can be cured without being healed.  I spent 12 years of medical education learning how to cure people, but no one once spoke to me about healing. In fact, we don’t even use the term “Healing” in reference to patients. We might talk about a healing wound, but a healing patient? Nah. Too woo-woo.

The Whole Picture

So when that doctor told Sally that she would never be cured, he failed to look at the whole picture. Yes, there may not be a drug she can take to rid herself of symptoms permanently. But I absolutely believe that she can be healed. Her body has already proven it to her.  The power to heal lies within us all, if only we tap into it.

What about you Pinkies?  What needs to be healed in your body, your soul, your heart, your life?  What would it take to feel better? What steps might you take to put a healing plan into place? How can we support you?

Committed to helping you (and me) heal,

Lissa

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Posted in Alternative Health, Finding Mojo, Healthy Thursday, Lissa's personal yada yada yada, Owning Balance, Owning Health, Owning Joy, Owning Your Body, Owning Your Intuition, Personal Empowerment | 19 Comments »

An Integrative Medicine Doctor’s Thoughts On The Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus) Vaccine

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

syringeHiya Pinkies, and Happy Healthy Thursday!

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past 5 months, you’ve heard all the crazed, paranoid, panicked fuss about the H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu) virus and corresponding vaccine. So let me just start by saying, PLEASE! Don’t panic. This is just the flu. While it can be deadly, it does not appear to be any more so than the seasonal flu, so RELAX. This is no time for conspiracy theories, anxiety, paranoia, and fear. Take a deep breath. IN OUT (don’t you feel better already?) Educate yourself from reputable sources, and trust that you will be just fine.

To add further chaos to the mix, the swine flu vaccine will soon be available, and in some cases, mandatory. Whew! You wanna get Americans up in arms? Tell them something in mandated. We cringe all the way back to our British roots, and it brings out the rebellious child in all of us. Don’t be messing with our freedom.

So what’s all the fuss about and what’s a Pinkie to do about it? It’s all so confusing. Who can you trust? Does the government really have our best interests at heart? Unfortunately, these are questions I won’t be able to answer for you.  But I wanted to at least make an attempt to collect some of the data for you so you can make up your own minds.

In the integrative medicine world, many oppose vaccination in general. I don’t tend to agree with blanket statements. My analytical mind prefers to look at data and analyze what we know, integrating it with what my gut feels and what I think.  In the case of the Swine flu vaccine, my approach leaves me feeling baffled, so I can only imagine how confused the rest of you Pinkies must feel.

In this post, I will attempt to answer some of the questions you Pinkies have asked Owning Pink. (We received hundreds of questions about this over the past few months, so forgive me if we fail to answer your exact question. Bear with us, Pinkies. It’s all for the sake of the greater good, I swear!). Later, I’ll offer some Pink Tips to stay healthy this flu season, vaccine or no vaccine.  Here we go. Deeeeeep breath…

Who is at high risk for swine flu (H1N1) infection?

According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC):

  1. Children less than 2 years of age
  2. Individuals >65 years of age (but this risk factor is tricky. Although the elderly are at higher risk of influenza complications, they do not appear to become infected as easily as younger people, perhaps because this age group has already developed immunity to some related viral strain that young people have not.)
  3. Individuals <19 who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and might be at risk for Reye syndrome after influenza infection
  4. Pregnant women
  5. Individuals with chronic medical conditions requiring ongoing medical care, including:
  • Chronic pulmonary disease, including asthma (particularly if systemic steriods have been required during the past year)
  • Cardiovascular disease (with the exception of isolated high blood pressure)
  • Cancer
  • Chronic renal insufficiency
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease
  • Immunosuppression, including HIV infection, organ or stem cell transplantation, and conditions requiring immunosuppressant medication
  • Individuals who have any condition that can compromise handling of respiratory secretions (eg, cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, neuromuscular disorders, cerebral palsy, metabolic conditions)
  • Children with an underlying metabolic disorder who are unable to tolerate prolonged fasting

If I might have been exposed to swine flu, should I take Tamiflu?tamiflu

Most healthy individuals who develop an illness that may be swine flu and appear to be recovering do not need medication. The majority of people recover completely without treatment. So who needs drugs? Here’s what the CDC has to say:

  1. Anyone with suspected H1N1 influenza who is not getting better or develops complications such as pneumonia
  2. Anyone who is hospitalized for H1N1 infection
  3. Antivirals should be given as prophylaxis to anyone in the high risk group above who has been exposed to a case of suspected or confirmed H1N1 infection.
  4. Health care workers who were not using proper precautions and came into close contact with an infectious patient

The CDC does not recommend antivirals for healthy children and adults who may have been exposed in the community. Why don’t they want to protect us? Because most healthy individuals will recover just fine and, in the face of a pandemic, drugs need to be reserved for those who need them most. If you or your loved one winds up in the hospital seriously ill, you want to be sure there’s enough medication around.

When will a vaccine be available?

We expect this vaccine to be available by mid-October.

Will the H1N1 vaccine be effective?

This is a very good question, and frankly, it’s too soon to really say. The New England Journal of Medicine reported one trial of 240 adults who received 2 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Within 3 weeks of vaccination, 97% of individuals given the lower dose and 93% given the higher dose developed antibodies. Will these antibodies actually protect you from getting the virus, given that it may mutate and evolve? No one knows.

(Reference: Greenberg, ME, Lai, MH, Hartel, GF, et al. Response after one dose of a monovalent influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine — Preliminary report. N Engl J Med 2009)

The efficacy of the regular seasonal flu vaccine depends on how much the virus mutates between when the vaccine is manufactured and when you actually get it. For example, during the 2004-2005 flu season, there was only a 5 % match between what was in the vaccine and the actual virus that spread during that flu season. As a result, that vaccine was only 10% effective. In 2006-2007, there was a 91% match, which made the vaccine 52% effective. As you can see, it’s a very imperfect science.

(Reference: Belongia, EA, Kieke, BA, Donahue, JG, et al. Effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccines varied substantially with antigenic match from the 2004-2005 season to the 2006-2007 season. J Infect Dis 2009; 199:159.)

Will the H1N1 vaccine be safe?

Ah, the million dollar question. The truth is that nobody knows. Back in 1976, approximately 45 million people in the US were immunized against a type of swine flu, but the program was discontinued, in part because an increased incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome was detected among those who were vaccinated. To detect a risk such as this, between 409,00 and 970,000 individuals would have to be tested in clinical trials to determine the safety of this vaccine. So while studies of very small populations do not show any significant risk, these studies are looking at hundreds, not hundreds of thousands of people, and they span only brief times.

(Reference: Evans, D, Cauchemez, S, Hayden, FG. “Prepandemic” immunization for novel influenza viruses, “swine flu” vaccine, guillain-barre syndrome, and the detection of rare severe adverse events. J Infect Dis 2009; 200:321.)

Many are rightfully concerned about the risk of vaccinating an enormous segment of our population, especially when this population includes particularly susceptible young children and pregnant women. The CDC reports that they expect a similar safety profile as they see with the seasonal flu vaccine. So what about the 1976 flu vaccine campaign that got halted? Good question.

For more, read this great article on the Guillain-Barre vaccine.

Will the vaccine have the adjuvants I’ve heard can cause Gulf War Syndrome and other complications?

According to the CDC, only vaccines without adjuvants will be used in the US during the 2009 season, which includes both the nasal spray vaccines and the injections. Because the safety of these adjuvants is unproven, the CDC reports that there is no plan at this time to recommend a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine with an adjuvant. What does that say about 2010? Uh…they’re not saying.

Who should get the vaccine first?

According to the CDC, the first to be vaccinated should be:

  1. Pregnant women
  2. Household and caregiver contacts of children younger than 6 months of age (e.g. parents, siblings, and daycare providers)
  3. Health care and emergency medical services personnel
  4. Children and young adults from 6 months through 24 years of age
  5. Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have medical conditions associated with a higher risk of influenza complications

Once it is evident that there is enough vaccine, the CDC recommends that people over 65 be vaccinated.

Can I still get the H1N1 vaccine if I’m allergic to eggs?

eggIf you have a severe allergy to eggs, your doctor will help you weigh the risks and benefits. If you’re healthy and have an egg allergy, you may be better off skipping it.

If I get the H1N1 vaccine, does that mean I can skip the regular flu vaccine this year?

No. They’re not targeting the same strains of virus. If you are high risk and choose to be vaccinated this flu season, you will need to vaccinate against both.

If I’m interested in getting the vaccine, how can I find it?

Vaccines will be allocated to health care providers shortly, so your doctor will likely receive the vaccine. If not, call your local public health department.

Is it true that the government is mandating that everyone be vaccinated?

No. But it is true that New York state has mandated that health care workers involved in direct patient care be vaccinated. Many are up in arms. But the edict is clear- get vaccinated or get fired. Are other vaccination mandates coming? I sure hope not, at least not until we know more about this particular vaccine.

I’ve heard that I can’t sue a vaccine manufacturer if something bad happens as the result of getting the H1N1 vaccine. Is this true?

Well, in this country, anyone can sue anyone, as proven by the women who took me to malpractice court for stealing her labia (no kidding. Totally true story. Only lawsuit ever brought against me. And yes, she was psycho and the case was dropped, but not until 3 years and 3 lawsuits later…but don’t get me started, Pinkies!)

But yes, the vaccine manufacturers have been granted immunity from legal liability in the US due to a law recently signed into effect.

Can we trust what the CDC has to say?
I honestly can’t say. I have to say that, as a physician, I have always trusted the CDC as a reliable source of objective information. But I admit that I’m shocked at how they’ve handled this pandemic so far. Maybe it’s my own naivety. I admit. Pandemics are not my specialty, and that’s their job.  But the reaction of the CDC seems out of proportion to the nature of the disease, when I hunt for how I feel in my gut.  After all, it’s the flu, and I live in California, surrounded by great hospitals and fabulous doctors (so maybe I’m spoiled). But seriously, people. Must we rush into a massive vaccination campaign without much data? Where’s the evidence to support safety, efficacy, and necessity? It makes a thoughtful doctor/mother/writer/leader stop and pause…


natural-medicineWhat can you do to prevent swine flu, aside from getting vaccinated?

So Pinkies, is your head spinning by now? Mine certainly is. Here are a few tried-and-true Pink prevention techniques that will keep the odds in your favor this  flu season:

  1. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. (Say it three times over. This is your new Pink mantra, and it’s the number one way to avoid getting swine flu). Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, which can introduce the virus into your receptive passageways. If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and throw the tissue away afterwards. This will help protect you and everyone else out there who is trying to avoid swine flu.
  2. Eat immune boosting foods, and steer clear of sugar. Here are five that can help you.
  3. Citrus. Loaded with Vitamin C, citrus fruits are a yummy, easy way to support your immune system. Grab a glass of OJ, or make some lemonade. Even better, mix lots of lemons into clean water with stevia (a natural sweetener) and cayenne pepper. Not only is it a zingy tasty treat filled with Vitamin C, it also alkalinizes your body, which helps it fight infection.
    Red chili peppers (cayenne).     Cayenne pepper has long been appreciated for its medicinal properties and can help your body during states of  emergency. So chili it up for good health!
    Garlic.     Filled with immune-boosting mojo, garlic has been used to treat everything from the common cold to the Plague. So load up on garlic and give your body a fighting chance.
    Carrots.     Bursting with beta-carotene, carrots give your body a leg up when you’re fighting infection. Drink a few carrot juices to get enough in your body. Sweet potatoes and spinach also contain lots of beta carotene, so eat up.
    Fish.     Fish like salmon, mackeral, and tuna are filled with omega-3 fats, which support white blood cells in fighting infection. Sushi anyone?
  4. Snooze, baby, snooze! Sleep is underrated. When you’re well rested, your body fights infection more effectively. Check out these tips from naturopath Dr. Nicole Sundene.
  5. Give up alcohol and caffeine for a while. Staying sober and decaffeinated helps your body mount immune responses.
  6. Guzzle green juice instead. If you have a juicer stashed under your counter, now is the time to pull it out and load it with kale, celery, cucumber, swiss chard, lemon, spinach, ginger, garlic- whatever you’ve got around that can support your good health. Also, avoid processed foods and eat a whole foods diet.
  7. Try not to drink out of the same cup as others. And avoid sick people, if you can.
  8. Hydrate. Drink, drink, drink pure clean water. It keeps your mucous thin and helps you mucous membranes resist infection.
  9. Try not to touch your nose, eyes, and mouth.
  10. Get your exercise. While this may not be the best time to go to a crowded gym, a long hike in nature can do wonders for your immune system, your general health, and your psyche.
  11. RELAX, and don’t panic. Stress weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to infection. Try meditation, deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, yoga, walks in nature, or whatever works to chill you out.

Supplements I Recommend to my Patients For Prevention & Treatment of Swine Flu:

(We offer these at CLEAR Center of Health, where I work. Some of these may not be available over-the-counter)

  1. 10 Mushroom Formula.
  2. Thymuril.
  3. Echinacea. My favorite is Esberitox by Integrative Therapeutics.
  4. Vitamin C supplements. If you take extra, it gets excreted in your urine, so it won’t hurt you to load up.
  5. Probiotic bacteria, which alters the intestinal flora and helps your body resist infection.
  6. Viraclear, made by Integrative Therapeutics.
  7. High dose Vitamin D plus high dose Vitamin A.
  8. If you’re feeling under the weather, take Elderberry syrup. It’s a natural anti-viral and can be particularly useful if your community runs out of Tamiflu and Relenza.

Will I get vaccinated? Will I vaccinate my 3 year old daughter?pig

Honestly, Pinkies, I haven’t decided. If a doctor doesn’t know for sure, it’s no wonder some of you may be confused. This has all happened so quickly. Am I anti-vaccination? No. Not for some things. But do I feel the need to inject a poorly tested vaccine that may or not protect me against something unlikely to cause serious complications in my healthy family? Maybe not. After all, this is not ebola we’re talking about. You’re not likely to bleed out of your eyeballs and croak when you get it.

Frankly, I think everyone needs to take a bit of a chill pill. (Or take a good long hike and start meditating!) But then no one’s asking me.

Well, no one but you Pinkies, who keep asking away.

So anyway, this is the best I can do for right now. I’ll try to keep you updated as more information comes in.

Oink oink (and big Pink love),

Lissa

p.s. For more sanity-saving, stress-reducing tips, check out this article on H1N1 by Mojo Mentors Lakenda Wallace and Simone da Rosa, Owning Pink’s Get Happy! Less Stress More Life Coaches.

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Posted in Alternative Health, Green Juice Cleansing, Healthy Thursday, Owning Health, Owning Your Body, Raw Foods, Swine Flu | 42 Comments »

Owning Their Stories: The Woman Inside Project

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

joyjoyHi Pinkies, and happy Healthy Thursday. This week, I thought I’d talk about breast cancer – not from the perspective of a doctor, but rather an artist. A passion project of mine, The Woman Inside Project, has been evolving for the past five years, and I have begun to reach out for sponsorship to take the show on tour. In writing the proposal, I realized that I simply must share these extraordinary stories with my Pinkies, who continue to floor me every day with the generous way you open your hearts and share your stories. Thank you for giving me this gift, and know that your beautiful bodies, souls, and stories are precious to me.

We Care About Breasts

Breasts in bikinis on the beach. Breasts in beer commercials.  Breasts in movies, on television, on billboards and buses, and in magazines.  Breast implants to make your breasts bigger.  Breasts peeking out of the Playboy behind the counter at the 7-11.  If you were an alien assessing our society for what we care about, breasts would be way up there. When you have breast cancer, you lose a piece of you that society really cares about. Which can make you wind up feeling less than whole.

The Woman Inside

As an OB/GYN physician, artist, and writer, my aim in creating The Woman Inside Project is to shine a light on the beautiful woman that lies within each breast cancer survivor.  When I began this project five years ago, I was arrogant enough to think I could hand-pick the women with the “interesting” stories, but I was quickly humbled to realize that every woman is beautiful when you take the time to see her.

For this project, I spent the past five years casting with medical plaster the torsos of women with breast cancer. When I complete the cast, I hold it up and say to the woman, “So this is what the world sees. Now tell me about the rest of you.” I then listen for as long as it takes her to unveil the breathtaking woman inside.

When the woman goes home, I paint her cast with encaustic, pigmented beeswax, the medium about which I wrote my first book Encaustic: A Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax (Random House, 2010).  I also transcribe her story into a first-person narrative of the beauty I see within each woman.  Women I have cast describe it as a spiritual healing of sorts, during which I touch their bodies, cast their pain, then remove it and transform it into a work of art.  The stories I write are gifts to each woman, revealing to her the way I see her, letting her know she is heard and witnessed.

Every Woman Is Beautiful

Every woman’s story demonstrates a different type of beauty.  Nancy was 32 years old and 8 weeks pregnant with her second child when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She had to make the agonizing decision of whether to terminate her pregnancy so she could undergo treatment. She opted to abort her child because she had a “prior commitment”- her 3 year old son, Wiley, waiting for her at home. Now, 14 years and a bilateral mastectomy later, she thrives, having just returned from leading a group of breast cancer survivors on a Harley Davidson ride around Australia, spreading awareness about young women with breast cancer.  Nancy glows – a glow that shows up in the way she abstractly photographs nude women. She chooses not to make her work about breast cancer. After a decade of resisting, she finally accepts her life’s work, which is to advocate for young women with breast cancer and tell the truth about bilateral mastectomy in this at-risk group. Though  breast cancer tried to take her life, it doesn’t own her. Nancy walks next to breast cancer now, but her path is her own.

SusanBCancer caught up with Jo a little later in life. When she was diagnosed, Jo was a busy OB/GYN physician and holistic healer helping women with diseases such as breast cancer. Chemotherapy left her unable to use her hands, so she had to leave the practice she loved. Chemo is now long behind her and the wounds have scarred over, but she admits that she still feels wounded. However, I have a feeling her healing work in the world is not over.  The healer within her radiates like a lighthouse from a cliff, and I have no doubt it is her big heart that women need, not her hands.

Pam didn’t wait around for cancer.  Adopted as a child, Pam knew nothing about her family history until her adoptive mother died and the biological sister she never knew existed called with bad news.  In Pam’s biological family, everyone died of breast cancer- her mother and maternal grandmother were already gone.  Pam decided not to take any chances and opted for a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy.  Opting not to reconstruct her flat chest, Pam wears her body like a badge of courage, opting to choose love over fear. When I asked her what she looks like inside, she told me she loved hot rods, sports, and body building, but mostly she loves people.  She said, “I guess I’m like ketchup- Heinz 57, that’s me. All the ingredients all wrapped up in one is what you get.”

BreastCancerJillieBoCancer tried to knock Susan over, but she’s a Weeble- she might wobble, but she doesn’t fall down. When Susan was 40, her doctor recommended a routine mammogram.  Just before she put her breasts into the machine, the tech said, “Good luck,” and Susan knew at that moment she had breast cancer.  At every crossroads in her cancer journey, she received more bad news, but she never let it suck out her spirit. She works for the Dr. Seuss foundation, so I asked her favorite book, which she told me is McElligot’s Pool, in which a boy’s unbounded optimism allows his imagination to soar. When fishing in a small crack in the earth, in spite of the discouraging words from the pessimistic farmer,  He imagines a colorful swirl of sea creatures hidden underneath. “Oh, the sea is so full of a number of fish. If a fellow is patient, he might get his wish! And that’s why I think that I’m not such a fool, when I sit here and fish in McElligot’s pool.” Susan is like that boy. Even when facing unfavorable circumstances, when negative outcomes pile up and many would lose hope, when fear and doubt might plague those less optimistic, Susan grabs hold of her family, holds her head high, and smiles broadly, braces gleaming, imagining all of the new experiences the future holds, just underneath the crack in her life she is putting behind her.IMG_9355

I could go on (and I do), with story after story, woman after woman.  Not to diminish their pain, but breast cancer survivors are not so different from everyone else.  While traumas such as breast cancer crack us open and force us to grow, we all experience painful wounds that threaten to unravel us.  It’s how we respond to our wounds that truly tests us and gives us the opportunity to blossom. When viewers experience The Woman Inside Project, I hope they realize that each of us has the capacity to be this beautiful.  While I chose to cast breast cancer survivors because their wounds are so visible, I could have cast any group of survivors and the stories would be equally riveting and awe-inspiring.  When people have been to hell and back and you invite them to tell their truth, what emerges is a slender green stalk that, with tending, blossoms into full flower.  The women who participated in this project have created a garden for which I can claim no credit.  All I did was give them a piece of earth, a little water, and a whole lot of love, and they have bloomed.  It has been an honor to be their witness.

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Posted in Alternative Health, Healthy Thursday, Lissa's art, Lissa's personal yada yada yada, Owning Health, Owning Joy After Loss, Owning Love, Owning Motherhood, Owning Surrender, Owning Your Body | 8 Comments »

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