Say No To Negative Doctors
This past week, the very core of my macrobiotic beliefs and practices, the very core of my being, was put the test.
This is so personal. And I don't tend to dwell on it because it stirs up painful memories, but I am sure that you all know that I am a 15 year breast cancer survivor. My cancer was borderline stage 3B-stage 4, and my life expectancy was 6 months to 1 year, according to medical standards.
I have been literally terrorized by the medical community for the most part. Bombarded with negativity. They in no way expected me to survive. This was very clear. Therefore, I limit my exposure to Doctors as much as possible, but also have always had respect and appreciation for their specific areas of expertise. I don't blame them nor hold them responsible for my illness. Sometimes they are a necessary evil. But, when one knows their body well, when one lives right and eats right, any slight variance from feeling really great is immediately evident. The entire premise of Oriental Medicine / Macrobiotic Diet and Lifestyle, is to be your own Doctor to the extent of knowing your body, recognizing any changes or potential problems, and correcting them before they become a major issue needing medical attention. This is what it is all about.
Anyway, after stalling around for well over a year, I finally went for my routine yearly cancer follow-up visit last week. I felt great. I was in tip top shape. I went in there for the first time in a completely positive state of mind, absolutely knowing that I had no problems going on in my body. Because admittedly, for all of these years, I have always succumbed to the deeply rooted fear that was embedded into me years ago during the trauma of my diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
I am not exactly sure what happened. I think that the Doctor expected me to continue my role as the recumbent, the girl full of fear whom he saved. But he started out the appointment shaking his head and repeating several times that he just can't believe how long it has been and how well I have done. I summoned up my courage, and asked innocently, "don't most of your other patients do this well" ? (knowing full well that many of them don't). The doctor became somewhat defensive, which was not my intention. I really wanted him to accept that his entirely medical approach was not the end all, and to open up to the possibility that incorporating diet and lifestyle practices as well, could possibly have a positive effect on the outcome of his "other" patients. I wanted to share my good fortune, good mood, and good health with him and the world! I wanted to offer my services to him. To lecture with him around the world, to bring some energy into his cold, hard medical world. His office was empty you know. I don't think his practice is thriving even though he is one of the foremost breast cancer oncologists in the world, and it is a sad place, there is no positive energy, or health, in there at all, not in the employees, and certainly not in the patients. Sure, many of his patients are "living" with cancer. But that is really not good enough. They should be living without it!
After doing my examination (what a scary word that is!), he declared that he thought he felt "changes" / lumps in both of my breasts. He didn't feel that it was "cause for concern", but he did want further tests done. Do you know what I said to him? I said, "You are kidding! I know and you know that there are no lumps in my breasts". He would not back down. He almost looked smug / happy when he said "sorry" . He might as well have said I am sorry (to burst your bubble).
I went home that day a different person. The entire experience put me back to 15 years ago when I was the sick, (okay dying) girl with the metastatic breast cancer who was living and eating entirely wrong, and knew it. I wanted to sink into that black hole of sickness and depression and literally die. But, the woman I am now came forth and examined every aspect of my diet and lifestyle, drawing from all of her knowledge and experience over the past 15 years, and that woman, the woman with the much healthier kidneys (weak kidneys manifest as fear and insecurity which is who I was 15 years ago, a sick young girl with very weak kidneys who was full of fear), but this new person today, with the strong(er) kidneys, and positive light and energy, just knew that she was not sick. I also knew that I would not let my fear overcome me this time around. Still, I wanted to know exactly what the doctor was feeling in my breasts, because even a fibroid or cyst are not acceptable to me. I eat food to break up cysts, fibroids, toxins and mucous. (Please see the food descriptions / health benefits on all of my weekly menu's). I went over it again and again in my mind, and I could not conceive of how even the tiniest cyst or fibroid could form in my body. And if one, or several as the doctor implied, were formed, I would take immediate and more aggressive steps with my diet / lifestyle in order to dissolve them before they could even think of becoming malignant. I held onto my steadfast and total belief in who I am and what I teach and believe, to get me through. I knew it would not let me down.
And with this in mind I went to my trusted, optimistic, and VERY knowledgeable breast mammographer who has seen me through some of the worst, for an ultrasound of both breasts (what the doctor ordered). And guess what?? The "lumps" the doctor felt are "normal breast tissue". They are not cysts, they are not fibroids, and they are most definitely not cancerous tumors.
I flew out of that office, fully back to being my healthy, happy self. I flew home to eat a delicious and healthy whole, natural food lunch that was waiting for me, and finished out the day by going for a very long swim in the ocean to boost up my kidney energy that was seriously shot down as a result of the stressful week that I experienced. Yes, emotional stress is harmful to every part of the mind / body, especially the adrenal glands and kidneys. And I can't think of a better way to protect and nourish the emotional state of your mind / body, than by eating and living right, and avoiding sickness and negativity at all costs!
As my friend Hippocrates (the Doctor of all Doctors) said: Health Is The Greatest Of Human Blessings. Let Food Be Thy Medicine, And Medicine Thy Food.
In Health as always,
Gayle and Jaime