SPONTANEOUS HEALING

People who undergo spontaneous healing of advanced, untreatable cancer tend to share the following characteristics:

They have a deep belief in their body's ability to heal in spite of being told by experts that their illness is terminal.
They regain a sense of control in their lives - a feeling of personal autonomy. They assume responsibility for creating a recovery program that is right for them - they do not simply abdicate responsibility for their treatment to experts.
They undergo a 'spiritual transformation' - an awakening of the true values and aspirations that have lain dormant deep inside themselves. Truly alive - perhaps for the very first time - this spiritual re-awakening brings a new authenticity to their life as they reconnect with their deepest feelings, values and aspirations. Once healed, they often look back upon their illness as a 'gift' that transformed their life.
They bring a new authenticity to their relationships with others.
They fully reassess their lives - often making very significant changes to their diet, life-style, career, goals, and relationships with others.
They often make radically healthful changes in their diet - away from refined, processed foods towards healthful, wholesome foods. They eat more fruits and vegetables and less animal fat, and many become vegetarian. Many begin taking vitamins and other supplements for the first time.
They take more time to simply relax and enjoy their life. For many, daily meditation or prayer becomes an important part of their life.
They learn to 'listen' to their bodies and to surrender to, rather than resist, the day-to-day fluctuations of energy, symptoms and emotions that accompany the healing process.
They reconnect with their sense of community and reclaim the joy that comes from being of service to others. In healing themselves, they facilitate healing in others.

(From website of The Centre For Integrated Healing....Vancouver, B.C.)

RESEARCH STUDY ON MEN WHO DECLINE CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT.

One research study has published some initial findings.

Study participants initiated an intensive search for information on conventional and complementary therapies (CAM) at diagnosis. Over time, they engaged in an on-going process of searching and evaluating evidence to answer their questions about treatment side-effects and survival outcomes. They were concerned that conventional treatments:

Do not address the underlying causes of cancer.
Damage the prostate, causing cancer cells to spread (surgery, biopsy).
Cause the cancer to recur (radiation therapy).
Weaken the immune system.
Damage internal organs, making recovery difficult (radiation therapy).

(“The Role of Evidence in Decision-making by Men with Prostate Cancer who Decline Conventional Treatment”. Margaret White, Research Consultant , Vancouver, B.C. ,and Marja Verhoef , Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta).

PROSTATE CANCER LIFESTYLE STUDY.

Switching to a vegan diet -- along with exercising, meditating and participating in support groups -- may halt, or even reverse, the progress of early stage prostate cancer, suggests a study published in the September issue of the http://www.jurology.com/">Journal of Urology.
The research is the first randomized, controlled trial showing that lifestyle changes may affect the progression of any type of cancer, say the authors.
The directors of the study were Dean Ornish, MD, clinical professor, and Peter Carroll, MD, chair of the Department of Urology, both of the University of California, San Francisco, and the late William Fair, MD, chief of urologic surgery and chair of urologic oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The researchers studied 93 men who had elected not to undergo conventional treatment for their prostate cancer for reasons unrelated to this study. The participants were assigned randomly to two groups: those who were asked to make comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle, and those who were not asked to do so.

Participants in the lifestyle-change group were placed on a vegan diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes supplemented with soy, vitamins and minerals. They participated in moderate aerobic exercise, yoga or meditation, and a weekly support group session.

The Center For Integrated Healing provides the following guidelines for persons with cancer:

Eat fresh, wholesome, unrefined natural foods.
Eat whole grain foods.
Eat at least four to six servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.
Completely avoid refined sugar.
No dairy products.
Avoid high fat diet, especially a diet high in animal fats.
Red meat consumption should be minimized.
The occasional; consumption of poultry from a reliable source.
Avoid all processed meats.
Deep sea fish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Extra virgin olive oil and hemp oil are recommended.
Do not use margarine.
Completely avoid coffee, pop and sweetened juices.
Drink green tea.
Experiment with herbal teas.
Buy organic food.
Look for pesticides in animal products.
Eat a variety of foods for balanced nutrition.
Gently cook foods.
Avoid fried foods.

WATCHFUL WAITING: A POINT OF VIEW

DR. GERALD CHODAK states some of the things to be taken into account in arriving at a decision to watch and wait:

"The growing recognition that watchful waiting or conservative management of clinically localized prostate cancer offers nearly similar disease-specific survival rates at ten years poses a major problem for both physicians and patients. Counseling patients will require a careful explanation of the risks and benefits from both conservative and aggressive treatment. In order to possibly gain a few years of survival, patients must be willing to endure a significant percentage of adverse effects for a long period of time which may substantially impair their quality of life."

"---- both radiation and (surgical) therapy will probably increase life expectancy by several years in a small fraction of men, have little or no effect on a large percentage, and significantly lower survival in the remainder. Because of our current inability to identify which patients will most benefit and which patients are least at risk, each individual confronting the choice of management will have to determine what reduction in quality of life we are willing to risk in order to have a small chance at significantly prolonged survival."

The above quotes are taken from "Treatment of Early Stage Prostate Cancer: Conservative Management - Delayed Therapy" by Dr. Gerald Chodak. The article can be found in "Important Advances in Oncology 1994", published by J.B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia.

FROM ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MAGAZINE SITE.

If people pay attention to the five flavors and mix them well, their bones
will remain straight, their muscles will remain tender and young, their
breath will circulate freely, their pores will be fine in texture, and consequently,
their breath and bones will be filled with the essence of life.
—The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine1

http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/login/index.jsp

MUSIC FOR RELAXATION

Recomendations for the season.

1. Morricone: The Falls
2. Mahler: Symphony No. 5 Adagietto
3. Grieg: Peer Gynt Morning Mood
4. Rodrigo: Concierto de Avanjuez
5. Massenet: Thais Meditation
6. Bach: Air on the G String
7. Mozart: Piano Concerto 21 Elvira
8. Barber: Adagio for Strings
9. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A
10. Albioni: Adagio in G Minor
11. Delibes: Prayer from Coppelia
12. Boccherini: Menuett
13. Pachelbel: Canon in D
14. Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves
15. Mozart: Flute and Harp Concerto in C
16. Bizet: Carmen Intermezzo

Science and supplement News:

(From Dr. Weil website).

Zyflamend May Protect Against Prostate Cancer New research suggests that Zyflamend, an herbal preparation containing ginger, turmeric, green tea, holy basil, and the Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis, may help prevent and treat prostate cancer. A study at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York found in laboratory studies that Zyflamend suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and also prompts existing cancer cells to self-destruct. The researchers found that in laboratory cultures, Zyflamend reduced prostate cancer cell growth by as much as 78 percent. Usually recommended for treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory disorders, Zyflamend addresses the chemical pathways responsible for the joint inflammation that causes arthritis pain. It may also be good for your heart, thanks to one of its components, resveratrol, a substance found in red wine and believed responsible for the wine’s cardio-protective effects. The prostate cancer study was published in the October 2005 issue of Nutrition and Cancer.

Sources:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_28278.html

DR. DOSSEY AND PRAYER.

My readings of Dr. Larry Dossey helped me to understand that the power of prayer and healing “at a distance” is real and powerful. Dr. Dossey is a medical doctor who has researched and written books about the “non-local mind” and the impact of prayer in healing. The spiritual component is an important if not essential part of healing. Seekers of spiritual healing should look up the writings of Larry Dossey.

www.dosseydossey.com

GOING ON A RETREAT.

For a brief commentary on a personal retreat visit:

www.dailyom.com