I can always tell when we have waited too long to give an update based on how many inquiries we start to get about how Elizabeth is doing. While I’m certain everyone understands our distraction and delay, I’d still like to thank you for your patience in it! We have now been in Mexico for two weeks at Hope4Cancer treatment center.
Stairs to the ocean across from the clinic.
So what heck is this place you ask? What is alternative/integrative medicine? I’m going to way over simplify it for you, but know it is very well researched, documented and proven to be very effective. The over simplification is that they focus on fundamentals. The treatment focuses on detoxing the body, creating an internal environment cancer can’t thrive/survive in, and expose circulating cancer cells to things that destroy them. Again, that is a very simple way of explaining the dozen plus different treatments and therapies Elizabeth has been doing.
Laser/light therapy that “zaps passing bad cells”… that’s not what actually happens but how I picture it!
Another component that is worked on here is mental/spiritual/emotional side of the journey. As anyone who has been through a life-threatening diagnosis knows, there is a constant head game happening. Here are some examples of questions we have wrestled with and come to terms with over the last year and half:
“Conventional medicine is toxic and destroys the body with countless possible side effects and high risk of causing future cancers or other problems, but it is the most medically and socially accepted option… do we risk starting with more natural/non-toxic treatment?” Answer- We chose no.
“Was there something we did wrong in the past that caused this?” Answer- No clue
“How is this going to effect our kids?” Answer- ……….
“What if the worst case scenario happens?” Answer-………
Food has been amazing.
That is just a small sample size of questions and thoughts that inevitably run through your head while in the journey. Just typing those out felt heavy, let alone actually trying to navigate them. While we had wonderful doctors and nurses during Elizabeth’s conventional treatments, the waiting rooms and infusion rooms were always so grim. (Other than our medical staff) No one smiled in those places or even talked. We were equally guilty of that.
All of that to say, aside from the obvious physical toll this journey has, the mental one can crush you faster than chemo. For us, our foundation in navigating that weight is in our faith. That strength then got reinforced by our Christian community who showed up time and time again to ease burdens and to pray and cry with us. Beyond that we had great social and business community support us in their understanding and care. Even after all these things to help ease non-physical burdens, there were a couple more components that we didn’t know we needed at first.
She might become part of the X-Men after this…
One started prior to this trip in both of us meeting with a counselor or spiritual mentor. There is so much value in having a professional sit outside of your scenario and speak truth and help you navigate thoughts. I highly recommend this for everyone. The next one happened organically after we arrived here at HOPE4cancer. This place is full of people with hope for a future.
There are so many people who are here currently or were recently who have had some pretty grim prognosis reports prior to arrival. Yet we continue to hear story after story of improvements in condition and remission. These stories and testimonies of people standing in front of you create an environment of hope and joy for the future.
She glows! About to get one of these for home…
There are many studies on how powerful the human mind is, both in its ability to improve your physical condition AND to destroy it. One of the things that impressed us about Hope4Cancer was that they focused on complete person optimization. This includes immune system, detoxification, oxygenation, nutrition and mental/spiritual health. Being optimal in these areas doesn’t make things easy. It simply is a process to set your body up for success in fighting ANY disfunction.
Elizabeth feels great physically right now. She has no visible signs of disease at the moment, even though it is understood to be circulating in her blood. Beyond physical though we must always be on guard. Seeing new patients arrive in bad shape is hard to see. We try not to compare stories but it is hard not to. But talking to those former patients who are here on check ups, many months and even years after their original treatment is so life giving. People beat cancer all the time. That too will be Elizabeth’s story.
