Tag Archives: sarcoma

It’s Sprouting Season

Complementary Therapies, Let Food be Your Medicine, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When fresh local produce is hard to find, my kitchen has fresh sprouts.

My sprout salads now consist of:

Mung bean sprouts for proteolytic enzymes (for more info, see Thriver Soup, pgs 121-122, 141-143)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprouting mix for dense nutrition (for more info, see Thriver Soup, pgs 132-133, 136-138)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade sauerkraut for digestive enzymes (for more info, see Thriver Soup, pgs 141-143)

 

 

 

 

2 artichoke hearts for bone-building Vitamin K

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hemp seeds for protein

 

 

 

 

 

Organic extra-virgin olive oil (look for the certification to make sure you’re getting the real deal, not fake olive oil) (for more info, see Thriver Soup, pgs 139-140)

 

 

 

Fresh onion, just a few bits

 

 

 

 

This nutritional powerhouse is part of my daily routine now.

 

“Be Your Authentic Self”

Mapping the Emotions, Mending the Mind, , , , , , ,

Hey everyone, I was interviewed on Deborrah Cooper’s Debruary 2022. My topic was
“Be Your Authentic Self.”
Deborrah writes, “Are you comfortable enough to show the world your real, your true, your authentic self, or do you hide and pretend to be what others want you to be? Heidi Bright is our Debruary 2020 guest tonight, and shares a wonderful story of perseverance, determination and survival.
“Heidi found her way to authenticity after successfully battling a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2009. She realized that being her authentic self was the greatest gift she could give both to herself and others. Learning to manage her emotions in healthy ways was, as Heidi says “a game changer.” Listen to this interview to learn strategies to get in touch with who you are, and how to honor and respect your true self.”One of the comments was “Absolutely INCREDIBLE! Outstanding interview!”

Watch it here:
tinyurl.com/4znsw5br

Love You

Mapping the Emotions, Mending the Mind, , , , ,

Are you alone this holiday season?

Maybe covid is keeping you isolated. Or the cancer tore your marriage apart. Or you have been ill for a while and your friends have moved on.

There seems to be a big hole in your life where love once seemed to live.

It can feel so terribly lonely.

Yet that love still lives, inside of you. You are that love. Please do not abandon yourself.

Just think. You are the magnificent result of two tiny cells you can’t even see. Those cells joined together in an incomprehensible union that multiplied and multiplied and multiplied. Imagine the tremendous amount of life-force energy expended to create … you.

Amazing you.

Incredible you.

A you who is utterly unique.

Look at your hands. What beautiful things they have done for you all your life. Think of a few of them. They serve you nearly every moment of the day, without question, without asking anything in return.

Look at your legs. They have carried you all through your life, without question, without asking anything in return.

And your heart. It pumps life-giving blood into every cell of your body, dozens of times every single minute. Without question. Without asking anything in return.

Look outside at the plants. They grow, they create leaves, they bless the world with blossoms. Without question. Without asking anything in return. They are worthy of appreciation just by being what they are.

How much more worthy of love, gratitude, and care are you? By yourself? Without anyone else in the picture?

If no one else is around to offer it to you, offer it to yourself.

Maybe spritz on a nice fragrance and focus on the aroma.

Maybe make yourself a special meal or order out your favorite foods.

Maybe take a warm, comforting bath and add fresh blossoms so they float around you.

You are the center of your universe. Love you. Appreciate you. Care for you. The universe is cheering you on, and so am I.

Perfect TEN!

Complementary Therapies, Events, Mapping the Emotions, Softening Surgery, , , , ,

Ten years ago, my CT scan showed a cancerous half-inch nodule squatting on the pulmonary vein next to my heart.

SHT.

After two years of sarcoma treatment, I had just used up my last chemotherapy option. Now what? I felt so screwed.

Five weeks later, when surgeon Patrick Ross operated, that bugger had swollen to 2.5 inches.

That’s aggressive growth.

I can’t tell from the surgical report if he even got clean margins. Who could, with such a dangerous location?

During my post-operation appointment, the nurse practitioner told me she’d seen situations like mine for thirty years. “You need to get back on chemotherapy or get ready for Hospice.”

My mouth went dry, my throat constricted, and my pulse raced. If the nurse was right, I would probably be dead within a few months.

OMG, NO… I had boys to raise and books to write and life to live.

I soon saw my psychotherapist, who witnessed and guided me as I allowed the terror to simply be in my body. Then it flipped into anger, and I stopped breathing, except for quick gasps. Finally, she returned my mind to the room. I shook and shuddered, then relaxed. My chest tingled and emotionally I felt nothing. Then I moved into peace.

Tai Chi Grandmaster Vince Lasorso later pointed out to me how easy it is to slip into feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, emptiness, loneliness, and being forsaken. No one can face death with you—it’s a solitary assignment. A dark depression, induced by the chemicals of medicine and mind, can extinguish all faith.

“It’s during these times when one must look to the light,” he wrote. “Reliance on God can change your course at any second.”

He was right.

Despite the dire warning, I continued healing my life in every way I knew how, clearing out emotional garbage and removing what Vince called “bad thinks.” Generous and gentle people helped me every step of the way.

Ever since that terrible day in 2011, my scans have been completely free of any evidence of cancer. And I have also been completely free of all cancer treatment.

This month it’s the Perfect Ten (years)!

I find this truly miraculous, not only because of the deadly and persistent diagnosis I had, but also because I have remained healthy despite going through a divorce and losing my 19-year-old son to a heroin overdose in 2015.

Medical treatment bought me time. All the inner healing work I did, and my deepening connection with the Divine, kept me sane and safe.

I now offer what I learned through Cancer Survival Coaching. If you or someone you know would like a free initial consultation, feel free to call me at 513 444 0190.

I also will be speaking on “A Conversation with Dis-ease” at noon on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at the Body Mind Spirit Expo, Sharonville Convention Center in Cincinnati.

I look forward to connecting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancer Survival Coaching

About, Complementary Therapies, Congruent Care, Conventional Methods, , , ,

Are you looking for a little more guidance regarding cancer survival for yourself or a loved one?
Or maybe some suggestions for how to better manage a chronic illness?
I’ll offer short Cancer Survival Coaching sessions Sunday at the Universal Energy Expo, Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington.
For a 50-minute session, including a discount on a copy of Thriver Soup, please feel free to contact me.

9 Years Free!

Conventional Methods, , ,

This month I am celebrating nine years free of any evidence of cancer and free of any kind of cancer treatment! After being told to get my affairs in order.

So grateful for my life and to be alive and well!

Currently I am doing neurofeedback and BodyTalk, and advancing in tai chi, along with all my usual self-healing techniques. And drinking daily green sludges–er, smoothies. And as the nurse said yesterday, “still taking 150 supplements.”

Recently did a fun corn maze with my son near Dayton. They had a sunflower patch, symbol of sarcomas.

ABCs of Thriving in Life

Complementary Therapies, Conventional Methods, , , ,

Great news! My October annual X-ray shows I continue to be free of any evidence of disease. Eight years now, after being told to get my affairs in order!

To celebrate this year, I’ll be sharing healing options LIVE at 11 am this Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Valdez Main Library in Tucson, AZ. Come with your questions.

If you’ll be anywhere near Tucson on November 9, I’d love for you to join me for this conversation. Hope to see you there!

The ABC’s of Thriving in Life
Saturday, November 9, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Joel D Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., Tucson AZ 85701

Discover 3 key ingredients you can apply immediately to thrive in every area of your life. Learn simple new ways to update your Attitudes, Behaviors, and major life Choices to assist with conquering dis-ease and feeling better—for anything from anxiety to cancer to what to do during retirement. This uplifting presentation includes a gentle guided visualization so you can discover your own clues for experiencing more vibrant health.
https://pima.bibliocommons.com/events/5db0a83d75016939005ef066

#cancertreatment #sarcoma #inspirationalspeakers #thriveon

NLMSF’s “Tackling Leiomyosarcoma” at The James in Sept.

Conventional Methods, , , , ,

The NLMSF.org symposium “Tackling Leiomyosarcoma: A Team Approach” was brief and to the point, held in Columbus, Ohio, during September. Here Floor Backes, MD, at The James, talks about ULMS.  Thank you, Annie Achee and Mitch Achee, and all who made this program possible!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joel Mayerson, MD, spoke about a surgical perspective on LMS of the limbs. Here he identifies the differences between benign and malignant tumors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is another informative slide:

 

 

 

 

Rebuilding after the fire

It Takes a Village, ,
sunflowers at Notre Dame web
Sunflowers (symbol of sarcoma cancer) at Notre Dame, many facing north toward the cathedral instead of south toward the sun.

Do you feel like Notre Dame Cathedral, gutted by the fires of cancer treatments? Do you feel like a husk now, burned, weakened, and emptied?

That’s how I felt after my debulking surgery that took nine hours, followed by two years of harsh chemotherapy infusions. Those drugs burned through me and left me devastated and vulnerable.

Yet all was not lost for me, and neither is it for the cathedral. Now when I see pictures of the church’s interior, the altar and cross are still standing as if nothing had happened. The heart of the church is still intact.

My heart, my will to live, was still intact after two years of treatment. I did everything I could to survive, just as the firefighters did everything they could to salvage what they could of Our Lady of Paris.

Now this massive monument is at its most vulnerable and most in need. And so are we while dealing with cancer. Yet people are coming forward to rebuild her, as people came forward to help me rebuild my life, giving generously from their hearts and their time. I hope you are blessed with the same support. To turn down assistance is a disservice to ourselves and others, just as it would be a disservice to Notre Dame to not rebuild her.

Let her stand as a symbol of hope for you—that after the phoenix fire has burned its destructive path, we can rebuild and restore, perhaps winding up even healthier and better. This is my wish for you.