Choosing Wellness: My journey to wellbeing

However, a routine visit to my doctor in 2009 would permanently change my perspective. Test results from my annual smear test came back abnormal and I was notified that I would need to undergo additional tests to determine the underlying cause. Follow-up biopsies revealed an aggressive form of cancer that was quickly moving through my cervix and could potentially spread to the uterus.

 

Treatment options 

I was advised to immediately schedule surgery to remove the damaged tissues and undergo a full hysterectomy to reduce the risk of the cancer spreading. The normal treatment protocol for my diagnosis also included radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone replacement therapy until menopause. 

 

The prognosis was overwhelming and I struggled with a sense of helplessness and disbelief as my medical vulnerability was laid out before me. This disbelief would be my saving grace. Unwilling to subject myself to the long-term repercussions of the standard treatment protocol, I chose to seek further advice in an effort to exhaust all my options. I sought a second opinion, a doctor who recommended a partial rather than a full hysterectomy, and eventually a third opinion. 

 

My third physician didn’t offer any treatment alternatives, but rather supported the idea of “ruling out all other options” before beginning treatment. I decided not to schedule the recommended surgery and committed myself to finding alternative medical solutions to improve my health. We arranged a follow-up appointment six weeks later, to revisit my options. 

 

 

Alternatives solutions 

My hesitation to accept conventional treatment was a blessing. My diagnosis spurred me on in search of an understanding of cellular health and the spirituality and science of wellbeing and was the beginning of the evolution of my personal wellness. 

 

I sought help at the World Research Foundation, a non-profit heath information network in Sedona, Arizona − where they helped me sift through a myriad of books, references and other resources detailing alternative methodologies regarded as highly effective in rejuvenating and repairing cellular tissue.

 

The information we uncovered overwhelmingly pointed to a need for a total diet overhaul, a switch to nutrient-dense, clean and organic food filled with live enzymes. This led me to a diet that was over 80% raw and I also began juicing regularly and started a regimen of taking trace minerals and other dietary supplements, which I still do. I also used multiple living energy techniques in my recovery – living energy being the belief that all things in nature have their own particular kind of life force energy and that this energy can be positively harnessed. 

 

While I had always been conscious of maintaining a healthy diet, this was nevertheless a huge nutritional shift for me. I jumped in with both feet; fully embracing this new diet and lifestyle during the six weeks leading up to my next doctor’s appointment and soon began to feel better. I had more energy, slept more soundly and woke up feeling rested. 

 

 

Longterm wellness

When I returned to the doctor, she ran a new series of tests and found that my cellular margins were better. In fact they were good enough for me to undergo non-invasive surgery in place of conventional treatment and I was able to avoid both a full and a partial hysterectomy. My choice to embrace alternative routes to improving my health by making significant lifestyle changes resulted both in a profound personal experience and the fortunate restoration of my cellular tissues. 

 

Six months after my diagnosis, tests indicated normal cell margins and further biopsies revealed no abnormal tissue and no further cancerous abnormalities. It was clear that the drastic dietary shift and the intake of supplements had allowed my body to shed itself of the cancerous cells and generate healthy, normal cells in their place.  

 

Taking action and taking responsibility for my own health not only jumpstarted my recovery from cancer and taught me how to make better dietary choices, it also made me realise how important it was to listen to my intuition. The profound impact of dietary and lifestyle changes is often overlooked by traditional medicine, but it shouldn’t be ignored. Diet, exercise and a sense of wellbeing are vitally important, not only to recovery but to our overall health. 

 

It’s been four years since my original diagnosis and I’m healthy and thriving. I am grateful for everything I learned as part of my journey and for being able to divert a life-altering surgery. I have learned how to be accountable for my own wellbeing, including incorporating stress management techniques into my life.

 

I believe it’s important to not only take responsibility for our own health, but also to help others do the same. My decision to create the Arizona Spa & Wellness Association is directly linked to my commitment to innovative and authentic spa and wellness practices and I find the trends towards juicing, detoxing and raw food encouraging developments in this rapidly growing spa and wellness market. 

http://azspawell.com