I am thrilled to bring you a series of cancer survivor stories. Everyone has a different experience and we each deal with the crisis as best we can. But once we have are beyond the day to day survival we are left with a chance to reflect our experiences and make changes in our lives.

I find cancer survivor stories to be raw, honest and inspiring and I hope you find this series helpful as part of your own journey.

16 years ago, after I felt a tenderness in my right breast I felt to get it checked out with my GP, despite having an all clear mammogram only a month beforehand. He sent me for a hospital check and I met an amazing woman consultant surgeon who sent me for an ultrasound. They discovered I had a DCIS and recommended a lumpectomy. I agreed but only after agreeing with my hospital consultant that I would try alternative means first. I also had a trip to Australia booked and looming.

I embarked on a six-month healing journey. I went to see an alternative cancer doctor who had left the mainstream. He recommended I change my diet to a vegan one, try juicing and coffee enemas, and he prescribed a mass of supplements. I have to say that during this time I felt fantastic. A load of excess weight dropped away. I had a lot of energy and looked very well. I also went for spiritual healing sessions and enjoyed my 3-month trip to Australia.

On my return, after six months I went back to the hospital. Despite feeling very well the lump hadn’t reduced in size, much to my disappointment, so I agreed to have a lumpectomy. I made a good recovery and they found that it was malignant. But all was clear after the surgery.

After the surgery I left my vegan diet behind but still juiced from time to time. However, I hadn’t addressed the root cause of the breast cancer. Also, my family on the female side all had had breast cancer. My parents were first cousins, so I had four aunts on both sides of the family who had died of breast or ovarian cancer.

Roll on six years and I was introduced to Esoteric Medicine and some amazing Healing modalities. I used these and trained to be a practitioner myself. I healed many old hurts in the intervening years. Come 2013 I felt tenderness once more, again in my right breast. I subsequently learned that breast cancer has to do with a lack of nurturing for ourselves as women. This made sense to me as I had (like many other women) looked after everyone else, as a single parent for many years and a practicing spiritual healer and neglected myself. I hadn’t addressed the root cause.

I was now living in a different area and my new GP referred me immediately to the hospital. Another great female consultant saw me and recommended a mammogram. I felt resistance as they had never shown up anything before. However, she explained it would be easier to see if there was a cancerous lump, rather than the ultrasounds I had had at my previous hospital – which I much preferred.

With these tests they discovered an early stage small lump, but because of previous scarring I would now need a mastectomy. This wasn’t good news, obviously. However, she told me she could do a reconstruction at the same time and probably be able to save my nipple. Better news….

So less than two months later I had the required surgery. During all this time I had been having Esoteric Healing therapies from a practitioner of esoteric healing therapies, including sacred esoteric healing, esoteric Connective tissue therapy and esoteric chakrapuncture. All these made a huge difference to my healing. For a few weeks after my surgery local friends brought me nourishing food and those who were trained in the above therapies gave me daily treatments in my home.

I healed very quickly, much to the surprise of my hospital consultant. Six weeks after the operation I attended weekly hydrotherapy sessions in the hospital pool, involving gentle arm movements.

I now view the return of the breast cancer as a huge wake up call. I had returned to my old ‘normal’ way of life after the first operation. But attending Universal Medicine therapy presentations and therapies, enabled me to review my life choices. I had decided to quit alcohol and caffeine, also gluten and dairy (which I had done with my first surgery) but had crept back into my old food habits. So, my health overall was pretty good by the time the second bout of breast cancer came around. I felt fortunate I didn’t need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as that would have been a tough call for me to agree to. The tamoxifen type drug was suggested, but as the risk was only a 2% risk of me living less than ten years I decided to forego that option.

Three years on I feel as healthy as I ever have. I look younger as my years advance. Exercising daily, enjoying nurturing healthy food choices and no processed foods or caffeine, gluten dairy or alcohol as before. No refined sugar though I still have honey occasionally and eat some fruit. Freshly cooked fish, meat and vegetables are my staples, with herbs and spices to make everything tasty.

What is even more surprising is that despite my scar and different look to my breasts, I love my body more now than I have ever done before. I look after myself and my body. Staying present with myself is important, not regretting or looking back at the past or anticipating the future. Esoteric Yoga has been a great support for me to reconnect with my body and my essence.

The stillness I feel can be transported into daily life in a very practical way. Life is good. I volunteer in a hospital and a school and contribute to a fabulous healthy way of living website. In my late sixties I feel vibrant. No prescribed medication required. Cancer can be viewed as an opportunity – a gift – once we have got over the shock. If we don’t choose to make changes to our lifestyle (which played a big part in getting us into this mess in the first place) then we have a chance to grow and evolve. It’s never too late to change our ways.

Find out what inspired Sue to make changes in her life.

Note: If you would like to share your own story, please connect with me through my contact page – I welcome your contributions. 

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