Today’s Navigating the Cancer Maze, covers several areas important to Cancer patients.
In addition to this blog – gracegawlermedia – on Sunday 21st December 2014 – I will be launching a new blockbuster or should I say myth-buster blog – Grace Gawler Blog: The Thinking Person’s Guide to the Truth behind Common Cancer Mythology.
Navigating the Cancer Maze represents the culmination of my 40 years experience working at the coalface of cancer in what I call cancer supportive care medicine. As a young girl of about 8 years of age – I had two ambitions in life; to research cancer or become a veterinary surgeon. The universe works in mysterious ways. In 1976 I married a veterinarian who had cancer.
It happened just a few days before Christmas in 1974 – 40 years ago when I had just turned 21. Suddenly I became a carer of a cancer patient who was my boyfriend and employer.
Like many today I had no experience in how to cope personally or how to help the patient who was my charge. I had to improvise and learn along the way. Added to this, my boyfriend, who later became my husband when he was given a prognosis 6 weeks to live; was an amputee. He had lost his leg to bone cancer just after Christmas, January 1975. He survived, we had 4 children and now 4 grandchildren. I learned a lot during that “hands-on period” that added to later qualifications. My story of those times is recorded in my Memoirs: Grace Grit and Gratitude. (2008 – eBook available)
See You tube: Grace Grit and Gratitude Also visit on the menu of this blog – “Ian Gawler Cancer?”
Moving forward to 2012 I realised that consulting with patients and public speaking was not enough. With cancer incidence rising, what I had learned needed a Global voice; an opportunity to take what I had learned so far and add medical expertise in current cancer treatments and research combined with patients’ experiences.
Patient’s need reliable and genuine information when they are in the fight for their lives! 2014 marks 2 years on air with Voice America’s Health and Wellness Channel hosting ‘Navigating the Cancer Maze’. We want as many people as possible to know about Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio because my Charity The Grace Gawler Institute sponsors this show to provide education and information free to all in need. Please visit the Website for our Christmas Fundraiser to support the show for 2015: “Move the World with Grace”
On this week’s pre-Christmas show I discuss key issues for cancer patients that have been highlighted by our guests on Navigating the Cancer Maze throughout 2014; a year of challenges and excitements in the Global Cancer Community. We will take a look at the impact of some of cancer’s entrepreneurs Including Wellness Warrior-Jess Ainscough, who has influenced many patients to follow the natural path to cancer healing, albeit encouraged by the Ian Gawler recovery story, which as you know, was highly likely to have been a misdiagnosis.
Unfortunately, but as expected; Jess’s Epithelioid sarcoma, a cancer that moves slowly has now progressed to a serious degree. Her mum recently died from breast cancer doing the same regimen. Entrepreneurial patients like Jess Ainscough have a huge influence on cancer patient’s treatment decisions. I truly despair at these stories. I hear from cancer patients like Jess daily and see them in my practice with the most horrendous fungating cancers that one would would expect to see in a third world country. I am passionate to educate cancer patients about the dangers of taking the 100% natural therapies approach. As a trained naturopath and herbalist-I am horrified by what I see hear and read about natural cancer cures!
More on this visit-Science -based Medicine Blog and See Jessica Ainscough Wellness Warrior
Finally….Cancer Doesn’t Stop at Christmas:While for some this is a happy time of year – for others Christmas and New Year celebrations can be very a difficult & emotional time for those currently dealing with life challenging illness, including patients’ families. Also challenging is the person who may be missing from this year’s Christmas table. Please see helpful resources below – also listen to today’s show for helpful tips
Many of my Guests on Navigating the Cancer Maze have authored some fine books. I have listed them below. These are books of substance that contain valid and useful information for patients and families. Recommended for Christmas gifts or personal reading
Resources/Books mentioned on today’s show from my 2014 Guests:
BOOKS
- From Cancer Good Things Grow Jeffrey Deslandes – 8.5 year survivor of stage 4 lymphoma after failed treatments – 4 recurrences. Success with Dendritic cell vaccines. Pub Balboa Press – all proceeds go to R& D Of DC Vaccines.
- “Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing” by Dietrich Stroeh Buy at Amazon
- Recent Release-” Survivorship: Living Well During and After Cancer” by Dr Barrie Cassileth –
Buy at: http://www.cancercarestore.com/survivorship-living-well-during-and-after-cancer - “Bad to the Bone: the True Story of David Tuccaro, Jr” – by David Tuccaro, Jr successful leukemia treatment- Buy at Amazon
- “Lead With Your Heart: Creating a Life of Love, Compassion, and Purpose” by Regina Cates Buy at Amazon
- “The Man who Saved a Million Lives” – by Prof Ian Frazer Buy at Amazon
- Spontaneous Remission: An Annotated Bibliography by Caryle Hirshberg and Brendon O’Regan – Access this via IONS- Free chapter downloads:
http://noetic.org/library/publication-books/spontaneous-remission-annotated-bibliography/
Movies:
Debbie Franke Ogg had a Hollywood Movie made about her life and recovery from Stage 4 Lymphoma. It starred Sam Neil and Anne Archer. First titled “A Leap of Faith” – the movie was later titled a “Question of Faith”. Debby is perhaps one of the few of millions who had a spontaneous remission from her cancer without medical treatment. The movie can be found online by typing the title into Google. Now a therapist in NY USA – Watch Movie online Contact Debby.
Cancer Doesn’t Stop at Christmas: Help for those who may have lost a loved one this year. Resources provided by Beth O’Brien: a guest on this year’s Navigating the Cancer Maze.
http://seasonsofgrief.com.au/about-beth/
www.australiancelebrations.com.au
http://deathcafe.com/
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
http://www.livingisforeveryone.com.au
http://suicidepreventionaust.org/resources/
BOOK recommended by Beth:
Dying to be Free: A healing guide for families after a suicide (Beverly Cobain, Jean Larch) buy at Amazon
The Grief Recovery Handbook: The action program for moving beyond Death, Divorce and other losses by John W James and Russell Friedman Buy at Amazon
Listen to today’s show at
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/82356/cancer-doesnt-stop-for-christmas-dealing-with-the-challenges
Join Voice America for free: http://www.voiceamerica.com/member/register
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Until next time – Compliments of the Christmas Season
Grace