Tag: cancer patient outcomes

Cancer and Violence – How Fragile We Are – featuring Sting

By Pip Cornall

When Grace Gawler and I reconnected in 2007 via an article I had written in the Sentient Times, I was living in Ashland, Oregon. My article was called Restorative Justice – The New Hope for Revitalizing Community. The goal was to educate the community about the benefits of a’ restorative’ system rather than a ‘punitive’ one with an end towards reducing violence.

My work had been reducing gender based violence and among other things I helped boys in juvenile prisons. Grace had spent a lifetime coaching cancer patients to choose healing pathways that drew from the best of all medical systems – an integrative approach. Her initial success with a dying husband when she was in her early twenties received widespread press and they soon established a centre helping thousands of cancer patients.

I’ve often seen human violence as a cancer – when cells on the global body attack each other and ultimately – destroy the host. Working alongside Grace I witness the ‘punitive’ mentality playing out in cancer healing. A restorative approach to healing would be much kinder to body/mind and involve tried strategies such as ‘convalescence.’

I’ve seen tragic cases in juvenile prisons yet my work there has rewarded me with deep spiritual moments. It was not the boys who were a cancer on society but the mentality underpinning a society that glorified violence and other sordid dysfunctions as attributes of a ‘real man.’

Similarly cancer work is not for the faint-hearted. Sadly in past months we’ve known some lovely people who have succumbed to the disease. It always lands hard and one wishes it had been otherwise – that we’d been in a position to have more influence over decisions made.

When you’ve worked at the ‘coal face’ of cancer guidance and healing as Grace has for 35 years, you have a grasp of what will work for this certain patient and a wide toolbag of skills to draw upon. Disturbing is the trend for patients to take advice promoted by internet ‘sensations’ – many have little experience or appropriate qualifications for caring for and guiding large numbers of cancer patients. This is dangerous and constitutes medical fraud.

Happily our new Integrated Cancer Solutions trust will make it possible to assist more patients with trustworthy and proven integrative strategies.

My goal for this post would be that we stop rushing for a moment to remember how fragile life is and for us to collectively wake up. Perhaps when we stop hurting each other cancer as a disease will also disappear?

The song “Fragile’ by Sting addresses it elegantly and may help us to ‘slow down.’

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCUtBZatcZU]

Remarkable Women – Grace, Grit and Gratidude – Visual Memoirs

Knowing her life as I do – I find this visual, set with permission to Olivia Newton John’s music, (Grace and Gratitude) a very moving journey – Pip Cornall

Olivia Newton-John says:
“I learned a technique from Grace Gawler which helps me to take little moments in the day for myself. Even if it’s just sitting in your car before you turn on the engine, take 10 seconds, take a breath and centre yourself. It’s like filling up a bank of energy and it works.”
Australian Women’s Weekly November 2007

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ToWJcnH4E]

Oncologists praise Grace Gawler's Women of Silence

First written in 1994 and re-written 2003, this book has not dated. In fact the need for women to embrace the gems of wisdom in this book is greater than ever

Oncologists say the following about Women of Silence

“This book is full of Thoughtful, practical insights to everyday living with cancer. I would like all my colleagues to read it.”
Professor R.R. Hall- Lead Clinician, Northern cancer Network, NHS – UK

“An essential companion for all women, it answers all the questions you often don’t want to ask. Packed with useful exercises to help you regain control of your situation, it will help you begin the healing process during the emotional turmoil that surrounding breast cancer.”
Professor Karol Sikora Professor of Cancer Medicine, Imperial college Hammersmith Hospital London UK

“Grace writes with authority and compassion. She provides women with an opportunity to regard their adversity as a great opportunity.”
Professor Neville Davidson, Professor in Clinical Oncology, Bloomfield Hospital Essex.
Chairman H.E.A.L Cancer Charity and Helen Rollason Cancer Care Appeal

Oncologists praise Grace Gawler’s Women of Silence

First written in 1994 and re-written 2003, this book has not dated. In fact the need for women to embrace the gems of wisdom in this book is greater than ever

Oncologists say the following about Women of Silence

“This book is full of Thoughtful, practical insights to everyday living with cancer. I would like all my colleagues to read it.”
Professor R.R. Hall- Lead Clinician, Northern cancer Network, NHS – UK

“An essential companion for all women, it answers all the questions you often don’t want to ask. Packed with useful exercises to help you regain control of your situation, it will help you begin the healing process during the emotional turmoil that surrounding breast cancer.”
Professor Karol Sikora Professor of Cancer Medicine, Imperial college Hammersmith Hospital London UK

“Grace writes with authority and compassion. She provides women with an opportunity to regard their adversity as a great opportunity.”
Professor Neville Davidson, Professor in Clinical Oncology, Bloomfield Hospital Essex.
Chairman H.E.A.L Cancer Charity and Helen Rollason Cancer Care Appeal

Professor Karol Sikora – The Need for Integrated Medicine in Cancer Management

In 2003, after my bionic surgery in Rotterdam, I was asked to give the Penny Brohn Memorial Lecture for the Bristol Cancer Help Centre.  It was there I met Professor Karol Sikora and it was clear we had common aims in how an integrated system of medicine could better influence cancer patient outcomes.

Karol was the first professional whom I asked to make comment on my updated version of Women of Silence – the emotional healing of breast cancer. After reading the manuscript on the train he excitedly contacted me; writing the first accolade for the book.

This set a precedent soon to be followed by many other leading UK oncologists. Obligations to return to Australia, regrettably prevented me from accepting Karol’s invitation to be a part of his Harley Street practice.

We both hold the values of integrative medicine dear to our hearts. Interestingly, seven years on and continents away, we are both pioneering organisations that will train health care professionals in the delivery of both the art and science of medicine.

For more information see http://integratedhealthtrust.org/ and http://www.integratedmedicine.org.uk/index.php and my own site – read about the new Grace Gawler Trust – http://www.gracegawler.com/site/

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJQlJRTftVw&feature=player_embedded#!]

Cancer patients must be proactive

The following is an extract from a longer BBC article found at – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8609739.stm

It is worth including here because we see so many patients coming to Grace Gawler for cancer assistance who are in the ‘end stages’ of their illness. Many have lost valuable time because of the fear of the big ‘C’

Cancer battle is lost if patients fail to act – says Professor Nick Lemoine – Barts Cancer Centre and Institute

Up to 10,000 people a year in England die needlessly from cancer within five years of diagnosis.
Black women, on average, develop breast cancer earlier
In this week’s Scrubbing Up, leading cancer expert Professor Nick Lemoine says the battle against cancer will never be won unless patients are more proactive.
Encouraging patients to face their fears and see their doctor early is vital if figures are to improve, he says.

Our new Barts cancer centre benefits from some of the finest equipment and staff in the world.
We have an experimental cancer medicine centre offering treatments such as stem cell and gene therapies, not yet available elsewhere.

No matter how excellent our facilities, we are fighting a losing battle if people ignore their symptoms, either through ignorance or fear.

Up to 10,000 people a year in England die needlessly from cancer within five years of diagnosis.
A significant number of these deaths are due to patients not presenting earlier with symptoms.

Better diagnosis

Late diagnosis is a particular challenge for Barts and The London NHS Trust, which serves east London including Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived communities in Britain.

We are working with our colleagues in primary care to change attitudes and encourage local people to come forward for screening and early diagnosis of cancer at a stage when it is treated more easily.

We are fighting a losing battle if people ignore their symptoms. To do this we have to dispel myths and preconceptions by showing that the diagnosis of cancer is not necessarily a death sentence.

ABC Compass Message Board – Debating Ian Gawler's Cancer Healing Story

During the three years I worked with Grace Gawler and her cancer patients I’ve already seen too many good people making poor choices based on misinformation and misreporting of the Ian Gawler Cancer Healing story. Truth is crucial for people whose lives hang in the balance. They must be able to  depend on accurate information. The least I can do is help Ian’s former wife Grace, tell it as she saw it – especially with regard to the role meditation and vegan diet played in his cure.

In the interest of truthful data so patients can make informed choices I offer the link to a discussion after Ian’s appearance on ABC TV- Compass _ A Good Life –

Pip Cornall

http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=87&m=8887&dm=1&pd=2&am=9137

ABC Compass Message Board – Debating Ian Gawler’s Cancer Healing Story

During the three years I worked with Grace Gawler and her cancer patients I’ve already seen too many good people making poor choices based on misinformation and misreporting of the Ian Gawler Cancer Healing story. Truth is crucial for people whose lives hang in the balance. They must be able to  depend on accurate information. The least I can do is help Ian’s former wife Grace, tell it as she saw it – especially with regard to the role meditation and vegan diet played in his cure.

In the interest of truthful data so patients can make informed choices I offer the link to a discussion after Ian’s appearance on ABC TV- Compass _ A Good Life –

Pip Cornall

http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=87&m=8887&dm=1&pd=2&am=9137

Cancer Survival – Grace Gawler

Written by Pip Cornall
A not for profit trust – a centre for integrated cancer solutions – is finally close to fruition. This will enable Grace Gawler to deliver quality care to greater numbers of cancer patients.

Healing has been a lifelong passion for Grace. In a career that began when she was 15, working after school at the local veterinary clinic, Grace was soon diagnosing and assisting in surgeries on animals with cancer.
Six years later, at the tender age of 21, while working as a vet nurse, she became full time care giver, motivator and researcher  for one of Australia’s more famous cancer recovery cases, Ian Gawler. She defied family, friends and medical authorities by believing Ian could recover.

This unshakable resolve is a mainstay of her work with patients today!
As it was with Ian Gawler, Grace’s work with cancer patients is legendary. Her greatest asset is an uncanny ability to deliver advice, guidance and top quality care across many healing modalities – true holistic medicine. This enables her to design treatment plans which draw on the best the world has to offer in the fields of complementary and conventional medicine.

Another vital service Grace provides is to dialogue with doctors, oncologists, radiologists and other specialists, co-coordinating diagnostics, testing and treatment. In some cases, when required, Grace will attend appointments with the patients to ask those complex questions and interpret the answers they often have little understanding of.

As a trained naturopath and herbal medicine specialist, Grace offers the best of nutritional and herbal medicine support but her work goes much further. The jewel in the crown for treating the ‘whole’ person and not just the disease is her skill in body-psychotherapy, which has culminated in a discipline of healing she teaches to professionals in the healing industry. This method of body psychotherapy enables her to deliver support across the mind/body, emotional-psychological, spiritual and energetic healing levels.

Because of her reputation for ‘getting the worst cases through,’ Grace attracts a lot of ‘end stage’ cancer patients who have trialled all manner of ‘nature cure’ regimes, including extreme diets. Unfortunately many of these arrive emaciated, with compromised immune systems, and riddled with fast spreading tumour loads. Ironically, she is then cast in the role of designing a treatment plan that brings them back into mainstream medicine while retaining proven elements of complementary medicine. In other words, Grace acts as a bridge between the two fields of medicine.

A common statement I hear from her clients is – “I wish I had found you years ago – I had no idea you had so much wide expertise enabling you to support and guide me through all aspects of cancer recovery. I feel comforted knowing you are there for me and that I have found the best help possible for my particular cancer situation.”

If you need Cancer Help – even if you live overseas (Skype consultations available)  Please contact Grace through her website www.gracegawlerinstitute .com or call (61) 7  5577 2997

Be sure to scan her website, blogs and watch the videos so you are well prepared before you speak to Grace
I’ve been Grace’s assistant for 3 years and continue to be astounded at the high quality of supportive care medicine she delivers for patients.

I wish you success on your exploration and recovery – Pip Cornall

DNA-Healing is possible. Walk in the field of all possibilities
DNA-Healing is possible. Walk in the field of all possibilities
http://gracegawlermedia.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/cancer-survival-grace-gawler/