Grace Gawler Learning the Art of Survivorship | How to Navigate the Cancer Maze

The cancer journey begins with one step – diagnosis. Learn how to walk the path to Survivorship. Remember that there is no substitute for early diagnosis and intervention in Survivorship. The aim of today’s Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio show is to help you find a path through the cancer maze by learning how to become an exceptional patient with the possibility of living through and beyond cancer.

The cancer journey begins with one step – diagnosis. Learn how to walk the path to Survivorship. Remember that there is no substitute for early diagnosis and intervention in Survivorship. The aim of today’s Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio show is to help you find a path through the cancer maze by learning how to become an exceptional patient with the possibility of living through and beyond cancer. Like many of life’s major crisis events; cancer is a daunting prosjourney of a thousand miles begins with one small steppect. In order to survive and thrive; a cancer diagnosis requires you to learn & develop a new skill set; a new way of prioritizing self, time to deal with the trauma of diagnosis and what it might mean for you in terms of accepting change, being adaptable and flexible. Decisions can feel overwhelming because your life depends upon those decisions & the consequences of making them.
There is an immediate need to focus, plan, question, set goals, prepare for setbacks etc.

Whether or not you are first time cancer patient or dealing with a second or third recurrence, if you have been battling on your own – there can still be much to learn.

Find an experienced cancer navigator to help you along the way.

Be effectively  case managed and take the extra stress out of cancer.

FREE chapter download: As mentioned on today Navigating the Cancer Maze.
The Three Essential Stages of healing:  Select URL below for PDF
Insights of a Survivor who has known Survivors as mentioned on today Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio.

Defining Survivorship
Surviving cancer or “survivorship” can be defined in different ways. Two common definitions include:
• Being disease-free after the completion of treatment,
• Living with, through, and beyond cancer includes people who continue to have treatments to either reduce risk of recurrence or to manage chronic disease. By this definition, cancer Survivorship begins at diagnosis and survivorship is a state that continues throughout your life.
• Bernie Siegel described this group as EXCEPTIONAL Cancer Patients.

Because we are talking about the precious lives of cancer patients – as a part of today’s subject, I hasten to add here that it is important for those interested in surviving cancer that I discuss where NOT to put your energy if you want to be a survivor. Yes modern medicine is not perfect – but it is the best we have and it it is improving all the time.

If you are seeking Survivorship through and beyond cancer – please use every means possible from the best that conventional medicine has to offer in combination with the best of scientific complementary medicine and complementary therapies.

baby-bathwaterPlease “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”! Conventional medicine is a gift. Cancer is tricky – you can’t outsmart it with juices, meditation and positive thinking. How “you be” with a cancer diagnosis – i.e. – your attitude, strategies, will to live and will to heal – contribute tremendously – but you need to partner with the best that conventional medicine has to offer. If cancer patients understood the scientific basis of cancer – how it behaves and operates for it’s own survival; different choices might be made- conquering cancer is not that simple!

 I must mention Jess Ainscough here because of the influence she has had on cancer patients young and old in terms of promoting one type of Survivorship approach. Surviving through and beyond cancer is not the simple 123 steps that entrepreneurs such as Jess promoted.

Cancer entrepreneurs like Jessica Ainscough AKA The Wellness Warrior has influenced thousands, maybe millions to take the alternative path to cancer healing. Sadly it all went wrong for her mother who had breast cancer. She died last year. Jess remained struggling with advancing fungating cancer until this week when she died from her epitheloid sarcoma. Sadly I see patients like Jess every week. I conduct an Alt med cancer rescue practice with my Specialist GP colleague Dr Whelan. We see so many scales-of-justicepatients influenced to take the natural path to cancer recovery – influenced by Dr Google and the plethora of misleading books by cancer entrepreneurs.

Jess became a crusader for the Gerson diet and might I add, was also influenced by my ex-husbands ‘cancer recovery’ story. During the past few years his story has been challenged by myself and more recently; by two Melbourne oncologists who published their findings in the internal Medicine Journal. Once they discovered there was no biopsy performed for Ian’s condition at the time which was thought to be secondary bone cancer they began an independent investigation into why he recovered. In 1978, here was no other explanation offered and to all and sundry it appeared as though the impossible had been achieved – a full remission from metastatic osteogenic sarcoma. However with a thorough review and missing pieces of the Gawler healing puzzle put in place – a new diagnosis was suggested.  IMJ HAINES AND LOWENTHAL

Jess Ainscough’s approach to her cancer was clearly influenced by Ian Gawler’s recovery, the diagnosis which was highly likely to have been advanced TB with calcified abscesses – not metastatic bone cancer as had been reported over the decades. (see the menu for more on this subject).

The late Jess Ainscough wellness warrior gawler gerson
The late Jess Ainscough wellness warrior

 Importantly –  If that is so – then the basic premise and promise upon which Jess Aincough based her recovery from cancer plan was false. Jess was quoted as saying: ” Ian Gawler was diagnosed with bone cancer and had his right leg was amputated in 1975. However, the disease recurred later that year and began ravaging his body. Ian’s story of recovery, employing an integrated approach driven predominantly by dedicated meditation, is truly remarkable. It was my anchor to a future the doctors had pretty much ruled me out of having. I thought, If Ian can do it, so can I. His book, You Can Conquer Cancer, was my Bible”. Source:  JESS ainscough Gawler healthtalks;

Clearly patients like Jess are looking for options and they will often choose the seemingly softer options that the one size fits all alternative approach offers. Cancer education is imperative and sadly lacking in the patient world. Cancer is not a generic disease that can be simplistically tackled with food and copious juices. I think this is a very sad indictment of what true Survivorship is really all about. Like many of the patients I see in my practice, Jess Ainscough only embraced conventional medicine when the path she had followed failed her.
It is my hope that Jess Ainscough’s story and life serves as a teaching story for all who want to walk the path to cancer Survivorship – please use critical thinking to assess information on the internet and consider a best of both worlds approach for best outcome.

More on Wellness Warrior: ORAC ( Oncology surgeon) – Science based Medicine Below:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/12/16/jess-ainscough-finally-admits-her-condition-is-deteriorating/

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/10/17/sharyn-ainscough-dies-tragically-because-she-followed-the-example-of-her-daughter-the-wellness-warrior/#comment-297256

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2015/02/27/the-wellness-warrior-jess-ainscough-has-passed-away/

The following Survivorship links will be helpful:

 http://www.cancerbridges.ca/

http://www.amazon.com/Survivorship-Living-During-After-Cancer/dp/1938170350

SURVIVOR TRAINING COURSE: Queensland

http://www.gracegawlerinstitute.com/survivor-training/

Listen to Navigating the Cancer Maze – Today’s show.
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/83721/learning-the-art-of-survivorship-how-to-navigate-the-cancer-maze

Until next time – Be safe in your choices – cancer is a tough opponent- choose your course wisely!

Grace

Ian Gawler: Out on a limb – science investigates a miracle 'cure' Grace Gawler comments

Read the latest blog from the USA – Science-based medicine: an intelligent review & comments on the Gawler ‘cure’.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-cancer-cure-anecdote/

The cancer public needs to be aware of the previously inexplicable anomalies of Ian Gawler’s clinical history and the content and reason behind the  publication of a well researched report that for the first time in more than 3 decades, provides a different perspective & hypothesis for his ‘cure’.
Misinformation is being generated about the motive and intentions behind the latest e-published paper however, cancer patients have not yet had the opportunity to see or the review the full report and discern for themselves the motive and the importance of the publication for the cancer community.

If the history books have written that Ian Gawler had metastatic bone cancer, and…. if it is proven that he actually had widespread TB instead – isn’t this a matter in the public interest?  Many patients say ” If Ian did it – I can do it too!” Many give away conventional oncology believing that lifestyle medicine methods as reported by Gawler & Jelinek in the MJA Dec 11 2008 can impact cancer, and in Ian’s case; likely cured his metastatic cancer.

However that report  is chronologically incorrect with many errors of fact – most patients are not aware of this. Patients should be aware that 2 flawed versions published in the MJA are still listed on the Gawler Foundation media website, despite Ian commenting that the timeline in 1978 & 2008 articles were incorrect. He has also stated on his blog that  he never had a vegan diet…..other issues remain unadressed by the authors. Case report in the December 2008 edition of the Medical Journal of Australia

So getting back to the current IMJ paper –  there is no Spanish Inquisition, no medical profession out to get Ian, and no one in the latest scientific article  is disputing Ian Gawler personally or work wise; the paper is a professional scientific document that takes account of  previously unconnected history surrounding Ian Gawler’s medical timeline and exposes a new and likely hypothesis for his “cure’.

To also be clear – this matter of Ian’s ‘remission/cure’ is not personal. Because I was with Ian throughout his entire recovery process 24/7 – my experience is valid and first-hand. My recorded original medical history is indesputable. I have always had more questions than answers when it came to Ian’s disease process.  I too have devoted my life to assisting cancer patients and those with life challenging illness and I am interested to explore the science and know the truth as this was also a momentus part of my life. What really happened throughout Ian Gawler’s recovery and what was the relationship between his TB and his cancer? This is a scientific and now public issue – not an emotional question. Being a fan of Professor Julius Sumner Miller when I was young – I learned to question and ask his famous question: “Why is it so?”

From my perspective; there are no ‘ex-wives quarrels or duelling Mrs Gawlers’ – as previously reported in the popular press when Ian’s history was challenged previously -in fact such headlines served to smoke-screen important professional issues with regards to my corrections/refute  letter MJA 2010

RE TB – Gawler & Jelinek’s 2008 MJA states that Ian Gawler : “….developed pulmonary tuberculosis in June 1978 and was treated for this condition for 12 months.”
Actually – Ian Gawler did have TB – but he had it for 2+ years – it remained undiagnosed until June 1978.
Haines and Lowenthal’s paper titled Hypothesis: The importance of a histological diagnosis when diagnosing and treating advanced cancer. Famous patient recovery may not have been from metastatic disease” is far from an inflammatory title. Prof Ray Lowenthal and Prof Ian Haines IMJ abstract.
 To be continued….

Cancer Experts Challenge Gawler’s Cure – The Age 31 december 2011 http://www.theage.com.au/national/cancer-experts-challenge-gawlers-cure-20111230-1pfns.html

Ian Gawler: Out on a limb – science investigates a miracle ‘cure’ Grace Gawler comments

Read the latest blog from the USA – Science-based medicine: an intelligent review & comments on the Gawler ‘cure’.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-cancer-cure-anecdote/

The cancer public needs to be aware of the previously inexplicable anomalies of Ian Gawler’s clinical history and the content and reason behind the  publication of a well researched report that for the first time in more than 3 decades, provides a different perspective & hypothesis for his ‘cure’.
Misinformation is being generated about the motive and intentions behind the latest e-published paper however, cancer patients have not yet had the opportunity to see or the review the full report and discern for themselves the motive and the importance of the publication for the cancer community.

If the history books have written that Ian Gawler had metastatic bone cancer, and…. if it is proven that he actually had widespread TB instead – isn’t this a matter in the public interest?  Many patients say ” If Ian did it – I can do it too!” Many give away conventional oncology believing that lifestyle medicine methods as reported by Gawler & Jelinek in the MJA Dec 11 2008 can impact cancer, and in Ian’s case; likely cured his metastatic cancer.

However that report  is chronologically incorrect with many errors of fact – most patients are not aware of this. Patients should be aware that 2 flawed versions published in the MJA are still listed on the Gawler Foundation media website, despite Ian commenting that the timeline in 1978 & 2008 articles were incorrect. He has also stated on his blog that  he never had a vegan diet…..other issues remain unadressed by the authors. Case report in the December 2008 edition of the Medical Journal of Australia

So getting back to the current IMJ paper –  there is no Spanish Inquisition, no medical profession out to get Ian, and no one in the latest scientific article  is disputing Ian Gawler personally or work wise; the paper is a professional scientific document that takes account of  previously unconnected history surrounding Ian Gawler’s medical timeline and exposes a new and likely hypothesis for his “cure’.

To also be clear – this matter of Ian’s ‘remission/cure’ is not personal. Because I was with Ian throughout his entire recovery process 24/7 – my experience is valid and first-hand. My recorded original medical history is indesputable. I have always had more questions than answers when it came to Ian’s disease process.  I too have devoted my life to assisting cancer patients and those with life challenging illness and I am interested to explore the science and know the truth as this was also a momentus part of my life. What really happened throughout Ian Gawler’s recovery and what was the relationship between his TB and his cancer? This is a scientific and now public issue – not an emotional question. Being a fan of Professor Julius Sumner Miller when I was young – I learned to question and ask his famous question: “Why is it so?”

From my perspective; there are no ‘ex-wives quarrels or duelling Mrs Gawlers’ – as previously reported in the popular press when Ian’s history was challenged previously -in fact such headlines served to smoke-screen important professional issues with regards to my corrections/refute  letter MJA 2010

RE TB – Gawler & Jelinek’s 2008 MJA states that Ian Gawler : “….developed pulmonary tuberculosis in June 1978 and was treated for this condition for 12 months.”
Actually – Ian Gawler did have TB – but he had it for 2+ years – it remained undiagnosed until June 1978.
Haines and Lowenthal’s paper titled Hypothesis: The importance of a histological diagnosis when diagnosing and treating advanced cancer. Famous patient recovery may not have been from metastatic disease” is far from an inflammatory title. Prof Ray Lowenthal and Prof Ian Haines IMJ abstract.
 To be continued….

Cancer Experts Challenge Gawler’s Cure – The Age 31 december 2011 http://www.theage.com.au/national/cancer-experts-challenge-gawlers-cure-20111230-1pfns.html