Welcome.

Perhaps you have recently been diagnosed with The Cancer – or know someone who has.

Diagnosed… #Cancer

That was me on May 8, 2015. I was on my way from Las Vegas, Nevada to the California desert for Mother’s Day family reunion.

I stopped by my surgeon’s office for the biopsy results. I didn’t think to bring anyone with me.

It’s cancer, she said. She asked if I had family nearby. I babbled some stuff. I had been on a vision quest of sorts – some would call it that – and now cancer. In my boobs.

Here are the things that got me through the diagnosis portion.

Listening to Books, Hydrating

I think that the mind is the most important tool we have besides the heart.

The mind. The heart.

The mouth and stomach too for all kinds of juicing and smoothies.

Mostly carrots, apples, ginger, lemon water, baking soda water, MSM water. Anything that seemed safe, natural and processed very little. I googled anything that came to mind. 

Ten days of fresh detoxing. Playing with vitamin shots from Sprouts and other Whole Foods places. Ask your body. Double check with your doctor(s) and the Internets. Most people cannot keep up with the amount of searching and seeking that will go on at this point. But try to keep them in the loop.

My motto is:

All things in moderation. Including moderation. ~ Oscar Wilde

Reading: Love, Medicine & Miracles

Dr Bernie Siegel is a surgeon who approaches his practice from an extra spiritual and loving way. He has some exercises involving drawing with crayons (bypassing the deceptive language centers of the brain) to answer some questions –

And other tips on how to be an exceptional patient.

I was very inspired by his comments that patients who visualize chemo and radiation as positive energy have better outcomes.  This, I am sure, paved the way for my Chemo Ducks visualization. There are ninja ducks online, and some friends played this game with me by sending Ninja Duck graphics and even bringing me ducks. I have a YAHOO! duck – a bunch of white ducks ready to be painted.

The crayons also became handy for coloring – another way to meditate and give the mind a little rest. Dr Bernie has other books too – and is proof to me that love works in medicine as well as in nature.

Reading: Cancer: Discover Your Healing Power

Also on the list is Louise Hay’s book on Cancer. She has an intense story of forgiveness and part of her story includes healing from cancer using mostly diet changes (lots of green things but it’s different for everyone).

I feel the important thing is to get the treatment that feels the most loving. For me it was an integrated path. As my surgeon said, “Why not use it all!”

Reading: Emperor of Maladies: Biography of Cancer

 I am still listening to this one at night. It puts me to sleep actually. But I wake up feeling better.

There is another novel that is a heavier (for me right now) read, called Cancer – a novel about the cordycep mushrooms healing cancer in Russia. I think that one took some digging online to find.

This one won the Pulitzer Prize though – and I think it is a great way to look at disease in the spirit of understanding it.

As Marie Curie said, nothing in life is to be feared, only to be understood.

I hope this helps you get started and get settled in on the journey of a life time. I’m sure you’ve had others but nothing quite like this one.

Most important advice…

Be selfish. Many people told me this. Survivors and their families. 

No one knows how you feel but you – even if they have similar feelings and experiences.

You are you. A whole new you, mind you! 

I don’t think anyone would have told me to imagine ninja ducks when I could not describe how chemo made me feel. The invasion. 

But there I was, in the thick of it, giggling in the back of my mind because the rest of my mouth was saying, “Quaaaaack. Quaaaack.” Peace. Nothing like being childish to feel at peace inside, which is where healing happens.

Go get’m duckies! Get those nasty toxins out!

Thanks for visiting my Team Survivor section!

I am also on facebook as: https://www.facebook.com/mikohargett1

Currently:

I am done the first phase of the total mastectomy – and am looking at radiation treatment to prevent recurrence – that is happening probably close to 7 weeks towards the end of the year.

Then somehow I will be some kind of radiating wonder. 😉

Six months after that we will have another surgery to switch out the tissue expanders for * real * implants! The gummy bear implants – silicone not saline.

And maybe get some nipples.

Best of love and luck to you on your journey, whatever it may be. I hope this inspires ya.

Me. Late summer 2015 – chemo bald with soothing meditations from audio (the honest guys are awesome, also solfeggio sounds – I will post more of that soon).

M xo