It has been almost 5 years since my doctor pronounced 4 life-altering words, “You have ovarian cancer.” Shock…Disbelief…Fear! I experienced all of those emotions and more. At stage III C, my grim odds were plastered all over the internet. By more than a two to one ratio, I was likely to be dead in 5 years or less. Focus was required.
Radical surgery and two years of chemotherapy ensued. I named my cancer “Cruella DeVille”. She was female, she was badder than bad-ass, and she was out to get me. But with a healthy diet, lots of protein supplements, regular exercise, and a wonderful group of friends and family members, I survived the two years and Cruella faded from the scene. …She sneaked back a short time later, slivered between my diaphragm and my liver. Once again, 6 rounds of intense chemo kicked her into hiding…but she burst forward a third time at the end of 2013. Endurance was mandatory. I needed to add whatever I could to stay the course of an open-ended treatment process.
Soon after I began chemo in January of 2014, Kendra Dawn of Free Spirit BodyWorks approached me with a suggestion that I add Essential Oils and Massage into my wellness “arsenal”. I was willing and Kendra was more than able.
Thus began a weekly schedule of The AromaTouch Technique (a clinical application of essential oils) combined with full body massages from her that have promoted a progressive healing of both body and spirit.
Muscles and nerves that bear the brunt of stress induced by the invasive chemical infusions and the tense quarterly countdown to CT scan results relax under Kendra’s seemingly magical manipulations. I can say without hyperbole that the essential oils are now essential for my well-being. As the fragrant oils are massaged into my neck, shoulders, back, and scalp during our weekly sessions, Kendra reminds me of their healing powers. I can “feel” my immune system growing stronger, inflammation receding, while balance and harmony are restored to all the tissues in my body.
A recent CT scan revealed an almost invisible, shrunken Cruella, a veritable shadow of her January 2014 self. So, once again, against all odds, my survival team and I have knocked ovarian cancer into remission. My doctor plans to terminate the chemo soon, although I plan to keep up my weekly Essential Oil applications and Massage with Kendra. Not only that, but I look forward to a physical training regimen--with Kendra Dawn at Free Spirit Body Works as my coach--to create an even healthier, fitter me!
Radical surgery and two years of chemotherapy ensued. I named my cancer “Cruella DeVille”. She was female, she was badder than bad-ass, and she was out to get me. But with a healthy diet, lots of protein supplements, regular exercise, and a wonderful group of friends and family members, I survived the two years and Cruella faded from the scene. …She sneaked back a short time later, slivered between my diaphragm and my liver. Once again, 6 rounds of intense chemo kicked her into hiding…but she burst forward a third time at the end of 2013. Endurance was mandatory. I needed to add whatever I could to stay the course of an open-ended treatment process.
Soon after I began chemo in January of 2014, Kendra Dawn of Free Spirit BodyWorks approached me with a suggestion that I add Essential Oils and Massage into my wellness “arsenal”. I was willing and Kendra was more than able.
Thus began a weekly schedule of The AromaTouch Technique (a clinical application of essential oils) combined with full body massages from her that have promoted a progressive healing of both body and spirit.
Muscles and nerves that bear the brunt of stress induced by the invasive chemical infusions and the tense quarterly countdown to CT scan results relax under Kendra’s seemingly magical manipulations. I can say without hyperbole that the essential oils are now essential for my well-being. As the fragrant oils are massaged into my neck, shoulders, back, and scalp during our weekly sessions, Kendra reminds me of their healing powers. I can “feel” my immune system growing stronger, inflammation receding, while balance and harmony are restored to all the tissues in my body.
A recent CT scan revealed an almost invisible, shrunken Cruella, a veritable shadow of her January 2014 self. So, once again, against all odds, my survival team and I have knocked ovarian cancer into remission. My doctor plans to terminate the chemo soon, although I plan to keep up my weekly Essential Oil applications and Massage with Kendra. Not only that, but I look forward to a physical training regimen--with Kendra Dawn at Free Spirit Body Works as my coach--to create an even healthier, fitter me!