I’m excited to share a special guest post by Sue Memhard, founder of the Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation. The Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation supports women in holistic/integrative cancer care. This post is a reprint of her post on Miracle Survivors*. Thank you, Sue and Tami for sharing this wonderful post.
By all medical standards, my being here is a miracle. Since early 2009 I’ve been on a crash course in miracles beginning on my 60th birthday, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer again.
I was a two-time survivor (16 and 14 years prior), and had each time undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and complementary treatments of supplements, diet change, and spiritual work. My oncologist each time directed me to stop the chemo, as it made me seriously ill, and I declined recommended radiation. Nevertheless, I survived for 14 years.
However, the chemo made me increasingly susceptible to lingering respiratory infections, chronic low energy, mysterious immune and neurological dysfunctions, generalized suppressed health…. and later, severe chemical sensitivity. This time, I knew that surgery and chemo were not options for me: it was unlikely that I would survive the surgical anesthesia.
While I was considering what to do, the cancer quickly became very advanced. In early June, husband Jim and I abruptly flew across the country for me to begin intensive treatments with a holistic & powerful energy healer. Gradually, I began to feel stronger. The treatments, in addition to dietary changes, daily Kundalini yoga, an herbal program, spiritual work and supportive acupuncture; began to have an effect. Miracles began to happen.
We moved into a hotel for four months while Jim went back to Massachusetts to collect our loyal old dog, pack up our house, and wrap up our long-time New England lives. While he was gone, a wonderful hotel staff shopped for food and drove me to my daily appointments
We were spending down our modest life savings, and my husband was out of work. While costing a fraction of a conventional, insurance-covered treatment regime, my daily out-of-pocket treatments and supplemental interventions were crushingly expensive. I spent all free time researching cancer organizations for financial help.
Repeatedly I heard: there was no help available unless an individual was doing chemotherapy or radiation.
My treatments were saving my life, and healing my soul. They cost far less than chemotherapy or radiation. I deeply wanted to live. But no help was available.
A year later, much stronger and still healing, I decided to start The Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation to help other women (there are thousands) who seek to enhance or extend their lives with the help of holistic, or CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) cancer interventions. Our vision: that all women can afford to pursue healing with dignity, hope and grace.
It’s my passion, and my purpose. Please visit us at www.emeraldheart.org. We’re a year old now, and we welcome your support.
May you be blessed with healing, happiness and light. Sue
"There's a window that opens from heart to heart" --Rumi
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Sue was inspired to start Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation by her own challenges paying for holistic treatment for her cancer. Sue is an internationally collected painter, and she is selling her art to pay for her treatments. To view Sue’s art, please visit:
*To view more on Tami’s blog, please visit http://www.tamiboehmer.com/