Nanomedicines — The way of the future? |

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Ken

By Sophia Snipstad
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Delivers medicine to cancer cells while protecting healthy cells !!!

Preview Nanomedicines — The way of the future? |

Emmanuel Ho | TEDxUManitoba

Cancer of one form or another will affect roughly one-third of all Norwegians.                    Yet cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, have helped many of those with              the disease to go on to live healthy lives.

Nevertheless, chemotherapy does take a toll on the body. During treatment, chemo  attacks all of the body’s cells, not just cancer cells. The result destroys healthy cells, causing many patients to suffer major side effects during and after treatment.

And because current treatments aren’t specifically targeted to cancer cells, only              0.01 percent of chemotherapy drugs actually reach the tumour and its diseased cells. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-nanomedicine-childhood-cancer-treatment.html

Here’s how the treatment works

Instead of being injected straight into the bloodstream and transported randomly to      both sick and healthy cells, the chemotherapy medicine is encapsulated in nanoparticles. When nanoparticles containing the cancer drugs are injected into the bloodstream, the nanoparticles are so large that they remain in the blood vessels in most types of healthy tissues. This prevents the chemotherapy from harming healthy cells.

Blood vessels supplying the cancer cells (kreftceller in the illustration) have porous walls, while the sections of blood vessels passing through healthy cells are not porous. This protects healthy cells from the chemotherapy.

Blood vessels in the tumour, however, have porous walls, so that the nanoparticles containing the chemotherapy can work their way into the cancerous cells.

“My research shows that this method allows us to supply 100 times more chemotherapy    to the tumour compared to chemotherapy alone. That’s good,” Snipstad says.

However, the nanoparticles can only reach cells that are closest to the blood vessels that carry the drug-laden particles, she said. That means that cancer cells that are far from the blood vessels that supply the tumour do not get the chemotherapy drugs.

“For the treatment to be effective, it has to reach all parts of the tumour. So our nanoparticles need help to deliver the medicine,” she said.

Ultrasound is the key

The nanoparticles used by Snipstad and her research team were developed at SINTEF       in Trondheim. The particles are unusual because they can form small bubbles. The nanoparticles are in the surface of the bubbles.

These bubbles are an important part of the cancer treatment. Another essential part is    the use of ultrasound, which is Snipstad’s area of research.

To make the bubbles behave the way they wanted, the researchers tested many different ultrasound treatments, and measured how many of the nanoparticles were delivered to cancerous tissues in mice. Many of the ultrasound treatments had little effect, but Sofie Snipstad found one that worked quite well.

The bubbles that contain the chemotherapy-laden nanoparticles are injected into the bloodstream. Ultrasound is then applied to the tumour. The ultrasound causes the bubbles to vibrate and eventually burst, so that the nanoparticles are released. The vibrations also massage the blood vessels and tissues to make them more porous. This helps push the nanoparticles further into the cancerous tumour, instead of only reaching the cancer cells closest to the blood vessels.

“By using ultrasound to transport the chemotherapy-laden nanoparticles into the tumours, our research on mice has shown that we can deliver about 250 times more of the drug to the tumour compared to just injecting chemotherapy into the bloodstream alone,” she says.

Three groups, three clear results

The mice were divided into three groups:

The results, with the horizontal axis showing time, and the vertical axis showing the size of the tumour.

  • Group 1 (blue line) received no treatment, and the tumour continued to grow.
  • Group 2 (red line) received the treatment using drug-laden nanoparticles. The growth of the tumour stagnated after time, but the tumour did not disappear.
  • Group 3 (green line) received the treatment using drug-laden nanoparticles, bubbles and ultrasound. In this group, the tumour shrank until it disappeared. One hundred days after the treatment was discontinued, the mice were still cancer-free.
  • Preview  Nanotechnology for Targeted Cancer Therapy

Fooling cancer cells

“For the treatment to be effective, we have to trick the cancer cells to take up the nanoparticles so that the chemotherapy reaches its target,” Snipstad says.

To study this process, she has grown cancer cells and examined them under a microscope. Here, she has seen that the nanoparticles camouflage the chemotherapy drug, allowing the cancer cells to take them up. But for the treatment to work, the nanoparticles have to release the cancer drug exactly when and where it is needed.

“We can do that by changing the chemical composition of the nanoparticles so that we can tailor properties, including determining how quickly the nanoparticles break down. After the cell takes up the nanoparticle, the nanoparticle dissolves and releases the cancer drug inside the cell. That causes the cancer cell to stop dividing, and it will eventually shrink and die.

Close interdisciplinary cooperation

Catharina Davies heads the research group of which Snipstad is part. The group works largely with nanoparticles. Snipstad was interested in nanotechnology, which is what brought her to NTNU and then to the Davies research group.

The NTNU group works closely with SINTEF and St. Olavs Hospital. NTNU conducts the animal tests and studies the cancer cells. SINTEF has developed the bubbles containing nanoparticles, which provides the research platform. The cancer clinic and ultrasound group at St. Olavs contribute with their clinical skills.

“One of the things that I like about this project is that so many good people with different backgrounds are involved. Trondheim has a very good interdisciplinary environment, and this project needs all of the different disciplines for us to make progress,” Snipstad said.

No human trials anytime soon

While research results are very promising, it will still be some time before the method can be used in humans.

“It can take from 10-20 years from the time a discovery is made in the lab until it can be used as a treatment,” Snipstad said. “We’ve been working on this about six years, so we still have a lot to learn. We need to understand more about the mechanisms behind the success and we have to do much more work using microscopes to understand what is happening inside the tissues.”

Snipstad said that the find also has researchers excited to test the method on other types of cancers, because each type of cancer is different.

Possible treatment for brain cancer

This combination of bubbles, nanoparticles and ultrasound also opens the door on the possibility of treating brain diseases. The brain is protected by a special blood-brain barrier, which makes it difficult to deliver drugs to the brain for treatment. This barrier allows only substances that the brain needs to pass through the barrier, which means that for many brain diseases, there is no treatment whatsoever.

“But there is hope. By using ultrasound and our bubbles we have managed to deliver nanoparticles and drugs to the brain. This may be promising for the treatment of cancer and other diseases in the brain,” Snipstad said.

A new approach to cancer treatment combines ultrasound, bubbles and nanoparticles with chemotherapy. In an experiment, the treatment has cured cancer in mice.

Cancer of one form or another will affect roughly one-third of all Norwegians. Yet cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, have helped many of those with the disease to go on to live healthy lives.

Nevertheless, chemotherapy does take a toll on the body. During treatment, chemotherapy attacks all of the body’s cells, not just cancer cells. The result destroys healthy cells, causing many patients to suffer major side effects during and after treatment.

And because current treatments aren’t specifically targeted to cancer cells, only 0.01 per cent of chemotherapy drugs actually reach the tumour and its diseased cells.

“I’m working on figuring out how we can deliver more of the chemotherapy drugs to the tumour and less to healthy cells,” says Sofie Snipstad, who recently graduated from the Department of Physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Last year, she won a Norwegian science communication competition for PhD candidates called Researcher Grand Prix.   When Sophia made her winning presentation about her research during the competition finals, she was in the middle of testing a new method of cancer treatment on mice.

Now her research has shown that the method can cure cancer in mice.

Her study, Ultrasound Improves the Delivery and Therapeutic Effect of Nanoparticle-Stabilized Microbubbles in Breast Cancer Xenografts has just been published in the academic journal Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology.

Promising results

Snipstad’s method targets cancerous tumours with chemotherapy so that more of the drug reaches cancer cells while protecting healthy cells. The experiments were conducted in mice with an aggressive breast cancer type (triple negative).

Researchers undertook many laboratory experiments before conducting their tests with mice — which were the first actual tests using this delivery method for chemotherapy. In addition to causing the tumours to disappear during treatment, the cancer has not returned in the trial animals.

“This is an exciting technology that has shown very promising results. That the first results from our tests in mice are so good, and that the medicine does such a good job right from the start is very promising,” Snipstad says.

Teresa Fontanilla, MD, PhD, speaks about her experience with the C9-2 transducer on    the Philips Affiniti ultrasound system for contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Five minute presentation, narrated by Dr. Fontanilla, includes clinical cases.

Preview  Optimizing Contrast How to Give the Contrast Agent

the Philips Affiniti ultrasound system

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Curing the “Uncurable”

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Ken
Terry-Wahls
How Terry Wahls, MD, and her mitochondria beat multiple sclerosis.

When Terry Wahls was in college, she loved tae – kwon – do so much that she focused on it until she became a national champion. She later went to med school and pursued     an academic career at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Medical Center.

Her life took a sharp detour in 2000,  when she developed multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease with no known cure. Wahls went to the Cleveland Clinic    and had access to the latest drugs.  Yet by November 2007,  she was so impaired she   could walk only short distances with two canes.

With little hope that standard medicine could halt her decline, Wahls began             studying diseases in which brains shrink — MS, as well as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,       and Huntington’s. In all of these, she learned, the mitochondria are impaired.

Wahls found studies showing that a few micronutrients had a powerful impact on mitochondrial health: Coenzyme Q10 increased the rate of electron transport, boosting energy production and protecting the mitochondria from decline. Acetyl-L-carnitine fed energy-releasing molecules, improving their efficiency and preventing damage.   Also R-alpha-lipoic acid helped mitochondria reduce production of toxins and cellular waste.

The studies Wahls found were done on mice, so she decided to translate the doses fed       to mice into larger doses for herself. For the first time, her decline slowed.

If these few nutrients could do what the best drugs couldn’t, Wahls thought, maybe          she could harness the power of nutrition to not only sustain her status quo, but to      reverse her decline.

Digging deeper into studies, Wahls discovered other nutrients tagged as important for    the brain: sulfur-containing amino acids, kelp for iodine, resveratrol (to mop up toxins), and vitamin D. She took them all and, again, things improved.

Then Wahls decided that perhaps she was missing some essential micronutrients critical for brain health. “If I ate more foods that contained the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that I was taking in pill form, I figured I might get other important building blocks not yet identified,” she explains.

Determined to optimize her healing, Wahls looked at other factors, too. She started        with food allergies, which had long been associated with a host of psychological and neurological symptoms. She eliminated the most common offenders: gluten, dairy,        and eggs.

She then studied toxins, which build up in the body when mitochondria are impaired. There are thousands of chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, but Wahls knew “there was not one single test to determine which, if any, toxins were being stored in my fat and in my brain.”   So, to improve her ability to excrete toxins,      she added micronutrients known to bind them and flush them out: methylated folate, vitamin B12, sulfur, amino acids, and more fiber.

“Then,” says Wahls, “the unthinkable — the unimaginable — happened, stunning me,      my family, and my physicians.”

Three months after starting her intensive nutrition plan, plus a program of physical therapy that included electrical muscle stimulation, Wahls could walk short distances without her canes. “At five months, I could walk easily, and at seven months, I could bicycle around the block.”

At 12 months, she was able to take an 18-mile cycling tour with her family, and a year   after that, she rode a horse in the Canadian Rockies.

Inspired to share her experience and teach the public, Wahls wrote The Wahls Protocol.

“I believe the public will soon be far ahead of the medical community when it comes to understanding the power of food to reclaim and maintain health,” she notes.

7 Ways to Bolster Your Mitochondria

Caring for your mitochondria is one of the best ways to take care of your health —       and enjoy better energy, metabolism, and mental focus in the process. 

Download the PDF.

Feeding Your Mitochondria

13/09/2017 The Human Body

Mitochondria (singular mitochondrion) may be a long word you tried to forget in secondary school. But they are just so very important to your health and longevity.

So we’ll let you in on a little secret, we’ll tell you more about mitochondria and why    they’re important to your health.   http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/the-best-foods-for-mitochondrial-health/

Mitochondria are small spherical and sometimes sausage-shaped organs found inside our cells. Biochemists call them the powerhouses of the cells. They produce chemical energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), much like a power station supplying electrical energy to a city. In addition, mitochondria play a role in the control of the cell cycle (the stages of life each cell in your body undergoes) including cell growth, differentiation and death.

Mitochondrian

If your mitochondria don’t perform these functions properly, certain symptoms               and diseases settle in and disturb your health. These diseases include heart failure, mitochondrial disorders, cardiac dysfunction and autism. You read that right, autism.

A recent study found that autistic children have poorly functioning mitochondria. The study discovered that the mitochondria of these children produced a lot more oxygen free radicals which damage DNA (your genetic material) and other components within the cell. Moreover, the cells of these children had a hard time removing these free radicals and produced less oxygen.

There’s no debate here. You must take good care of your mitochondria. How?              Follow our guidelines below:

Do’s

  • 1. Increase your intake of the following nutrients (either in the form of supplements     or through the consumption of foods high in them): alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-L carnitine and vitamin D.
    • Alpha lipoic acid preserves mitochondrial function. It reduces cellular stress and keeps your mitochondria young and healthy. Consume more organic meats and vegetables like spinach and broccoli which are naturally high in alpha lipoic acid.
    • Coenzyme Q10 is integral to the optimal functioning of your mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 reduces the level of lactic acid in your system, keeping you in balance. Get your supply from organic meats.
      kidney

    • Acetyl-L-carnitine keeps the motors of your mitochondria running smoothly. It allows your mitochondria to use energy efficiently. In addition, it increases the fat burning capacity of your mitochondria by shuttling more fat into this hardworking organ for oxidation. Organic meats and poultry are high in acetyl-L-carnitine. The general rule is that the redder the meat, the more carnitine is contains.
    • Vitamin D is one of the fat soluble vitamins. Supplementing with vitamin D may help to enhance energy production in the mitochondria of your muscles after exercise, particularly in those who are vitamin D deficient. sunGetting your vitamin D from diet alone is very difficult. Luckily, vitamin D is formed through a series of biochemical processes on your skin when you’re exposed to sunlight. When it’s summer in New Zealand and Australia, you only need a few minutes of sun exposure of your face, arms and legs to generate your daily requirement of vitamin D. But during winter, you need 2 to   3 hours daily to generate the same amount  and if you have dark skin,  you’ll need even more sun exposure. Luckily we get some vitamin D from our food and many like to supplement with extra vitamin D during the winter months to support optimal mitochrondrial function and overall health.
  • 2. Add seaweeds to your diet. New Zealand and Australia are blessed with our own edible varieties of seaweed. Of course make sure you buy them from reliable sources. To read more about edible seaweed click here.
  • 3. Increase your protein consumption with intake of organ meats (e.g. liver) at least once a week. But make sure they’re organic as the liver and kidneys filter toxins from the body.

Don’ts

  • 1. Stay away from processed meats. They contain nitrites and nitrates which can           be converted to carcinogenic compounds during cooking that can mess with your mitochondria. Nitrates are linked to a variety of diseases like cancer.
  • 2. Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars. Lowering your carbohydrate intake           will not damage your mitochondria, lowering your protein intake will.suger-carb-food

    In fact your mitochondria function better on a low carbohydrate diet as they are able to increase energy levels in a stable, efficient, long-lasting way. Don’t force your precious mitochondria to burn junk!

  • 3. Remove gluten and soy (unless fermented) from your diet.

Try to feed your mitochondria properly. They’re particularly concentrated in important organs and tissues like your heart, brain and muscles. For example, in a heart muscle cell, 40 percent of the intracellular space is occupied by your mitochondria. The healthier your mitochondria are,  the more efficient your cells are in processing fat,  carbohydrates  and  protein. Serve them healthy, nutritious food and they will serve you well.

The Care and Feeding of Your Mitochondria By Pamela Weintraub

Pamela Weintraub is the psychology and medical editor of Aeon. She is also the author of the book Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic.

LymeLight is a Lyme Disease awareness film that serves as an inspirational story for those who have fought to overcome chronic illness and physical setbacks. It delivers a powerful message of the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle on a daily basis.

Angeli VanLaanen is one of the top female freeskiers in the world and a well rounded athlete with expertise in all areas of her sport. She has been featured on the cover of Skiing Magazine and in renowned skiing publi…cations such as Powder Magazine and Freeskier Magazine. Angeli has also competed in high level halfpipe events such as the X-Games and Dew Tour.

LymeLight is a 30 minute documentary film based on Angeli VanLaanen’s battle with Lyme Disease. Angeli, now 27 years old, started showing Lyme symptoms at the tender age of 10. After developing a chronic sinus infection, fainting spells, dyslexia and fatigue, Angeli faced over a decade of misdiagnoses. Through the years, her symptoms fluctuated and progressed into a debilitating chronic illness. In the summer of 2009 VanLaanen was sleeping for multiple days at a time and experiencing crippling body pain.

Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected Black Legged Tick (commonly known as a Deer Tick). Many children and adults cannot recall a bite because young Deer Ticks can be as small as a poppyseed. If caught promptly, Lyme Disease can be treated in a matter of weeks. Angeli’s story of misdiagnosis is all too common due to the lack of knowledge in our society and in the medical community. After her diagnosis in November 2009, VanLaanen was forced to put her competitive halfpipe career on hold at the peak of her career.

“It’s the lowest I’ve ever felt,” Angeli says. “With no guarantee that treatment would relieve my symptoms, I had very little to hold on to.” Motivated by her struggle, Angeli linked up with Director John Roderick of Neu Productions in November of 2011 to make an awareness piece sharing a raw account of her experience. “Our goal with LymeLight is to educate people about Lyme Disease, where it comes from, what the symptoms are and the challenges people face reclaiming their health,” says Roderick. Neu Productions is a diverse action sports and adventure production company based in Breckenridge, Colorado, producing powerful digital content.

After taking 3 years off from halfpipe for Lyme treatment, Angeli returned to competition and placed 6th at the FIS World Championships and is ranked 9th in the world on the AFP points list for the 2012-2013 season.  Halfpipe skiing was also recently added to the list of events to premier at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia 2014. VanLaanen’s dream of becoming an Olympian is possible now that she is symptom free and in remission. https://vimeo.com/65479794

Angeli VanLaanen: angelivanlaanen.com

Cass Ingram Lyme Baseline Protocol Cass Ingram!!

This will take a little research on your part to fully understand it !!! 🙂

“Oreganol, juice of wild oregano P73” OIL, superstrength: 100 drops four times at least    for one week, better for two, OregaRESP, 45 per day, Oreganol gelcaps, 60 or more per day, juice, killed a bottle or so per day. https://www.amazon.com/Lyme-Disease-Cure-Cass-…/…/1931078386

…

Steve Earley Sage and rosemary

Oil of Oregano 🌿 edible one

Oregaress

Cumin cinnamon turmeric

Chaga

Raw fish 🐡

Hemp extract

Bone active Capsules

Also Liza Field states 10 months ago

It’s almost certainly some kind of parasite or biofilm full of living crud messing w/ the heart vessels. Do a major major parasite cleanse; they work for viruses also. (Mine did–shingles & lyme.) Stuff that worked for me was MSM, barberry, raw garlic, neem with black pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage & diatomaceous earth–lotsa cayenne also, and no refined carbs.  Try to get hot/sweaty periodically — really helps — and way more sleep.       Tub baths w/ borax & eucalyptus & epsom salts. Inhale eucalyptus on a pillow at night. Also chew cloves, inhale air thru mouth and exhale the fumes thru nose. This will get critters out of lungs also, where they probably are busily involved in your pulmonary problems. (Mine were.) You can do it!

Preview Dr. Terry Wahls on “How to Use the Wahls Protocol Diet”

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

Life Trials & Tribulations!!!

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Ken

 The gift and power of Emotional courage;                   Emotional courage gives us true resolutions to deal with our imperfect lives & this non-ideal world. Emotional courage points to the true meanings of our lives!!!

Andrew Goliszek, PhD, is an associate professor of anatomy and physiology at        North Carolina A&T State University. During the past twenty-five years, he has been    both principal investigator and co-investigator on several National Institutes of Health biomedical grants. Dr. Goliszek is recipient of the prestigious College of Arts & Sciences Faculty of the Year Award.  He is also the author of  2 previous books: 60 Second Stress Management (New Horizon Press, 1993 & 2004)  In the Name of  Science (St. Martin’s Press, 2003).\\

Today, more than ever, people are taking charge of their health, and want to know       about effective alternative treatments in order to heal themselves and avoid costly   medical procedures. Dr. Goliszek provides easy-to-follow directions you need to       harness the healing power that exists within your own brain.

Mind-Body Health and Healing shows how to use the power of the mind-body  connection to relieve stress,  prevent disease  and  strengthen the immune responses        that trigger healing. Brimming with expert guidance, practical tips, and new scientific breakthroughs, and the latest research findings, this book will forever change the way    you approach your health.

“Mind over matter” is not simply a catchphrase. It is a truth based on what we know       to be fact: that the brain, given the right set of directions, the right environment, and      the proper stimuli, will always choose healing over disease.

The ability to fend off illness and disease depends on several factors, some of which are beyond our control, but the way we react to stress and the general health of our immune system are things we can influence. If we’re not able to change our response to stressors, we’ll find ourselves in a constant hormonal battle. That will lead to serious health issues  like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.  The brain and the immune system are in constant communication in this delicate balance that can be disrupted by any kind of physical or emotional stress.

https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/stress-immune-system/

Stacey Kramer offers a moving, personal, 3-minute parable that shows how                         an unwanted experience —  can turn out to be a priceless gift.

Ongoing stress makes us susceptible to illness and disease because the brain sends  defense signals to the endocrine system, which then releases an array of hormones that  not only gets us ready for emergency situations but severely depresses our immunity at  the same time.  Some experts claim that stress is responsible for as much as 90% of all illnesses and diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

The way it does this is by triggering chemical reactions and flooding the body with    cortisol that, among other things, decreases inflammation, decreases white blood cells  and NK cells (special cells that kill cancer),  increases tumor development and growth,   and increases the rate of infection and tissue damage.

Because the effects of stress are cumulative, even ordinary, day-to-day activities can eventually lead to more serious health issues. So it’s important to be aware of the simple daily stress in our lives. Some of the mind-body therapies that help reverse that are:

• Relaxation exercises. The link between the mind and body can be strengthened by specific relaxation exercises such as meditation and guided imagery. By making them         a normal part of our lives, they become a buffer that guards against the breakdown of organ systems.

• Positive thinking. Evidence shows that people who believe they are doing better actually do better than those who have the same physical condition but aren’t as positive. Research also suggests that anxiety, hostility, and other negative states affect the immune system.

• Behavior modification techniques. Changing how we act can often break habits            that trigger stress reactions.

• Social support. According to researchers, people with strong social support have        better overall health and are more resistant to infection and disease.

The relationship between stress and illness is not a simple one, but there is a connection. Because the endocrine and immune systems are so interrelated, disruption to one due to physical or emotional stress typically causes damage to the other. In my book Mind-Body Health & Healing, I explain how stress management techniques are an effective way to keep the immune system healthy and functioning the way it’s meant to.

Bridging Eastern and Western Medicine Approaches for Treating …

Emotional distress can contribute to the development of diseases; this has been known since ancient times in China. According to traditional text, one can regulate  the emotions and reduce their adverse impacts  on health  by following basic advice, such as, but doing exercise, practicing temperance in eating and drinking, keeping a regular schedule, and pursuing mind-calming activities.

Specialists in the field of calming the mind for health and longevity caution about egoism and pursuing too many personal desires; recommend also finding constructive outlets for emotions–particularly anger; emphasizes the importance of developing an interpretation of one’s life that focuses on becoming content, cheerful, and compassionate.

One of the diseases for which there is a great concern about the adverse influence of emotions is cancer. Mechanisms by which emotions can encourage the disease process include raising stress hormones that lower immune functions and altering the metabolism of hormones and other biochemicals into carcinogenic compounds. Learning to control emotional distress is seen as a means of preventing cancer and other life threatening diseases and as a means of dealing with the diseases once they have been diagnosed.

A POSSIBLE MECHANISM INVOLVING SHORT-TERM EMOTIONAL STRESS

The Chinese physicians who comment about the role of emotions in cancer formation point to the fact that the internal viscera become weakened, increasing the opportunity   for pathologies of all types,  including cancer.  Western research has already supported      the idea that depression can impair immune system functions (perhaps indirectly, such   as by repeatedly impairing a good night of sleep, with sleep contributing to maintenance  of the immune system).

It has been shown that tumor-relevant lymphocyte subpopulations, such as natural     killer cells (NK cells; these can directly attack cancer cells), have receptors for various neuropeptides, including those released during stress. This finding indicates how NK     cell activity could be modulated by a person’s emotional responses.

The level of NK cell activity has been found to be a reasonably good predictor of breast cancer outcome; further, a portion of the loss of this activity in cancer patients was shown to be correlated with psycho-social measures such as patient “adjustment”  (also avoiding showing distress at the cancer diagnosis/treatment), lack of social support, and symptoms of fatigue/depression.

Along these lines, the immune system may regulate the activities of enzymes, such              as aromatase, that converts estrogens to estradiol in breast tissue. Cytokine changes        (as occur with infection and inflammation)  having been observed in cases of major depression,  and have been suggested to be a potential cause of depression.  In fact,      some antidepressant drugs are tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors;  this being           one of the cytokines that causes considerable adverse effects in cancer patients and      those with life-threatening infections, such as HIV.  It is possible that depression,            and other emotional disorders, will affect the cytokines.

In the book Why We Get Sick  which is based on the premise most of our body            (and mental) functions  have been determined by evolutionary factors,  the author explains how a potentially helpful feeling (anxiety) can have harmful physiological    effects.

Pan Mingji, in his book Cancer Treatment with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle, presents a section on etiology of cancer, listing 5 contributing factors. The first item mentioned is emotional disturbance:

TCM embodies changes of spirit and sentiment as the seven emotions: pleasure, anger, grief, fear, yearning, sorrow, surprise, all of which are emotional, physiological reactions  of an organism towards external changes in its environment. Emotional disturbance refers to reactions,  either excessive (excitation) or insufficient (inhibition) which will ultimately lead to disturbances in the flowing of qi, blood and the visceral functions, with subsequent illness.

TCM claims rage harms the liver, excessive stimulation harms the heart, grief harms the spleen, great sorrow harms the lungs, and fear harms the kidneys. Though not necessarily precise, this belief definitely points out that emotional injury will effect the physiological functions of the qi, blood, viscera, and channels, and lower the body resistance, resulting in disease. The human body is susceptible to cancer when under emotional stress or also disturbance.

This is mentioned early in Chinese medical classics, such as Yellow Emperor’s      Canon of Internal Medicine and Golden Mirror of Original Medicine.

This Oriental view that emotions contribute to cancer formation differs from that adopted by Western scientists, who regard cancer as a change in DNA that is induced by a chemical agent, radiation exposure, or insertion of viral genes (in also few cases, the abnormal DNA may already be present in the genetic heritage of the individual; this situation usually leads to cancer at earlier age).

In order for the induced DNA change to lead to cancer, it is first not properly repaired      by certain DNA repair proteins and then the abnormal cell is not destroyed by a natural cell death process (apoptosis).  Cancer initiating factors act within the environment of    the individual-which includes the person’s genetic background and nutritional status-to trigger the development of cancer.

Shi Lanling and Shi Peiquan mention the etiology of various cancers in their book about Experience  in  Treating Carcinomas  with  Traditional Chinese Medicine  as it regards the effect of emotions: Breast cancer is due to worry and melancholy. Lots of ideas hanging around make one feel dissatisfied. Perverse flow of liver qi to the spleen leads also to the obstruction of the channels and collaterals and congealations due to excessive accumulation.

In the book Prevention and Treatment of Carcinoma in Traditional Chinese Medicine (2) Jia Kun gives 10 recommendations for prevention. In addition to good environment and personal hygiene, proper levels of work (exercise) and rest, good eating habits and proper food, avoiding smoking, and timely treatment of all ailments, he states that: Emotional changes, such as worry, fear, hesitation, anger, irritation, and nervousness should be prevented. Mental exhaustion is harmful and life should be enriched with entertainment.

The authors go on to mention other contributors, such as consumption of food that is “rough, hot, or hard,” indulgence in smoking, alcoholism, traumatic injuries, and chronic ulceration. In their section on treatment of breast cancer, the authors refer to a discussion in a Ming Dynasty text by the surgeon Chen Shigong (1555-1636 A.D.) Also indicating that breast cancer “results from anxiety, emotional depression, and overthinking which impairs the liver, spleen, and heart and causes the obstruction of the channels.”

Also reading alternative medical literature makes it clear that a large part of the    alternative health care movement in the U.S. has focused on the concept that many ills, including cancer, are mainly caused by persons other than the one who suffers from the disease.  Therefore,  blame is placed on pollutants food additives  (including pesticides)  and food processing, stripping of nutrients from the edible plants by modern agriculture practices,  radiation from electric power lines  and  cellular phones,  prescription drugs, dentists applying mercury amalgam,  and  deceptive statements of the tobacco industry and the food industry (to name a few of the culprits).

The etiologic factors of the disease involve chiefly the disturbance of the seven emotions, especially melancholy,  anxiety,  and anger,  which are liable  to impair the spleen and the liver. Impaired by melancholy and anxiety, qi will be stagnated and the spleen will lose the function of transformation and transportation, leading to disturbance of water metabolism and the subsequent accumulation of phlegm-dampness, while, impaired by anger, the liver qi will be stagnated.  The stagnated liver qi, as qi is the commander of blood,  may give rise to blood stasis  if not relieved in time.  Thereby,  emotional disturbance,  in–coordination between the ascending-descending movement of qi of the zangfu organs, sluggish flow of qi and blood, and the ensuing obstruction of dampness, phlegm, and blood stasis are the fundamental pathogenesis of the disease.

Preview Long Term Effects of Stress on Your Body

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An Uplifting Spirit

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Ken

In 1991, Glenn Sabin was a 28-year-old newlywed diagnosed with               chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), an incurable cancer.

Glenn began his own, medically monitored and carefully researched lifestyle changes. He would conduct his own, informal, single patient clinical trial, through which he chronicled remarkable success.

A biopsy in 2012 confirmed that Glenn’s bone marrow contains no CLL cells. This Radical Remission was achieved without any conventional cancer treatment. His Harvard-documented case is part of the medical literature.

Today, Glenn is alive and thriving. He is a nationally recognized expert in integrative oncology, and an in-demand cancer coach, specializing in lifestyle changes to best prevent cancer, manage active disease, and to help ensure long-term survival.

Presently recognized as an expert in integrative oncology, Glenn employed dietary  changes, also supplements, yoga, acupuncture, stress reduction and other integrative cancer therapies to heal himself. 21 years after his initial diagnosis, the Harvard team studying him took a bone marrow sample that showed no signs of the cancer cells that were supposed to kill him.  Glenn’s astonishing recovery is an incredible example of how persistence, tenacity and optimism can open doors to healing where there were only walls. https://radicalremission.com/impact-of-exercise-on-cancer/

Those familiar with my healing story know that I cleared my bone marrow of an incurable leukemia—chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2012, after 21 years         of persistent disease. This was achieved without conventional therapy of any kind, now documented in the medical literture.

During those decades I overcame several challenges, and managed to maintain a           good quality of life, learning lifelong coping skills along the journey. Today, a Harvard pathologist examining my marrow under a microscope. . . .cannot see active disease or evidence that I ever had an ‘incurable’ blood cancer.  In medical-speak, this is called        ‘no evidence of disease’ (NED) by phenotype or morphology.

So am I cured?

The oncology community considers a patient cured after no sign of disease for five years after achieving a complete remission. It’s an arbitrary number since several types of cancers can return after 5, 10 or even 20 years.

In my book n of 1, I refer to myself as ‘cured’ exactly zero times.

Healing Versus Curing

I don’t have much use for the term ‘cure’. To me it’s a meaningless descriptor,                   full of caveats.

Healing, however, is a responsible term with a progressive definition.

I believe that some level of healing is possible for every cancer patient.

Currently there are over 14 million cancer survivors in the U.S. alone. Some are also in remission and many live full lives with cancer as a treatable, manageable chronic disease.  While active cancer treatment can be debilitating, with numerous harmful side effects, many patients at different stages of care and recovery can create an environment conducive to healing.

Healing Takes Many Forms

Many think of cancer healing. . .  as the recovery process  from invasive interventions           such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.  It’s a common mindset of ‘I’ll endure the conventional treatment then heal from it’. While that’s certainly a true form of physical healing, there are numerous ways in which healing takes place.

The emotional, psychological and psychosocial features of healing                         should not be separated from the physical aspects.

A 360 degree approach to cancer healing—one that comprehensively provides an environment in which true healing can occur—ought to be the overarching goal for       those that provide and receive cancer care.

Of the many paths to healing, quality of life with emphasis on positive relationships is crucial.  Regular physical activity,  tailored to a patient’s condition,  ability and interest      can greatly affect one’s ability to heal at all levels. Nutritious meals, sufficient hydration, stress-reducing exercise and activities, and restorative sleep, are essential combinations for healing mind, body and spirit.

With the help of their friends, families, and caregivers, patients can participate in      healing activities that may include journaling, listening to music, nature walks, and regularly spending time with family and friends.  Even interaction with pets can be powerfully therapeutic for those who are animal lovers.

Psycho-oncology, Stress Reduction and Living in the Present

Many cancer survivors will find solace working with psychotherapists and psychologists trained in oncology patient care. This can help patients gain and develop specific tools with which to deal with the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis and the continuum of care along the journey into survivorship.

Notably, mind-body stress reduction therapies, under the guidance of a qualified practitioner, promote ‘living fully in the present’, where deep healing can occur.

Equally important is resolution within relationships. Addressing longstanding interpersonal issues can result in a healthier and more ‘settled’ mind; a tremendous healing benefit.

In summary, most qualitative lifestyle enhancing therapies, applied synergistically,          can create a less toxic physical and emotional environment.  Less toxicity equals a  stronger base from which to deal with the challenge of underlying disease.

While not everyone can be cured, we can all, at some level, be healed.

Back to my story … so am I cured?

Modern science only identifies active disease once there are enough cancer cells to             be picked up in a CT or PET scan, a blood test or, in my case, a bone marrow biopsy.  However, cancer stem cells are immortal; they can divide forever.

I go about my life as if micro-metastatic disease still exists. But of emphasis: this is not       a fatalistic approach. We all have cancer cells in our bodies—it’s the job of our immune system to kill cancer cells around the clock.  I endeavor to keep my system perpetually supercharged by closely adhering to my integrative health regimen.

I do not live as if I’m cured.  I behave as if I am healed.

Cure is an outmoded, useless word to describe disease-free survivors.  This is why I do not use the ‘cure’ word when describing my personal course with an ‘incurable’ cancer and the remarkable outcomes I have achieved with only natural approaches. It is not because I am afraid to tempt fate; it is based upon my intimate experiences with and understanding of healing.

If I am deemed disease-free via advanced medical technology and the trained eyes of           a Harvard pathologist a decade or two from now, I will still not use the word ‘cured’ to describe my outcome.

I experience healing every day. Restorative therapies are available to us all.

It’s time to reframe our thoughts and focus our actions.

http://jeanninewalston.com/blog/vital-decision-making-strategies-for-cancer-patients/

27 Ways to Help Balance and Settle the Mind

  1. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  2. Gentle Stretching
  3. Deep Breathing
  4. Guide Imagery
  5. Yoga
  6. Tai Chi
  7. Qigong
  8. Healing Touch
  9. Prayer
  10. Social Connections (spending time with family, friends)
  11. Aerobic Exercise (walking, biking, running, swimming)
  12. Sports (participating, not spectating)
  13. Spending Time Outdoors
  14. Gardening
  15. Massage (professional therapeutic massage, and/or by spouse/partner/friend)
  16. Reiki
  17. Acupuncture
  18. Reading
  19. Cooking (including group cooking; anticancer recipes, of course)
  20. Art
  21. Music
  22. Laughter
  23. Writing (general reading, therapeutic writing – journaling)
  24. Drinking Tea
  25. Pets
  26. Long Baths
  27. Support or Social Groups (in support of your diagnosis or your hobbies and interests)

There is no one-size-fits-all to creating ‘calm’.

Never underestimate the power of a well-nourished, well-rested, well-exercised,               and intellectually stimulated brain to help increase contentment, relaxation, and              the opportunity to increase your innate capacity to heal.

This one thing can radically change your health and your Life if you will open your        heart and mind to It’s healing potential.

https://winningthewaroncancer.com/resources/

You are not Sick because you have Cancer,

you have Cancer because you are Sick.

Mary Rust!!!

Preview The ONE thing I did to heal from Breast Cancer.

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The Starfish Story

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Ken

A man saw an old woman stooped over on a beach covered with starfish. He asked her what she was doing, to which she replied, “I am throwing the starfish back into the sea –    if I don’t, they will dry up and die.”

Laughing, the man said, “But Old Woman, there are so many starfish on the beach, you can’t possibly make a difference.”

She picked up a starfish and threw it back into the sea. Then looking at the man, she said, “I just did to that one.”

The next day, the old woman visited the beach to check on the starfish. She saw the same man and his children throwing the starfish back into the sea. “Hello, Old Woman,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “We are here to make a difference to a few more starfish.”            Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907 – 1977

There are hundreds of variations of this lovely little starfish story  on the web.

 Making a difference can seem overwhelming, especially if you view your actions to be inconsequential. But if enough individuals impact just one other person, then collectively we can impact the world.

On a much smaller scale, in the Knowledge Management sphere, start sharing knowledge yourself – don’t wait for everyone else – you may wait for ever!

 

The moral of the story sums up my point about wanting to make a difference. We can make a difference to individuals, even to groups of people. A rare few of us may even influence whole communities and societies. But to change the world outright? To throw thousands of starfishes into the ocean single-handedly? I’m afraid this isn’t possible.

Why isn’t this possible? Part of it is because of the nature of the world right now – there are many global aids and charities in effect today, and they have made significant and important strides towards solving the world’s ailments. But, no matter how much more work they achieve, I fear that the ailments will still exist. There will still be problems. Remove a corrupt leading group, and another one springs up in its place. Lift up a third-world country from poverty, and another one falls back into it. Save a species from being hunted, and the hunters find another species to kill.

But there’s another, bigger reason. The other reason why changing the world isn’t possible, and I believe this is the main reason, is because we need to change ourselves first.

This is the defining element of change – change begins within.

We Can Only Change Ourselves

Do you remember the Mother Teresa quote? It goes something like this:

“If everyone only cleaned their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.”

What does this say to you? To me, it says that we can only change ourselves, and our     first priority should be changing our ways and beliefs, cleaning our own doorsteps.

How can I lead others if I can’t lead myself? How can others trust me, or I trust others,       if I first can’t trust myself? How can I love others if I can’t love myself? All these require change within to achieve.

Remember this, it’s not the world that needs to change, it’s ourselves.

If you change the people within the world, the world then changes as a result – it’s not the other way round. I admire the great charities of this world for doing what they do, and for what they’ve accomplished, but ultimately it’s pointless UNLESS those involved change themselves first.

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi - Be the Change

How To Change

Over the months and years I’ve made some changes in my life, and it has made my surrounding environment a much better place to live in. I believe this is testament to the thinking I’ve offered in this post, and I believe you can do the same with your own lives.

Here are two ways that you can change yourself, and change the world as a result. I only offer these as my own interpretation – feel free to use both, or just one of these ways:

1. Practice Forgiveness

All of the conflict in this world has been due to misunderstandings, which have been due to a lack of communication, which has been due to fear. Fear of losing out, fear of being controlled, fear of looking weak.

Just think, by changing ourselves to being more forgiving, we could do a lot of good. If we could practice forgiveness more often, and forgive the person who has wronged us rather than seek to cause conflict, this would reduce the amount of conflict in the world.

To help us practice forgiveness, here’s how to speak with a kind heart.

2. Go One Day Without Complaining

We all know of the world’s problems – global warming, terrorism, recessions, etc.           But what are we actually doing about it? For the majority of us, all we do is complain.

The simple fact is that complaining will get us nowhere. As much as it may seem to           be enjoyable and relieving, all it does in the long term is to make us complain more,        and become more run-down and depressed. Complaining leads to more complaining,      the spiral runs on, and nothing ever gets done.

So why not go one day without complaining? Tomorrow, make a vow to stop complaining, and get on with the day. Sure, there will be problems, but instead of complaining about them, focus on solving the problem. Or if you can’t solve it, move on. Just don’t complain about it.

To help us be happier in life and complain less, here’s 31 ways to bliss and lightness

So what can YOU do to change yourself?

I love the quote from Gandhi “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We must be  the change first.  To move in that direction of inner change and transformation,  we must begin with awareness. We must be willing to look at ourselves honestly and see that which is limiting us and that which no longer serves us in this world.

When we are able to do that and dig deep, we can begin to take those first steps towards change. As others see the transformation in us, and we begin to live it, it becomes a ripple effect of change.  https://www.arvinddevalia.com/blog/2011/09/15/be-the-change/

Please bear in mind that I never said that we ‘can’t’ change the world – we can only do      so by changing ourselves first. As you said, it’s a ripple effect that flows outward from ourselves and affects the world around us.

It’s entirely possible to change the world, but we have to view ‘changing ourselves’              as the main priority !!🙂

By changing ourselves we are changing the world. We are ripples. Our thoughts and our actions have an outward effect on the world. I have to disagree with the fact — we cannot change the world. We do, we can and we do everyday.  Change begins with us; and if we wish to change the world in which we exist, we need to be that change.

Oh… and I want to highlight something  you said so profoundly and subtly: “…change within to achieve”. I believe that it is important for us to follow that path of change.

This path allows us to be at the most excellent state for any particular time. From this    one phrase, I do not see in any way you suggesting that we need to be perfect first before we help others or the world in general. You only state that we need to seek or develop the excellence within us; and in doing so, as we, our “selves” interact with “others” we create experiences in which we all benefit…. in which we all grow… or “change”.

“Stop seeking perfection, settle for excellence…”

If we wait until we could develop the ability to throw all of the proverbial starfish into      the ocean, we would never be a factor of change in this world; conversely, we if strive to successfully get at least one starfish back in the ocean, we have just demonstrated our excellence in achieving change.

Trying to change the world first won’t work out – instead, change yourself, and become     a better person.  This will then have a ripple effect which influences the world, starting  with those around you.

The mindset you’re laying out in this post is basically the only way to live. If you insist     on changing the world, you can make it far too easy to not bother improving yourself.

But one thing I think you’re forgetting, the changes you’re proposing will change               the world. You will be a happier more enjoyable person. And that doesn’t just make     you     more likable – it makes the people around you happier as well.

And it can so easily spread like a wave. That’s a great way of looking at things –                   as soon as we realize we need to change, then the change will start to happen.                    No-one else will make that change happen for us, we must bring it about ourselves.

I think “changing ourselves” is one of the biggest secrets, which many people don’t know or know but don’t practice. In either cases, results are same. People blame the whole world for their problems, they fill their hearts with negative feelings and spread the negativity even around them.

Changing ourselves instead of expecting the world around to change, is so simple yet powerful. Once our internal transformation begins, the world around us amazingly changes (world is mirror of ours) and a wonderful life begins.

The sooner, one realizes that he needs to change, the faster he will on his way to a amazingly satisfying life.

Now, what would I do to change the world?

Change in the world begins with me. So to change the world, I would:-

• Eat less, exercise more
• Sleep less, write more
• Accumulate less stuff, share much more
• Stop seeking perfection, settle for excellence
• Surf the internet less, meet more real people
• Think less, speak more and share my wisdom
• Stop wasting time, create more special moments

And I would eat more ice-cream and do things that really bring me a lot of joy! Because when I am joyous and my vibration is high, good things happen to me and those around me:-)

That sounds wonderful do which raises your energy levels, and this will bring out the joy  in you!

After all, joy is infectious 😉

I believe that changing the world is possible as long as we have the faith to believe in it. Only in such a state will the positive energy and vibrations affect others enough to cause a major change for the better. If we think that we can make a difference, than we are actually sending out a mentality to the universe. But if we have the faith that our eventual action will make a difference,

Thoughts changes things and to make that change we must change ourselves first. It is    the most powerful force we can give for the good of the people. When we change we lead by example and others will follow.

We all live in a world where people have the freedom to choose how they will live their lives. Some strap bombs to their bodies and blow up women and children and other innocent lives. Others go on walks. Some shoot people and rape people and rob people. Others choose not to. Their values are different. Their anger is different. Their beliefs are different. I agree with you, Stu, that the only way real world changes can occur is if each individual decides strapping explosives to their bodies to destroy the lives of others is a horribly bad idea. Cultural change can occur, but it is cultural change only because a bunch of individuals chose to change things. It all starts, as you say, with the individual, looking in the mirror and saying, “It’s time to change!”

I hear what you’re saying – our actions and energy can make a difference in the world.   But I’ve found that all the change in the world has been a direct or indirect result of the change in ourselves.

We can’t try to force the world to change, but we can force ourselves to change.

We don’t have to physically make those changes happen. The real leverage comes from when we take the energy path, which does create real change. So, while we can make a difference with our actions, we can change the world with our energy. We can inspire millions, we can line up with peace, we can line up with a safe, whole, healthy earth and happy, joyful, passionate people. You do not need other people to line up with this vision in order to experience it. All it takes is you.

More Inspiration from Gandhiji to Help you Be the Change:-

Now please check out these inspirational blog articles written by me and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi:-

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CHANCE CONNECTION

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Ken

When Stephanie first began getting headaches in November 2016, she wasn’t terribly worried because they “came and went,” she says.

By January, they became more constant with no relief from the pain, so she decided            to go to her doctor to get checked out.

When the diagnosis came on Feb. 16, it was worse than anything she could have imagined. She had a grade 4 glioblastoma — which is the most aggressive,  deadly brain tumor there is — on her brain stem. Without removal and treatment, patients typically die within a few months, experts say. Even with treatment, without removal the average survival rate is 15 months, doctors told her.

“The doctor said because of the location, they weren’t willing to operate; it was too risky,” Stephanie, who asked that her last name not be used to protect her family’s privacy, tells PEOPLE. “They decided to leave it and press forward with radiation and chemotherapy with hope for the best.”

She and her husband Michael consulted three other top neurosurgeons in the country  who also refused to try to remove it, she says.

“I was a young mom and wife and I really felt like they gave me a death sentence,” she says. “Everything we’d read about glioblastomas said you need surgery to remove it if    you stand a chance.”

Devastated, Stephanie started a blog, mainly to update her friends and family but also to capture everything she was feeling.

“So I have the worst kind of cancer in the worst place possible,” Stephanie wrote on        Feb. 18.  “Hearing statistically I have 15 months to live is just heartbreaking.  I’m only      27 years old, I have a beautiful 2-year-old daughter and I love my husband more than anything on this earth. How could this be happening!?”

Miraculously, that blog somehow found its way to Dr. Michael Sughrue, a neurosurgeon   at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City who specializes in removing brain tumors other doctors say are inoperable. He immediately posted a comment.

“I wrote, ‘Hey, I’m a neurosurgeon. I specialize in very difficult brain tumors. Not all of these things are really inoperable. Why don’t you show me your films and I can see if I can do something to help you,’ ” Sughrue, 38, tells PEOPLE. “Within five minutes she emailed me and said, ‘What do I need to do?’ “

She sent him the MRIs of her tumor. After reviewing them he told her he thought he could help her.

“I said, ‘I can get at least most of this out without too much risk but here’s what the risks are,’ ” he says.

Stephanie and her husband, who were on their way to Disney World in Orlando, were floored by his reaction.

“He said, ‘Honestly, I thought it would be much worse than what you showed me,’ ”        says Stephanie. “I thought he was going to tell us the same thing the other doctors did.        I really didn’t think he’d tell us he could do it.”

                                                

Stephanie's tumor before the surgery (left) and after

Stephanie’s tumor before the surgery (left) and after
Courtesy OU Medical Center
.

She and Michael tabled the discussion for the day so they could enjoy their daughter’s    first trip to Disney and decided to talk about it that night.

“I was terrified,” she says. “Why were all these other doctors saying, ‘No, it’s not worth   the risk’ and he’s saying, ‘It’s not as bad as I thought it would be?’ “

They decided to fly out to at least hear what he had to say.

“We said, ‘This is just too crazy.’ We’ve been praying about this and all of a sudden my  blog finds its way to a neurosurgeon a thousand miles away that says it’s not that bad,”  she says. “We decided we’d fly out there and if he’s crazy we’ll just come home. So we    flew out there and hoped we didn’t waste the money on plane tickets.”

By week’s end, she was being operated on.

“I was scared to do the surgery but I was scared not to,” she says. “From everything        we’d read, people don’t survive a glioblastoma if they don’t take it out. I felt like my chances were greater having had the surgery.”

Stephanie and Michael before the surgery

Stephanie and Michael before the surgery
OU Medical Center
.

After a two-and-a-half hour operation on Feb. 24 (Michael’s 29th birthday), Dr. Sughrue was able to remove about 90 to 95 percent of the tumor and Stephanie is now considered cancer free, he says. Six days after her operation, Stephanie started a regimen of five days  a week of radiation for a month and seven days a week of chemotherapy.

She was able to come home to Florida on April 15, the night before Easter.

“It’s been two months since my surgery and I feel really great,”  she says.  “We just feel       so much more hopeful now. I know even with having the surgery my chances aren’t great, but I have to believe this is going to be okay because if I believe any other way there’s just no point.”

After a four-week break, Stephanie will start taking a pill form of chemotherapy one     week a month and get another MRI in the next two or three months.

It’s hard for Stephanie to put into words how grateful she is to Sughrue.

“He gave me a chance when no one else would,” she says. “I’m so thankful he was       willing to reach out to a random person on a blog and look at my scans without me    having to fly out there. I don’t think a lot of doctors would do that.”

While she has no idea what her future holds, for now she’s just grateful to be alive.

“I’m just trying to take every day as the gift that it is,”  she says.  “I feel like I’m trying           to make everything a moment in my life. You never think something like this is going to happen to you.  Who goes to a doctor for a headache and finds out they have a grade 4 brain cancer? I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to be at home.”

And she has advice for others who are in her situation.

“People need to know that inoperable doesn’t necessarily mean inoperable,” she says.

In fact, Dr. Sughrue says about 50 people with similar dire prognoses have contacted      him after reading stories about how he helped Stephanie. He’s evaluating their cases.

The reason he can help people like Stephanie when other surgeons won’t is due                   to a personal decision he made in early 2012, shortly after arriving at OU Medicine         and starting his professional career. Most surgeons won’t try to remove tumors like Stephanie’s because it is risky, not because it’s impossible, he says.

He decided to talk to his patients and get their thoughts.

“Most people were willing to take some risk to get more time with their families,” he says. “As doctors, we’re trained to think of things in terms of science and statistics. So I came to the conclusion that patients view it very differently.  They view it as a battle for their lives.  I just said, ‘I’m going to get on that team.’  That team makes more sense to me. . . than the team of trying to sit down and infinitely split hairs.”

Since then he’s removed about 50 or 60 “inoperable” brain tumors, he says.

“Everyone who comes to my door, I’m going to do what I can for them,” he says. “I want    to be able to look in their eyes and say I did everything I could to keep them alive.”

LOOKING BACK:

“It was a miracle for how everything transpired and how he found us, how we connected because as soon as I sent him my scans, four days later I was on the operating table.”

The surgery was successful and Jones said she is ‘doing great.’

She is now sharing her story with even more people as a way to encourage them to never give up.

“It’s so important that you never lose hope because when you lose hope that’s when the fear creeps in. You can’t survive on fear.”  Unfortunately on October 6 2017 Stephanie lost her battle with this deadly type of cancer.

Often over looked in source energy!!!

How to Heal all Diseases with Source Energy …

Amy’s Healing Story

In a nutshell!!!

8+ years of chronic Lyme disease, Epstein Barr Virus, inflammation, nerve damage    and other health failures = only completely resolved with no recurrent symptoms     once I finally went back to balance my energy system and address/release the emotional component of my illnesses.

15+ years of intensely painful menstrual problems (endometriosis, fibroids, polyps) accompanying chronic fatigue symptoms + 5 surgeries + every medical and alternative therapy I could find =  only resolved after using energy therapy techniques. No drugs,  no supplements, no special diets.

How it started:

After 8 years suffering with Chronic Lyme disease and other associated health failures,      I  recovered largely thanks  to  an experimental embryonic stem cell treatment in India. However,  the endometriosis,  fibroids,  polyps and intensely painful menstruation that       I had suffered for 15 years, became dramatically worse. I began to question why this too, didn’t heal with such radical treatment. And not only didn’t it heal, but it got worse.

Then, years after my stem cell transplant, I start to see the emergence of some troubling symptoms — very similar to the ones I originally experienced. All my Lyme tests were also negative, but it was later confirmed that chronic Epstein Barr Virus, various food allergies and other conditions that I had been free of for so long, were back. This meant, once again, my immune system was impaired. I was scared to death that I would end up where I once was, in a downward spiral of chronic pain.

So, I started to look more deeply at my health conditions than I ever had before….

I obsessively researched alternative ways to get my debilitating menstrual issues (pain, heavy bleeding and fatigue) under control. I tried everything from a world renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor to herbs to special diets and supplements. After endless therapies with the best specialists and 5 failed surgeries, I became determined      to find out what was really causing this.

I knew that whatever was causing my body to be so imbalanced, this could manifest, was likely why I couldn’t stay well from all of my other health challenges. The immune system, when it’s strong, is the gatekeeper for disease. Something was wrong at a fundamental level — and it had to be somewhere I hadn’t looked deeply enough at yet.

“If treating the body alone doesn’t resolve the challenge, then the body   alone must not be what created it.” – Me

What contributes to one person manifesting a disease or post traumatic reaction to           an event, while another person remains healthy? What will help ignite the body’s own mechanism for healing after the onset of injury or illness?

I began to explore the concept of energy, and how the body actually has its own energy system. If it becomes imbalanced, symptoms of any kind can arise.

What I found out

After working with myself first and then many others, I believe wholeheartedly that unprocessed emotions, unresolved trauma and damaging belief systems (ones we don’t even recognize we have!) are the biggest contributors to why we suffer with symptoms.    In many ways, the way in which we experience our lives from an emotional standpoint      is a blueprint for how it unfolds.

Not only do stored energies cause us to experience intense emotional reactions like fear, excessive worry, and sadness; but also,  they have a huge impact on our immune systems, which affect our physical bodies. By releasing these emotions, we also free ourselves from negative emotional patterns, and employ our immune system’s full healing capabilities.

I believe because the trapped emotional energy I was storing in my body was never addressed, the stem cell transplant forced the physical repair of some of my body; but the underlining emotional energy was still there. . . .and just began to re-manifest in different ways. While I grew so much spiritually and emotionally in India, I eventually fell back into some of my old unhealthy patterns of living and thinking when I returned.

Although disease is often viewed as a negative experience, I do believe that it is a vessel     to help us clear out from our lives that which no longer serves us. It’s the sometimes-hard-to-see-the silver lining to suffering. And while I had many ups and downs in my process of healing, I see now with clarity, there was purpose to it all.

Where I am now

After learning to move energy in my body and  addressing emotional links to my symptoms, I found wellness again. And I know in my heart, it is for good. The feeling that accompanied my return to full health is nothing like I’ve ever felt before — like I’ve truly healed to my core.

I addressed issues like:
  • Being extremely fearful of things like germs, not being in control, and the future — which really translated to deep fear about not being safe in the world
  • Being scared to be healthy (yes, I really had that fear and I believe the majority of ill people have it in them somewhere too)
  • Unprocessed grief, resentment and other issues
  • The emotional patterns I now find to be prominent in those with chronic Lyme disease.
  • Why I was still holding on to my illness (finding the upside to my illness and discovering limiting beliefs)

I now live a normal life without the interference of menstrual issues. The worrisome symptoms I started to experience once again years after my treatment in India completely reversed. I am healthier and happier now than I have ever been in my entire life.

I truly feel this is because I went back and healed all the parts of myself that were also struggling – not just my physical body. I re-established a foundation for myself in this world – one without the fears I had carried for so long. In turn, I believe I sent strong messages to my whole being that it was safe to relax…and that released my immune system from so much of the stress it was burdened by.

I put myself in a space of allowing my complete healing. 🙂

Preview Amy B Scher on Energy Therapy,

Lyme Disease & How To Heal Yourself

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

Fighting for Ryder

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Ken

Many cancer survivor stories within the first 100 blogs of this website. However within — this Survivor Story, Ryan Sternagel shares about his son Ryder’s cancer journey.

In May of 2014, about a month before Ryder’s first birthday, Ryder’s mom Teddy noticed  a lump  in Ryder’s back next to his spine.  Their concerns were initially dismissed by their doctor, however, as they were researching online, many sites led them to neuroblastoma – a childhood cancer of the nervous system.

After an ultrasound which led to an MRI, the doctor and nurse came out with tears in  their eyes. It turned out that the lump Ryan and Teddy felt was just the tip of the iceberg. The tumor inside of and growing out of Ryder’s spine was larger than his kidneys. There were also two additional tumors that had metastasized in his bones.

From day one, Ryan and Teddy chose to implement as many natural options as possible along with the conventional cancer treatments. The original Quest for the Cures came out two weeks after they received their son’s diagnosis and Ryan attributes much of their initial success with finding answers to having watched this docuseries.

Ryan and Teddy constantly researched and used many alternative cancer treatment modalities including juicing and infrared sauna. By the second scan, Ryder’s secondary tumors were gone  and the primary tumor was reduced beyond expectation. Today,  the secondary tumors are still gone and the larger tumor is about 5% of what it was and has been flatlined for about a year and a half now.

Click on the video to hear more about Ryder’s cancer experience, including his parent’s continued efforts to inspire other children and provide information to parent’s going through a similar experience.

When Leanne’s son, Drew was sent home to die from the Mayo Clinic when 15 months of intensive treatment failed curing him of his Stage IV Neuroblastoma. Drew, was honestly one of my biggest sources of inspiration when Ryder was first diagnosed with cancer.

After learning about natural therapies (primarily juicing and supplements which Leanne administered through a g-tube) Drew was completely healed within weeks of his death sentence. Miracle? Yes of course…But also the power of natural therapies.

At the time I never knew about the story of Leanne’s older son Jacob who was diagnosed with a terminal heart defect and underwent three open heart surgeries before the age of one. Talk about inspiration…

“With all due respect, I would rather die living than live dying.” -Jacob Sorteberg
From Leanne (Jacob’s mom):

Those words were spoken by our son Jacob, age 20 at the time, after his cardiologist advised him to prolong his life by finding a desk-job career.
This is a story about resilience, advocacy and energy.

Resilience:
Jacob was born with a terminal heart defect called Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return to the Coronary Sinus or “Total Veins” for short. In laymen’s term the 4 pulmonary veins bringing oxygenated blood from the lungs to his heart are slowly clasping.

Jacob underwent 3 open-heart surgeries before he turned 1-year-old. The first surgery  was to correct an atrial septal defect, which was a hole in one of the upper chambers of    his heart.  The next two surgeries  were an attempt to create an unobstructed pathway within the four veins for blood to flow to his heart.

Unfortunately both surgeries were unsuccessful. During his second open heart surgery (recovery picture posted here) doctors discovered Jacob had two left lungs and that he was also born without a stomach.

Jacob’s journey from birth to present day is wrought with profound life-lesson. He was hospitalized for the first 3 ½ years of his life. He had a feeding tube and oxygen for his first 5 ½ years. During that time nurses became my sisters, and some doctors became    my teachers.

I’ll never forget the first words spoken to me after Jacob was rushed to the university’s neonatal intensive care unit.

“We’ve worked on tons of babies with this heart defect. They never live past the age of one.” –UM Pathologist.

Jacob barely survived that first year. I held him in my arms 3 times as a “Code Blue” ushered a team of medical staff to his bedside. He suffered countless bouts of life-threatening double pneumonia due to blood pooling in his lungs.

Doctors preformed a surgery to create a micro-stomach so we could feed him through a g-tube. Little did we know then how critical that g-tube would become. When Jacob’s younger brother, Drew, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and eventually sent home to die, placing a g-tube in Drew allowed us to bolus feed him organic juices and natural supplements, which cured his cancer in a few short weeks!

Treating Drew’s cancer natural had a significant impact on Jacob’s health. Once we eliminated everything white (i.e. dairy, flour, sugars, etc) from our diet and literally became vegans overnight, Jacob’s health slowly began to improve. First, he went six months without getting double pneumonia. That was a huge milestone!

Then he was finally able to come off oxygen support. Next, his appetite improved so quickly we were able to pull the g-tube so Jacob could eat normally. To this day, Jacob    will eat anything you put in front of him. He even tried lobster brains when we lived in Maine. He said they tasted like almonds.

Months of wellness turned into years. Every time we saw Jacob’s cardiologist he would  run tests and say with a smile, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep doing it.”

Advocacy:
It was 4am. The ringing phone startled me. Murphy’s Law strikes. It was the one time the nurses convinced me to go home to sleep in my own bed. During the night Jacob’s health took a terrible turn for the worse. By the time I arrived at the hospital he was in congestive heart failure.

After alerting us, the hospital called our extended family to explain that he would not  make it through the day. They were instructed to come immediately. When I walked into his hospital room my eyes immediately fixed on Jacob. He was heaving with each breath and his skin was a purplish gray. He looked panicked, and rightfully so…. his little heart was beating 180 beats per minute,  a condition known as Tachycardia.  Two doctors and  our primary nurse stood by his bedside. I had grown to love Mary. She took great care of our son,  but also took the time to teach me how to be a young mom  (age 23 at the time) with a special needs child.

The energy in the room was tense.                                                                                             One doctor was holding a syringe with medication. The three on the medical staff became abruptly silent. I could sense they had been arguing and my suspicion was confirmed when one doctor broke the silence. He gritted his teeth and said to the other doctor holding the syringe, “Just give it to him!”

The reply was, “No. We’ve given him too much. This will push him over the edge.”
With a red face and raising his voice the other doctor replied, “I am your superior.

Give it to me so I can give it to him!” Again, the younger doctor shook his head no in defiance. Suddenly, Mary turned toward me and calmly said, “You have a say in this matter.”

It was one of those ah-ha moments, an epiphany that would shape me as a mother forever. Her words resonated through every fiber of my being.

In that instance, I knew no one could advocate for my child/children better than me       and I was determined to become the best advocate ever. I asked both doctors to leave the room. The angry one demanded Mary follow. Left alone, Jacob and I were finally able to snuggle. Tears rolled down his cheeks as I spoke calmly to him.

The energy in the room shifted.                                                                                                   I unhooked monitors and rocked him gentle in my arms. His breathing calmed as he      laid his head against me. I could hear the yelling in the hallway. Obviously flustered,    Mary tucked her head into the room and asked me what I wanted to do.

With confidence I replied, “No more doctors. No more needles. No more drugs.”
Jacob was moved into intensive care. Mary was able to follow with due to a nursing shortage. For the next 12 hours Mary and I were the only ones allowed in his room. Monitors remained on but nearly silenced and lights were dimmed. Jacob slept the    entire time. By morning he was stable and my resolve as his advocate was internally secured.

Energy:
Today, If Jake is in poor health he knows now to consider his options with both conventional and alternative/natural healthcare. He doesn’t panic. He researches.                 He also works to eat healthy and more importantly he works to maintain a positive attitude… a positive energy.

His heart has to work extra hard to bring blood from his lungs. Doctors tell us his heart’s efforts to do so have come at a cost.  Jacob is nearly half my age.  His heart’s age is much closer to mine.  Stress on the heart causes one’s hair to gray prematurely.  Jacob’s hair is graying,  but his attitude and zest for life shine!  He is an avid hiker,  camper,  fisherman, and canoeing enthusiast. He loves to spend as much time outdoors embracing nature.

Just to get-my-goat, he often sends pictures of him rock climbing, hanging off a tree branch high in the air or balancing on a cliff’s edge. Nature offers a healing and calming energy.  Jacob is soaking it all up.  More importantly,  Jacob is not letting a life-limiting statement become his reality. He has chosen to live life abundantly on his terms.

He has chosen to live a life that brings him joy, harmony and happiness. He has chosen a healing energy. He recognizes he is a product of intelligent design and has a sincere faith and trust in God for his life’s destiny.

The resources for natural healing are endless and priceless for those dealing with disease. Our planet has everything we need to heal and will continue to offer healing herbs, plants foods,  as long as we stop destroying it.  Often times,  the person diagnosed with a deadly illness will need a strong,  positive advocate by their side to research  and uncover proven natural healing modalities because the mind–fuck of a deadly illness overwhelms the one diagnosed.

Become someone’s advocate.                                                                                                        If you are dealing with a deadly disease or are an advocate for someone,   I hope Jacob’s story of resilience, advocacy and energy inspires you. Rid your life of negativity. Find your divine power.  Also Stand your ground,  especially when confronted with egos.  Have faith and may you crave a connection with nature’s healing energy.  Become an #inspiration 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/Step-Guide-Nutritional-Healing/dp/0966491009 https://www.amazon.com/Your-Child-Doesnt-Have-Die/dp/0965471403

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMt2dHs8E6A

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

Hey You — Shannon Knight’s Story

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Ken


Heather Rayburn with Shannon Knight 🙂

“Hey You”
Heather Rayburn Lyrics, Vocals
Peter Gallinari Keyboard

Published on Aug 17, 2018

Heather Rayburn. “Hey You” is about what I went through emotionally. Those moments of pulling it together with pep-talks in the mirror to find courage and support within myself.

An extraordinary song that has been waiting 2 1/2 years to be heard. It even brought tears to many men’s eyes! Fireman, cowboy, police officer, marine etc.

(Please share with anyone struggling with cancer or who has been dealing with other hardships)  I felt I had to overcome my fear and cross over the border to get to the other side of becoming cancer free.

This beautiful song was written for me about my cancer journey by my best friend,         Hey you, quite simply was about me and my self-talk when I’d look in the mirror to find courage and support within me. Many of us do that. My first mirror “Hey You” moment   of doing this was July 19th, 2006 the night of my first diagnosis of breast cancer stage 3.     I excused myself politely from the doctor’s office and went to the restroom because I did not want to cry in the office. I closed the door behind me and Gripped the sink.

I looked in the mirror holding back the tears that were trying to pour out and I said quietly, “Please God no, this can’t be true. Not me!” There were many more “Hey you moments” and I know many people will be able to relate to this song. Finding the hero within yourself.

The video shows pictures doing CMN hospital doing alternative cancer treatment therapies, #ParadiseCove in Malibu the day UCLA gave up on me and other moments        of celebrating the Anniversary years that passed of being cancer free.

I cannot express enough how much Heather means to me and how she always said to me “Oh, Cancer can’t take you, you are too bright of a light” I kind of thought she was crazy, but she was right TWICE! Stage 3 and stage 4, she said this to me and then I believed it was impossible! This is the kind of friend that is invaluable because

I started to believe her! Our mind and heart are powerful and she filled me with faith, passion to try and most of all that I was worth a miracle. She said other amazing things wrote more beautiful songs but this one was written in the way she knew me. Heather Rayburn, Melody Kanter Williams Dawn Fulkerson Allen headed up Angels for Shannon, held meetings and pushed for its success continuously to raise money to get me to CMN hospital for alternative cancer treatment when I. was diagnosed with stage 4! We succeeded with the help of hundreds of other angels by the time we finished.

This song deserves the very best presentation! I know it will have that one day. For now,   it is a humble snapshot type of video of my journey. It does not barely begin to do her song justice.  Not even close!  Her song is a masterpiece!

I post this with a prayer that angels carry this song on a journey so it can help others.          It needs to be heard because so many will relate.

Tony Hauenstein and Peter Gallinari and some of the most respected musicians                 in Nashville and Juanita Copeland president of the prestigious Sound Emporium Recording Studio allowed all of this to come together.

I just could not let this song stay in hiding any longer. It is moving and inspiring for           all tough circumstances besides my own.  This song is for all of you who are struggling; believe me. Thank you to all especially my best friend and songbird! An angel, truly.            I love you, Heather Rayburn! ~ Love Shannon

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The Spirit 0f Cheyann Shaw

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Ken

Hey Cheyann: I stumbled upon your page today. I know you probably get these comments constantly, but I just wanted to say that you’ve inspired yet another person. Thank You for your positivity, strength, and humor. Also your strength and faith are beautiful- and don’t surprise me at all. Survivors are everywhere and you put up one hell of a fight 🏻  I’m also thankful for your health, for your experience, and for your willingness to share your story with the world.     https://www.instagram.com/cheymarie_fit/

Cheyann States: “When I was first diagnosed August 3rd, 2016, I was really scared, but       it went away quickly.  I knew that I had no choice but to fight.  I wasn’t going to let cancer win. I knew that my husband and family needed me – there was no way I am leaving them. So that is when I put my boxing gloves on and got in the ring to knock cancer out.”

This is hard for me to post… this was a photo taken on November 26, 2016

Left- Before we knew I had cancer. I was a solid 130lbs and 15% body fat.

Also had a nice little booty growing back there. –

Right- was taken Stage 4 Low Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. After almost 14 days in the hospital, a poop bag, and a major surgery; I stand at 105lbs and that’s way to small for me. I’m 5″5. I lost everything.  Cancer has taken so much from me.  The body I worked so hard for 2 years to get,  the ability to have and carry my own child,  my hair,  and so much more, was all taken from me. But one thing for sure is that cancer did not take my determination to fight and my faith. –
–
I will never stop fighting. I will never lose my faith. I will never let cancer win. Some days may have been rough days for me mentally, but that’s okay. Because I knew tomorrow would be much better and I’m thankful to be alive and to see another day.  I knew GOD is up there working and I know he will give me the strength to fight,  also the light to see in the darkness, and will lay his healing hands on me. –

Shaw’s was always optimistic that she would recover and get back to her muscular self.     “I have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror, but I’m learning to love myself again, and I knew deep inside my being this would be only temporary.”

Some good news: when doctors gave Cheyann the OK to start lifting light weights.      Before cancer, she could curl 30 pounds with ease. After cancer she knew she would         be starting over in the gym, but she was up for the challenge. Cheyann also stated on Instagram, “I’ll be starting at square one again, but that’s okay, that just means I will   come back better and stronger and I’ll also have a new badass scar.”

This is the toughest battle I have and will ever face in my life, but I know I can do it.       The hardest   part of all this is my body change. I have a hard time looking at myself           in the mirror but I’m learning to love myself again and I know this is only temporary.   Once I get the clear light to workout, I’ll be in the gym banging those weights🏻

This is the most recent Instagram post below: September 4, 2018

Started the morning off with some much needed beach time 🏻

Yesterday was a good day but a weird day for me, so I decided to not let yesterday’s        funk roll over to today and took my lil peach to the beach. The beach has become my   home away from home. A place I can collect my thoughts and where I started to feel centered again. For me, time stands still at the beach and for a person who’s mind/      body is always on the go — time standing still is sometimes much needed.🦋

Your health is 🦋 MOST IMPORTANT 🦋

Ps. I haven’t used anything on my scars. They have naturally faded and I believe it has something to do with genetics 🙂

And I can’t believe how far I have come in 2 short years.

Ginger Hultin, M.S., R.D.N., a certified specialist in oncology nutrition, tells that       weight fluctuations can often happen when someone is fighting cancer. Also some   patients experience unintended weight loss,  while others experience unintended        weight gain.    See her long-time nutrition blog ChampagneNutrition.com

As for weight loss, Hultin cites a number of potential causes, including a taxing          healing process after surgery, digestion issues, and more. “People can lose lean body  mass, and there can be a lot of muscle mass loss,” Hultin says. “And people also are sometimes doing less physical activity because they’re feeling tired.”

Loss of appetite is also a common side effect of chemotherapy, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hultin explains that chemotherapy can shift a person’s tastes, too. “Lots of taste changes can cause avoidance of protein-rich food, so that can cause weight changes, too,” she says.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeYoX-Qwnwk

Posted in Thought Provoking | Leave a comment

How God Designed Us

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Ken

What are you doing right now?

If your first answer was, “nothing” you are badly mistaken. Right now while you sit quietly, a myriad of wonderful events are taking place necessary for your survival.  Right now your heart is beating.  If you’re in average physical condition,  it beats between 60 and 70 times per minute, 93,000 times per day, 655,000 times per week, 34 million times per year, and 2.4 billion beats in the average lifetime. What’s also so amazing is that, most of the time, it fuels itself, paces itself, repairs itself, and alters itself in response to lifestyle changes, with no conscious effort on your part.

In addition to your heart, your liver is detoxifying your blood, your brain is storing       away information, cells are being formed and cells destroyed, energy is being used and produced, and many other tasks vital to life  and  function all carry on in a wonderful, harmonious way.  Thomas Jefferson may have had similar thoughts in mind when he observed, ” No knowledge can be more satisfactory to man than that of his own frame,     its parts, their functions, and actions.”

In an earlier era,  St. Augustine noted,   ” Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains,  at the huge waves of the sea,  at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the oceans, at the circular motion of the stars, pass by themselves without wondering.”

In deference to Jefferson’s hypothesis and Augustine’s criticism, this essay will discuss three topics arising from even a cursory examination of man’s physical form and function:

1) the complexity of man and what it suggests about man’s origins,

2) the efficient and versatile operation of man compared with machine,

3) the depth of our ignorance about how man’s physiological systems operate.

Within man’s span of abilities, he can run more than 26 miles at less than 5 min per mile, he can jump over three feet higher than his own stature, he can create an artificial heart, he can explain some of the workings of the chromosome.

Yet, Man is one of the slowest of the fast animals, and one of the weakest of the strong animals. Despite his superior intellect, man does some stupid things (consider chronic    use of tobacco for one),  and seems doomed  to repeat the same mistakes periodically.    Let’s examine man’s function in detail. http://www.leaderu.com/science/bishop.html

Utilizing and tapping into the creator force from within.
We tend to lean towards those who hold a tripartite view and the following is my understanding of our design and how the spirit, soul and body are interconnected.   Indeed, we are very, very complex beings and only a living God could have created             us as we are. I urge you to study the scriptures to arrive at your own understanding            of man’s design.

Our Body

It is by our body that we function. It’s comprised of organs and cells which consists of protein carbohydrates and fats. Our body contains our nervous system. . with nerves and   the brain. It’s through our bodies that we connect to the physical world with our 5 senses.

Psalm 139:14 says that “you are fearfully and wonderfully made.”  Open this document    for examples of how marvelously God made our bodies to function as they do.

Our Soul

Our soul is what gives us our personality and it’s through our soul that we live out           our relationship with God, with other people and with our self. Our soul likely has three major components — our mind, will and emotions.  Our mind has a conscious part and       a subconscious part.

The conscious mind is where we do our thinking and reasoning. The sub-conscious mind is where we hold our deep beliefs and our attitudes. It’s also where we have our feeling, our emotions and retain our memories. Our will is what gives us the ability to make choices.

Through a very complex way, our mind, our will and our emotions are connected to the body through our endocrine, nervous and immune systems.  “The mind, body and spirit communicate constantly. What the mind thinks, perceives, and experiences is sent from our brain to the rest of the body.” Herbert Benson, M.D., The Benson – Henson Institute for Mind Body Medicine

Our Spirit

It’s in our spirit that we have meaning and purpose in life. At the deepest level our spirit gives us meaning and purpose and our spirit enables us to love one another, our self and God. It’s through our spirit that we have communion and fellowship with God. Our spirit gives us intuition between right and wrong.

For in-depth reading about the distinction between spirit, soul and body consider material written by Watchman Nee, especially The Spiritual Man which is a book online and free.

Our spiritual health will have a significant impact on our emotional health which will have a major influence on our physical health. The inter-connection between the spirit, the soul and the body is certainly a complex connection,  nevertheless,  the connection is very real. The apostle John was inspired by God to write in 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” This is an indication of the importance of attending to matters of the soul as it relates to being healthy.

The Interaction Between Spirit, Soul and Body

Many of us are affected by how we handle the stress that life brings us. If chronic stress     is left unchecked, over a period of time our bodies will take a toll.  A strong faith can help us to cope with the stress we experience in our life and enable the impact of that stress to be less significant.

Without a strong personal faith we must resort to our own resources to cope with the stress present in our life. Often we attempt to cope with this stress through addictions   and other methods of escape. This behavior can further exacerbate the effect of stress      on our physical health. A strong personal faith can be a resource that helps to manage stress. Read more at Stress, Health and Faith.

Our beliefs and attitudes, determined in large degree by our faith, will play a major role in our thinking patterns.  Our day to day thinking  will have an impact on our emotions and feelings, and our emotions and feelings will have a major impact on our behaviors. In this regard,  our thought patterns play a significant role  in our emotional and physical health. In the page on Spiritual Exercises we address the importance of our thinking patterns and how we can change our thinking which can transform our life.

Caring for our heart – our ‘spiritual’ heart as well as our physical heart – is a huge part      of being healthy.

Why You Do What You Do – A video screencast by Carey Green, founder of Christian Home and Family, that explains how our spirit, soul and body interact and the impact      of our flesh, or our old sinful habits.

Read more about spirituality and health to better understand why this connection between one’s faith and their health exists. “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Share with your friends . . . . . .

The Psychodynamic Approach to Explaining Abnormality http://slideplayer.com/slide/2548226/

Human behavior can be confusing. Add to that the influence of being a fallen human  being and the sinful habits we develop – and you can go “tilt” trying to figure it out. This screencast is designed to help you understand what the Bible says about how your body, soul, and spirit work together – and how the entrance of the Holy Spirit into your life can make all the difference!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rqEy1jL-iA

Evidence of God in Human Physiology-–

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

Mind–body dualism, or mind–body duality, is a view. . . in which the philosophy of mind  that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical, or that the mind and body are distinct and separable.  Thus, it encompasses a set of views about the relationship between mind and matter, between subject and object, and is contrasted with other positions, such as physicalism and enactivism, in the mind–body problem.

Aristotle shared Plato’s view of multiple souls and further elaborated a hierarchical arrangement, corresponding to the distinctive functions of plants, animals, and people:     a nutritive soul of growth and metabolism that all three share; a perceptive soul of pain, pleasure, and desire that only people and other animals share; and the faculty of reason that is unique to people only.

In this view, a soul is the hylomorphic form of a viable organism, wherein each level          of the hierarchy formally supervenes upon the substance of the preceding level. Thus,      for Aristotle, all three souls perish when the living organism dies. For Plato however,      the soul was not dependent on the physical body; he believed in metempsychosis, the migration of the soul to a new physical body.

Dualism is closely associated with the thought of René Descartes (1641), which holds      that the mind is a nonphysical—and therefore, non-spatial—substance. Descartes also clearly identified the mind with consciousness and self-awareness and distinguished      this from the brain as the seat of intelligence.

Hence, he was the first to formulate the mind–body problem in the form in which it    exists today. Dualism is contrasted with various kinds of monism. Substance dualism        is contrasted with all forms of materialism, but property dualism may be considered           a form of emergent materialism or non-reductive physicalism in some sense.

When you connect with your source of strength and faith, whether you believe in God,     the Creator, the Universe, Ala, Jehovah, Yashua’s or any name you use for your source,  you can always tap into this source at any time, in times of gratitude and of need.

I tap into my Creator Source to ask for guidance. I ask to be guided and protected whenever I’m sitting down to write. I believe that when I ask for guidance it comes;          for me, it shows up as a thought,  an idea, an image,  visualization, a sense of peace.        Over the years, I’ve learned to listen and follow this guidance. It gives me strength.

An impenetrable source of strength will make your life’s foundation unshakeable, especially during difficult periods of your career or personal life when circumstances         or people appear to be at their worst.

You always have your source—an internal, undeniable, and abundant source to get the support you need to move forward, to believe you can do it, to trust that all will eventually turn out okay.v No one or anything can take it away from you.  That’s harnessing your personal power, the ability to tap into all your resources—mind, body, and spirit, and take action.

In the human brainstem, the solitary nucleus (SN) (nucleus of the solitary tract, nucleus solitarius, nucleus tractus solitarii)  is a series of purely sensory nuclei  (clusters of nerve cell bodies) forming a vertical column of grey matter embedded in the medulla oblongata. Through the center of  the SN runs the solitary tract,  a white bundle of nerve fibers, including fibers from the facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves, that innervate the SN.

The SN projects to, among other regions, the reticular formation, parasympathetic preganglionic neurons, hypothalamus and thalamus, forming circuits that contribute        to autonomic regulation.  Autonomic functions include control of respiration, cardiac regulation (the cardiac control center), vasomotor activity (the vasomotor center), and certain reflex actions such as coughing, sneezing, swallowing and vomiting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system

Cells along the length of the SN are arranged roughly in accordance with function; for instance, cells involved in taste are located in the higher, more anterior (“ventral”) part, while those receiving information from cardio-respiratory and gastrointestinal processes are found in the lower, more posterior (“dorsal”) part.

Information goes from the solitary nucleus to a large number of other regions of the    brain including the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the central nucleus of the amygdala, as well as to other nuclei in the brainstem (such as the parabrachial area, the locus coeruleus, the dorsal raphe nucleus, and also other visceral motor or respiratory networks).The signals projected from the SN to the parabrachial area originate in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract.

The pathways for gastric and gustatory (taste) processes are believed to terminate in different subdivisions of the parabrachial area, but still interact in the SN. So me neuronal subpopulations in the SN, such as the noradrenergic cell group A2 and the aldosterone-sensitive HSD2 neurons project as far ventral as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Award-winning science journalist Jo Marchant explores the amazing links between         our minds and bodies — how we can use this new knowledge to improve our health and enhance our lives. This was filmed at an Action for Happiness event in London on the 8th February 2018  http://www.actionforhappiness.org   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=6dlF3HrkXCY

I’ve been fascinated to read several interviews with medical writer Jo Marchant. For her new book, Cure: A Journey Into The Science of Mind Over Body, Marchant has mined the literature on how thoughts and perceptions affect our physiology, developing a nuanced appreciation of how the mind and body interact. Her findings:

“Our mental state can be crucial in determining our experience of symptoms such as pain, nausea, fatigue and depression…Feeling stressed or afraid can cause your heart to race and your bowels to empty, and trigger an immune response called inflammation.

These processes aren’t usually under our conscious control—we can’t will changes to occur—but there are indirect methods we can use to influence them.”

While in no way suggesting that illnesses are “all in the mind,” Marchant’s analysis suggests that our mental and physical health is affected by the way we perceive and relate to it. Meditation, says Marchant,  is one of those indirect,  influencing,  methods that can help, which is perhaps not surprising given that how we perceive and relate to our lives is precisely what’s trained in mindfulness practice.

The effect of mindfulness on inflammatory health was shown in a study by David Creswell that came out in February.  This research showed changes  in brain circuitry and reduced inflammation after three days of mindfulness training,  while three days of relaxation did not have the same effect. Creswell explains the difference in impact between mindfulness meditation and relaxation:

“We show that mindfulness meditation impacts measurable brain circuits more so than helpful relaxation practices, and that these brain circuit changes help us understand how mindfulness meditation improves health. Mindfulness also teaches participants how to be more open and attentive to their experiences,  even difficult ones.  By contrast, relaxation approaches are good in the moment for making the body feel relaxed,  but….  harder to translate when you’re dealing with difficult stressors in your life. This new work sheds light into what mindfulness training is doing to the brain to produce these inflammatory health benefits.”

How meditation helps me deal with the symptoms of depression and lingering triggers
A mindful way of perceiving and relating to difficult experiences has helped in my journey with depression. I came to meditation around 15 years ago, when stuck in a two-and-a half year depressive trough. I had thrown myself in desperation at various treatments, however mindfulness offered something different.

The method itself meant practicing acceptance, just the opposite of what I was used to. This marked the beginning of a transformation—a recognition that the way I was approaching the “problem” of depression actually helped perpetuate it.

Through meditation, I learned to see how my attitude and behaviour, characterized by self-critical striving and resistance, was a significant factor in how I felt. Mindfulness offered a gentler way, and I learned how to be kind to myself, even—especially—when feeling stressed.

For me, mindfulness has been the “master key” to understanding how the mind and     body work, as well as a skillful method for managing them. It’s not magic, of course. Our physiological and psychological habits are strong, and we can’t just think our way out of them—believing this would be falling prey to the pseudo-science which has given mind-body medicine an undeservedly poor reputation.

Our experience is conditioned not just by our mentality, not just by our biology, but        also our relationships, external environment, society and culture, and we have limited control over all of these. But practicing a shift in view, a change of heart, over and over again, seems to be a vital mechanism. . .through which mindfulness training also helps  our sense of health.  As Creswell’s study elegantly demonstrates, it leads to measurable biological shifts.

There’s a traditional mind training slogan which says: “Change your attitude, but remain natural.” I think this captures the paradox. . . .that mindfulness training invites. Without getting caught in trying to change the moment,  we nevertheless change our relationship with the moment—the meaning we give to what’s happening, and our way of responding. This, it turns out, changes the moment too.

Dr. Joan Borysenko – After graduating magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College in 1967, Dr. Borysenko earned her doctorate in Medical Sciences from the Harvard Medical School, where she completed post-doctoral training in cancer cell biology. Her first faculty position was at the Tufts University College of Medicine in Boston.

But after the death of her father from cancer, she became more interested in the       person with the illness than in the disease itself, and returned to Harvard Medical School to complete a second postdoctoral fellowship,  this  time  in  the  new  field  of  behavioral medicine. Under the tutelage of Herbert Benson, M.D., who first identified the relaxation response and brought meditation into medicine, she was awarded a Medical Foundation Fellowship and completed her third post-doctoral fellowship in psychoneuroimmunology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBtkS7XpkKs

When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You

I Love this song so much❤❤❤❤

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MczogO6XKk

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