The Reiki Sessions - My Mother's Pancreatic Cancer. Diary No. 4

So, I finally did Reiki while my mother was listening to Dick Sutphen's self-hypnosis CD, "Healing Force." She's gotten to love the Reiki sessions. When she's ready to go to bed, if I'm not downstairs with her, she just washes up and waits in her bed. It's really very sweet.

The first time we listened to the CD, she was talking through the full-body relaxation that Sutphen does with you, so she really only got the suggestions in a semi-relaxed (ie Reikified) state.

Last night was different. We set out to listen to the whole thing. By the time he got half way through the relaxation part, she was asleep. I was wondering whether she was really benefiting from it aside from possibly subliminally. Well, I was really pleasantly surprised at one point to see that she was really "in" the zone. Although she was snoring intermittently, at one point Sutphen counts back from 5, saying that you will open your eyes and be alert and aware. So, here my mother is sound asleep, supposedly, and when he gets to the number 1 her eyes pop open!

She quickly went back to "sleep" or wherever she was, but she seemed to be awake during the section where he puts in the suggestion for your mind to exert a powerful healing force on your body, and that your body is filled with healing energy, etc. She started snoring toward the end of that and then stayed asleep throughout the subliminal section where there is just nice music.

I pretty much just let her stay asleep after that.

Monday we're doing Cyberknife radiation. I am extremely excited about it. Missile technology to send high doses of radiation only on the tumor. And only 3 times. A good friend had it and had zero side effects.

I've also been giving her multivitamins in a formula that has a high dose of Vitamin C, but the other day Pauline told me that her oncologist 10 years ago told her to stop taking antioxidants before radiation. She was especially worried because I was giving her a gram of C. I'm cutting it down to be on the safe side, but I think this radiation is so strong that it won't matter either way. There have been a few studies showing C having a good effect with radiation though, so I'm confused and torn (btw - cancerous tumors take in Vitamin C because it has a molecular structure so like glucose - which the tumor uses to grow - so the theory is that it could protect the cells - but that doesn't take into consideration the fact that cancer cells have an abnormal metabolism). In the end, who knows.

From what I've read, I probably won't be doing any harm due to the nature of this treatment. The cyberknife people also had no opinion on it one way or another.
I have read a recent study showing that resveratrol and quecertin kill pancreatic cancer cells, and that resveratrol has been shown to sensitize cells to radiation in vitro. Due to the location of my mother's tumor, cutting across the duodenum, that seems practically in vitro to me, so I'm giving her those things. Also, extra Vitamin A just for next week. Since A is a fat-soluble vitamin, her doctor wants me to cut back on it over the long term.

She's liking the whey shakes also but since they're rich (flax and fish oils) she sometimes gets worried they'll make her too full. However, whey protein is the most easily assimilated protein powder and protein is vital to cancer patients. I put in a splash of orange juice for flavor and then add frozen organic berries, some almond milk or water, and then powdered vitamins and Maitake D mushroom tincture (although that is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach, so I'm not sure it works to put in the shake - she won't take it alone, so I'm stuck doing it this way).

So, Reiki is part of a total healing program for mind, body and spirit. I feel that the relaxed mental state it puts people in is as important as the relaxation the body gets from the energy.

Two new things I'm investigating: the Budwig protocol (flax oil and cottage cheese as key elements in a vegetarian diet, with relaxation, detoxification, and sunlight elements) and Essiac tea. I now know too many people who swear by the second thing not to try it.

A friend told me that the stuff they sell at the pet store is much cheaper than at the health food store and that they're the same (this was after telling me that she had a dog who outlived all expectations on that stuff, as did someone else's dog. Another friend had her mother go into remission from terminal gall bladder cancer with radiation and Essiac tea, and she herself takes it as part of her recovery from breast cancer). I bought the powder to make my own - more economical. It's worth a shot. It's only herbs and in the quantities suggested nontoxic. Vamos a ver.

One objective result:

We have a wonderful new geriatrician as a physician. Wow, you never know how bad your doctor is (although only my mother couldn't tell that her old doctor had been an out to lunch, disrespectful ass), until you get a great one. Anyway, he had never seen my mother before but told her that she looked terrific, no qualifiers (i.e. for a woman with cancer, or for your age, etc.) She also doesn't have swollen lymph nodes either. I thought that was major. By all rights she should.

I'm definitely doing something right. The Cyberknife will be a huge help now, but I'm convinced that the healing program that's developing here is in the right direction at least.