Introducing Alternative Therapies

I’m always on the lookout for alternative, I don’t know if I’d call it treatments, more like new ways to say; broaden my scope of thinking. Different ways of coping with life and just open myself to a different way of thinking, trying to evolve. If that makes any sense… so after my newspaper article I got in contact with a cancer resource centre in Stratford, very close to home called Well Spring. To a lot of patients these places remain unknown, I’d been back in town for about two years and just heard about it and went down for a meeting to see what it was all about and I’m sure glad I did. I think the ladies there were happy for a man to show as they informed me it’s generally woman who take advantage of the resources and getting involved myself would also help drive other men, who suffer from cancer to take advantage of a place like this. Not only that, but it’s also somewhere a caregiver and go to find comfort and use the many type treatments and social networking it can offer. A place of comfort in a not so comfortable time in their lives. Self care is important and often overlooked and an outside ear it just what some people in these stressful times need. A caregivers needs for some mental relaxation or just a break fall through the cracks sometimes and the stress can way heavy. That is why after a treatment at Well Spring I was happy to hear that my wife was more than welcome to take advantages of their services as well. As can every caregiver.

Now I am a support group leader for my area where I used to live, Brantford, so the Hamilton/Halton region is the location where I try and help out. It’s also because that’s where I was first diagnosed, so naturally I developed a rapport with the people in that area and they were also the first to reach out to me when I needed answers. With zoom the primary way of still doing meetings it’s very easy to still join the support group meetings when we have them. Now that I live in a much smaller community support meetings for specific cancer, especially rare ones like mine…well don’t make much sense, unless I like talking to myself.

They caught wind of the news article and the Manager at Well Spring is a friend of Tracys, so I was messaged and asked if I’d like to come for a meeting there and to see what type of resources they had to offer. We talked briefly about the fact I had done a public talk, and if I’d be interested to do like a luncheon talk, just about cancer and how it has changed me in some ways and that it can add a positive outlook on life. Which goes in line with how I write this blog, but I was very surprised and happy to hear about some of the services that this place had to offer and hope to spread the word about a place like this and the price is right…FREE and not even any annoying parking fees, unlike where I go to get my $5000 a month shot, then a silly and unnecessary $2 fee just to leave. Thank god for insurance for the big charge.

Now I haven’t dove too deep into all resources Well Spring offers, no talk yet or support meetings, but we can work on that. As I sit here typing only about an hour ago I came home from my third Reiki session. Although I’m still not sure what exactly I’m supposed get out of it, the one thing I do is close to a half an hour of a meditative state, complete silence, a new way to quiet my mind and this last time I actually fell asleep and snored. Which I was told is a complement to the practitioner and I still feel in a very calm state, so that’s one new type of treatments I’ll keep up. I still find it amazing how sometimes a serious health crisis can completely change your mind concerning certain types of therapies. The pre-cancer Steve would’ve laughed at this guy thinking that some energy driven treatment would actually accomplish anything. It has taken me a while to warm up to these and just like any type of new activity doing it consistently is the key. like exercise and diet.

One other type therapy/treatment I have tried there as well is something called Therapeutic Touch, now I look back and laugh at myself even writing this. Tracy was trained in this at one point to I believe level two? And I used to joke with her about going to use her witchcraft art to help heal people. Yes, believe it or not I could be very closed minded about certain things, especially when it came to alternative type treatments and now look at me eat my words, a sign of maturity perhaps?? lol. During and after this appointment, yes I fell asleep again, I felt a deep sense of calm and like she said I’d probably have a good nights sleep. While I never really struggle to sleep, according to my Fitbit at least, that particular night I slept like a rock. I honestly couldn’t believe that a type of treatment like that could have such an affect on me and I heartily eat my words to Tracy and anyone else who practices these natural healing arts I’d call them?? I think it takes a certain person to be able to do these properly.

Now that I know they are there at my disposal and at the low rate of free to use, I will always use these resources as a compliment to my medical treatment, exercise and diet routines along with talking to my psychiatrist. Using all these tools together in moderation can only strengthen my already tough resolve in the fight against cancer and the stresses that come with it. I have one other type of treatment I have used and it’s reflexology, one of Tracys friends practices it here at the Salon and Spa on certain days and it’s another good one. So I’ll explain how that helped me out in another post as it deserves one all it’s own.

So far this years posts have been getting a lot of traffic and views and I’d like to thank all those who take the time to read. I will continue to be consistent and give my readers raw and informative material to hopefully inform and inspire. Trying new things is part of the key to life, so don’t be afraid and just go for it. Unless it’s seaweed wraps, blah…won’t be changing my mind about that no matter how good it may be for me.

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