Narrative 2

Introduction

Below is a personal account of an experience of using services at Penny Brohn Cancer Care. The highlighted words open web pages providing more information or evidence about a service, or therapy.

Narrative

I’ve been interested in yoga for about 40 years and I’ve got a friend who is an expert in Neuro Linguistic Programming. I’ve got a background in nursing and I’ve come across people who have had experience with complementary therapies being used alongside conventional medical treatment so I suppose I’ve always had an open mind. After getting cancer, although you never know what has triggered it, I felt that it would be wise to look at my whole lifestyle including my diet. I thought at Penny Brohn Cancer Care I would be given other avenues to look at or have reinforced that what I was doing was okay, which to a large extent is what happened.

I have to say that my experience with traditional medicine with regards to the cancer wasn’t bad at all. I wanted to use complementary medicine purely to add something – it’s that old adage of ‘the sum of the parts equals a much greater whole’.

I knew that when I got to the centre I would be in an atmosphere that would be caring, nourishing and nurturing, it would also be a timeout and would give me further strength to keep going with improving my habits in terms of nutrition and lifestyle.

I took my husband with me; I felt it was important for him to understand where I had gone and what I was going to do. It was important for him to meet other in the group and the therapists and for him to get a broader understanding of how cancer impacts people.

I went on a residential course so I was exposed to lots of therapies. We had Healing  sessions and talks on Nutrition. I found the group exercises really brilliant; it was fascinating to see a group of people at very different stages with their cancer, relaxing, trusting, being open and letting go. I’ve been fortunate enough to not need further treatment or surgery so I feel very blessed.

One of the useful things I’ve taken away from my experience on the course was a visualisation I was given by a therapist in which I was surrounded by a pink bubble, this has remained with me and reinforces that it’s important to look after myself and put my own health first.

I haven’t continued to use any of the charity’s services, mainly due to living some distance from the centre, I have reinforced for myself that I would like to do things like continue with the yoga and occasionally have aromatherapy treatment. I have aromatherapy around once a month and it gives me a sense of relaxation and a lifting of the spirit. I come out of it feeling a sense of wellbeing; I feel very relaxed and I know that I will sleep well and I will feel much more energetic in the morning.

I’m lucky that I haven’t had any recurrences and I’m healthy. My experience of cancer was set against the background of other things going on my life, but I feel that’s been my good fortune; I’ve not been completely focussed on my health. I’ve recently separated from my husband and moved house.

My experience at Penny Brohn has been instrumental in making me wake up to the fact that life is for living and empowered me to say what I want instead of hoping that I could get what I wanted, because I did have a tendency to do that.