Deathbed Healings

Even though most of my energy and work is concentrated on preventing illness and disease to bypass excrutiating suffering, I also see the value in terminal illness as a path to healing.

I had one patient with metastatic breast cancer who was given a few weeks to live, and ended up living 3 or 4 more years.  In those years, she reconnected with her ex-husband, who lovingingly cared for her and cheerleaded her toward better health.  They even took a trip to Hawaii together (albeit, a horrible trip because of those monsoon floods at the time), 5 months before her death.  She died, reconciled with one of her most significant relationships in her life.

Another woman in her 50s, who I saw for many years with osteoporosis, severe back pain and other symptoms also found peace before her death.  She had numerous CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, etc.  She also had a lot of rage toward her family - her mother, her father, her sister.  There was lots of abuse issues and betrayal issues within the family.  Perhaps even incest, however, I don't remember the details.

Anyway, she responded really well with homeopathy for relief of symtpoms for her back pain, and her moods improved some.

But each time she came to see me in the office, she came because she relapsed, largely due to this rage that would continually resurface.  I talked to her about the importance of forgiveness for the sake of her own health, and the importance of letting her rage go because it was literally eating up her bones.

I hadn't heard from her for many years, until she called me one day from a Vancouver hopsital (I live 18 hours north in a rural community), and told me she had breast and ovarian cancer that metastasized to her bones.  She said that her sister was at her bedside with her, and that her metastasized breast cancer was the best thing that ever happened to her because it brought her closer to her sister.  They talked, they laughed, they came to a place of peace and resolve.  She said it was the most wonderful experience she ever had in her life.

I suppose everyone has a choice whether to let go of hurt and rage or not.  And I suppose that each individual has their own timing for what works best for them as to when to let go.

I know, that personally, I would prefer to let go of hurt and anger sooner than later.  And if for some reason I chose to hold onto the rage, (that would be because of my own stubborness), I hope that I would at least choose to let go at the end like this tranformed patient did.