The aroma of blessing

I was on the phone with my oldest daughter this afternoon when she asked if my mail had come yet. I told her it hadn't come but I was waiting for it. "It usually comes around 1:30," I said, as we continued our conversation. She explained that she had shipped me a package and it was supposed to be delivered today.

While we were still talking, I heard the mail truck coming down the street. I went to the window to see if the driver was going to come up to the house with a package. Instead of bringing the package to my door, I watched the mail carrier shove it into my mailbox. I could tell it had been a tight fit because of the way she forced the mailbox door closed.

With my daughter still on the phone, I walked down to the mailbox to retrieve my mail. There were the usual letters, a bill or two and a box from a company called DoTerra. I brought the mail back up to the house and she encouraged me to open the box. I grabbed my scissors to cut the tape and lifted the lid to see the contents.

As soon as I opened the box, I could smell the delicious oils. There were so many that I began to cry. (I knew these oils were expensive and were a huge sacrifice for her.) She started to tell me what each oil was for and how it would be used to help me on my road to recovery. She had hand picked each oil specifically for me. She'd also included some nutritional supplements that aided the lymphatic system and helped with cell regeneration. She told me as she'd been perusing the DoTerra website, God had directed her to those 2 supplements.

My decision not to take the cancer medications my oncologist prescribed has been an easy one, but one many people don't quite understand. I've made a radical change in the way I'm eating and rarely have any sugar or processed foods. Now, along with my diet changes, I'll have the essential oils to aid me in natural healing.

Natural healing has been a part of my family for some time. Old fashioned home remedies have been around as long as I can remember. I can still remember the smell of a mustard plaster my mother made once when I was sick with a severe chest cold. I don't remember how she made it other than smearing mustard onto the inside of a piece of a brown paper bag and then it was flipped upside down and placed on my chest. I think I slept with it on that night and the next morning I was 100% better. There were other remedies involving hot water, honey, lemon, vinegar, or baking soda. I'm sure most of them were handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth but whatever the case may be, those things worked!

My great aunt Alice was a licensed naturopath in the state of Georgia when women weren't quite welcomed into the medical field. She was a firm believer that any and every illness could be cured by something God had already provided for us in nature. She had an office in her home in Atlanta for years.

Naturopathic medicine (or naturopathy) is based on the belief that the body can heal itself. It aims to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness through the use of organic foods and exercise; a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and the use of treatments from other areas of complementary medicine. (These treatments include ayurveda, homeopathy, and herbal therapies.)

Naturopathy was developed in the late 1800s in the United States. Today, a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) attends a 4-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school. He or she studies the same basic sciences as a medical doctor (MD). But the ND also studies alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and bodywork.

Most traditional naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) believe in natural therapies, such as nutritional and lifestyle counseling. They tend to avoid prescribing medicines or doing surgery. Some naturopaths prescribe herbal medicines, homeopathic dilutions, or nutritional supplements. Some may perform minor surgeries.

People use naturopathic medicine to promote good health, prevent disease, and treat illness. Most naturopaths can treat earaches, allergies, and other common health problems. Naturopathy tries to find the cause of the problem rather than just treating symptoms. A properly trained naturopath works with other health professionals. He or she will refer people to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when needed.

Several weeks ago, I made a very conscious decision not to take the Aromasin and Effexor that Dr. "F" had prescribed. I'd already had bad experiences with Arimidex and Tamoxifen and Aromasin was in the same category of medicines. Effexor was being added (even though it was typically used for depression) to combat the hot flashes and night sweats. I don't know why I hadn't made my decision even before giving Arimidex a try. I guess I'd just been conditioned to believe my medical professional always knew best. Why had I never thought to myself, "it's my body and I have a right to choose what I do and don't but into it?" The day I made my decision was a very freeing one. I felt a literal weight being lifted off of me when I told my husband, "I'm not going to take these medicines any longer."  

If I'd chosen to receive my care at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, I would have had an opportunity to work with a holisitic doctor and possibly even an naturopath. At their centers, they tout the tag line, "integrative care with you at the center." While they do offer spiritual advisors, massage therapists, nutritionists, etc. I wanted to work with one main doctor. It's too bad I didn't think to choose a naturopath first. 

I'm very curious to find out what my oncologist will say when I tell him at the end of this month that I've chosen a more natural route to healing my body. I'm wondering if he'll say, "okay, nice knowing you...see you later," or perhaps "well, you need to either follow my advice or find another oncologist," or maybe he'll say, "I completely understand. It's your decision and I'll support you in it." I'm sure he'll encourage me to reconsider since he isn't a naturopath. Hopefully he'll at least listen to me and try to understand the reasons for my decision.

All the bottles of essential oils my daughter sent me are lined up on my kitchen counter. As I stand in front of them, I can smell the heady smell of lavender, the deep, intense fragrance of Ylang Ylang, and the blends of Frankincense, Wild Orange, Thyme, Lemongrass and Clove. All of their smells intermingle into one beautiful reminder of God's great love for me through my daughter who covered me today with the aroma of blessing. 

Years ago, I talked to my daughter about my great Aunt Alice. You see, my daughter, Erin, has always been a seeker of natural healing remedies too. Perhaps this love of naturopathy will continue in our family for generations to come, and why not? I believe too, just like my great aunt did, that God has given us every thing we need in nature to cure every illness and every disease...even Cancer.

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