Natural Cancer Treatment - Frankincense Oil

In my continued quest for natural healing methods to prevent the recurrence of cancer in my body, I'd like to talk to you about some information I've found on the benefits of essential oils in healing. The oil I'd like to share with you today, is Frankincense.

Frankincense begins its journey by being tapped from the very scraggly but hardy Boswellia tree. This is achieved by slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are known as "tears." There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in the soil and local climate will create even more diversity of the resin, even within the same species.

Frankincense trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that they sometimes grow directly out of solid rock. The means of initial attachment to the stone is not known but is accomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk. This disk-like growth at the base of the tree prevents it from being torn away from the rock during the violent storms that frequent the region they grow in. This feature is slight or absent in trees grown in rocky soil or gravel. The tears from these hardier survivors are considered superior for their more fragrant aroma.

The trees will begin to produce their resin when they are about 8 to 10 years old. Tapping the tree for resin is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final tapsproducing the best tears due to their higher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and diterpene content. Generally speaking, the more opaque resins are the best quality. Dhofari frankincense (from Boswellia sacra) is said to be the best in the world, although fine resin is also produced more extensively in Yemen and along the northern coast of Somalia, from which the Roman Catholic Church draws its supplies.

For thousands of years frankincense has been used to support the immune system, fight infection and cure disease. Today the most common benefits of Frankincense include: 

Reduces Inflammation
Destroys Cancer
Spiritual Awareness
Boosts Immunity
Fights Infections
Improves Anxiety
Heals skin and reduces acne and scarring

A press release by University of Leicester in the UK rekindled the theory that the “wise men” weren’t just bringing wealth to Jesus, but medicine. According to the announcement that went out after being issued, “University of Leicester researchers discover cancer-killing properties of frankincense in ovarian cancer.” Using the compound AKBA (acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), the Omani government-funded research has for the first time shown frankincense’s ability to target cancer cells in late-stage ovarian cancer patients. Lead researcher Kamla Al-Salmani explained: “After a year of studying the AKBA compound with ovarian cancer cell, we have been able to show it is effective at killing the cancer cells." That's exciting news!

Frankincense is taken by many people with no known side effects. This finding has enormous potential to be taken to a clinical trial in the future and developed into an additional treatment for all forms of cancer.

Frankincense can boost the immune system like no other! Two fundamental ways this is accomplished is by proliferating lymphocytes (white blood cells, which are the body’s primary defense team) and by keeping inflammation at bay (which is arguably the primary risk factor for most chronic diseases).

This information on the benefits of Frankincense gives me hope that including it into my natural healing regimen will bring only good results. Finding high quality, pure essential oil is imperative. This wasn't hard for me to do since my daughter sells DoTerra essential oils and they are very high grade. But let me warn you, these high grade essential oils are not inexpensive! I'd rather pay for a natural product, with proven healing properties, than depend on a chemically produced drug with unknown side effects.

Frankincense can be used directly on the skin when mixed with a carrier oil such as fractionated Coconut oil. It can also be ingested when placed inside gelatin capsules. You can also take Frankincense (Boswellia) as a supplement by placing a few essential oil drops under your tongue, on the roof of your mouth.

Currently, I use Frankincense essential oil on my skin. I mix it with fractionated Coconut oil and rub it on the soles of my feet twice a day. I also purchased a bag of Frankincense resin from a health food store and burn some of the "tears" daily allowing the scent to permeate my house.

As with any natural or prescription medication or treatment, you should always consult your doctor. I have discussed all of my natural healing supplements, oils, etc. with my Oncologist. Hopefully this information will be helpful to you or someone you know.

And if you've never smelled it, Frankincense smells divine!


©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Doctors may surprise you

Night before last, I tossed and turned all night long. I just couldn't get to sleep. No matter what I did, sleep would not come. I know my insomnia was partly due to stressing out about visiting my oncologist. I tried not to worry. I tried not to even think about the visit at all but I couldn't help it. I don't like confrontation. I've done my best to avoid it at all costs. How would the doctor respond when I told him point blank that I was not going to do what he wanted me to do? And who was I, to think I had this right?

The clock kept ticking down the hours until it was almost time to go. I looked at my husband through tear filled eyes. He knew. Without me saying one single word, he knew. He knew I was afraid. 

As we got into the car, he took my hand and held it all the way to the doctor's office. I was so thankful he'd taken the day off work to go with me. He's such a sweetheart! We pulled into a parking spot and I looked up at him. "I don't want to do this," I said. He said he understood and that maybe, just maybe the doctor would listen and not give me a hard time. That's what I was hoping for...

The nurse called my name and took me back to the scale. Oh how I hate the scale! It's so intimidating. It would be so nice if his office, like my breast surgeon's office, didn't even have a scale. (My breast surgeon says there's no point in it. I agree with her, but I guess oncologists have to keep up with how much weight their patient's are losing...if only I could lose.) 

After the weigh in, the nurse ushered us into an exam room. She brought in the little rolling vital sign machine thingy (I'm not sure what the real medical term is but it has the blood pressure cuff, digital thermometer and pulse oximeter all in one.) Here we go again. She recorded my vital signs on the computer and said the doctor would be in shortly.

About ten minutes passed before I heard a slight knock at the door.  Dr. Feinstein entered the room and greeted my husband and I. He sat down on his little rolling doctor's stool and rolled over close. "So how are you feeling?," he said. I told him I was feeling really good and I knew it was coming...then he said, "so tell me about your decision not to take the medicines? I got the voicemail you'd left on the nurse's line." Oh snap! Now what did I say??? Where did I begin? 

I don't stutter but boy I wish'd at that moment I had because it would have bought me some more time. Slowly and quietly, I began to explain that I'd decided to take a more natural approach to healing. "Tell me what you mean," said the doc, "what kind of things are you doing?" I told him that I'd done a lot of research on natural things that helped with cancer recovery. I explained that I'd decided to eliminate sugar from my diet as well as processed foods. I told him I was trying to do more raw fruits and vegetables. He nodded his head still listening attentively. I told him I'm incorporating organic green tea into my diet, 2 or 3 times a day, and that I'd found information on Ashwaganha root that sounded interesting. He continued to listen and I waited for the comeback.

I talked a little longer on essential oils and Chlorophyll, and then I was quiet. 

The doctor looked me straight in the eyes and I thought oh, no...he's going to berate me now. I braced. The silence was deafening. I couldn't stand it any longer and I said, "Dr. Feinstein, I've done a lot of praying about it. I just don't feel the medications are right for me. I know you're a man of faith (he's Jewish) and I know you understand where I'm coming from." And then he spoke.

I was amazed when he said he had no problem with the green tea. (I guess medical research has proven the benefits in using it with cancer patients.) He said, "I understand your desire not to take the medication. You've already tried 2 and they didn't work for you. If you'd only tried one, I would have encouraged you to try another, but in your case, you've given it your best shot." (Wow, I was impressed. This wasn't what I expected.) He told me that there were many "remedies" out there claiming to cure cancer and that I'd have to be very careful. I explained to him that I do a lot of research before trying anything new that affects my health. He told me just to be wise. He said he didn't want me to spend a lot of money trying one thing after another. I told him I wouldn't. 

Walking over to the exam table he patted the paper protective layer indicating he wanted me to hop up there so he could check me out. He listened to my lungs and heart. He looked in my throat. He asked if I'd been having any headaches that wouldn't go away, any bone/joint pain, any stomach pain and I responded no to all of them. I knew he was asking these questions to determine whether the cancer might be spreading in my body, but I didn't let on that I knew why he was asking these questions. 

When he was done with the exam, he said, "you know, the cancer may never come back but if it does, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, you keep doing your natural plan and I'll check your blood work ever 3 months. If anything starts to go off track, we'll address that then." I knew that was the best I was going to get from a medical professional. 

Dr. Feinstein started toward the door and I asked if he was going to do blood work today. He said it would be a good idea and went to get the nurse to tell her. When he came back into the room, I asked if he'd let me take a picture with him. I told him I was trying to document my journey for my children and grandchildren. He was nice enough to agree to the photo. 

Before he left, I told him I had been afraid to come see him for this appointment. He looked at me strangely and said, "Why? I never want you to be afraid of me." I told him I didn't think he'd agree to be my doctor if I didn't agree to his prescribed medical treatment and he said, "if all of my patients did exactly what I said, it would be pretty boring and I'd be treating a bunch of robots. It's your body and you know it best. You have a right to refuse any treatment you feel isn't for you." At that point, I wanted to jump up and give him a high five or a great big bear hug but I didn't. I just smiled a big smile and breathed in a sigh of relief. I had stressed out about this visit for nothing! I was so glad my doctor agreed to support me. It was so encouraging. 

One last thing before he left the room. He wanted me to see a nutritionist. If I was going to do a natural healing approach, he said it was important to see a nutritionist. He explained that my cancer was fed by both Estrogen and Progesterone and to keep the cancer from recurring, we needed to stop the Estrogen in my body as much as possible. Estrogen is made by your ovaries, your adrenal gland, and by fat cells. Since I was already post menopausal, we didn't have to worry about the ovaries but, I could stand to lose a little weight. In fact, Doctor Feinstein said the more weight I could lose, the better. With cancer it was better to be skinny! So, next week I have an appointment with a nutritionist. 

Maybe it would have been easier and more convenient to just pop a few pills to ward off the cancer. It's going to take a lot of effort to go the natural healing route, but I know that's the path God has pointed me toward. I really want to live as long as I possibly can and anything I can do to facilitate that objective...well, I'm all in! 

My thoughts: 

I'm going to keep close tabs on my lab reports from each visit forward. I've determined not only to be my own best health advocate but also to partner with my oncologist to obtain the best results. It's going to take time to get used to drinking all that organic Matcha Tea. It tastes pretty nasty. Taking the Ashwaganha root capsules, the DDR essential oil capsules, the Zendocrine capsules, the Chlorophyll capsules and all my vitamins, cutting out the sugar and processed foods, trying to lose weight and walking more than ever before will be challenging but hopefully, it will allow my body to regenerate good cells that can keep the cancerous ones at bay. If I can create a healthy cellular environment in my body, my chances of recurrence will greatly diminish. I'm pumped about seeing the changes to come in the days ahead. I'm so happy Dr. Feinstein didn't jump my case about going natural. I need to eliminate stress from my life and the tendency to worry. Hopefully the nutritionist can help me see where I need to revamp my diet. I don't think I eat enough protein. 

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.

© bonnie annis all rights reserved