Healing Breast Cancer Through the Arts

Breast Cancer Tests Cause Breast Cancer

2010-08-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer Tests Cause Breast Cancer by Robert Cohen www.notmilk.com

The August 24, 2010 issue of the journal RADIOLOGY
reveals that new sophisticated breast cancer tests
can cause cancer.

I am no fan of early detection tests. Why? The
New York Times reported the results of an autopsy
study of women who had died pre-maturely, primarily
in car accidents. The November 8, 1994 Times article
(Page C-1) revealed that 39.6 percent of women
between the ages of 40 and 50 actually have breast
cancer although only one percent of women in that
same age group are clinically diagnosed with
breast cancer.

That same study demonstrated that virtually every
adult over age 50 has thyroid cancer, although
these cancers are rarely clinically diagnosed.

In other words, cancer is quite common. The key to
cancer, since everybody has it, is not what causes
it, but what makes it grow. IGF-I is what makes
it grow. See:

http://www.notmilk.com/b.html

New sophisticated techniques have four horrible
results:

1) They scare the hell out of women, sometimes
needlessly;
2) The add unnecessary financial burdens on
individual health care costs;
3) The sometimes induce women to have unnecessary
surgery and mutilation;
4) The tests themselves cause cancer.

The RADIOLOGY publication abstract:

http://radiology.rsna.org/content/early/2010/08/09/radiol.10100570.abstract

The author's conclusion:

"A single BSGI (breast-specific gamma imaging test)
or PEM (positron emission mammography test) study is
associated with a fatal radiation-induced cancer risk
higher than or comparable to that of annual screening
mammography in women aged 40–80 years."

Will such absurdities never end?

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Molecular Fluorescence Imaging Guidance for Cancer Patients

2010-01-29T08:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Sunship,

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, I remember thinking that if there were a medication other than chemotherapy that only targeted the cancer cells I might be more inclined to go with it. Now there is one on the horizon- Molecular Fluoresence Imaging Guidance. I don't totally understand it but the Nobel Prize- winning scientist who discovered the Green Fluroescent Protein in jellyfish via genetic modification is now trying to reproduce a synthetic version for humans. (Nobel laureate brings hope for cancer patients)

That still makes me antsy. I believe we need to cultivate our gut with good flora and not introduce extraneous organisms into our bodies that we are not sure what they will do to the fragile ecosystem of our inner terrain. Our immune systems have enough toxins to deal with. That's why I believe everyone needs to cultivate the art of detoxification .
What we do to the terrain of our guts parallels what we do to the terrain of our gardens. The following article from the Farmer's Guardian argues that our government is deluded to think that GM food production will solve our food problems caused by increasing earth population.
Government is 'dangerously deluded' on GM
This all reminds me of the story about cattle ranching so wonderfully told by Howard Lyman in his book The Mad Cowboy. Mr. Lyman came from a family of organic farmers. He studied agriculture at the university and learned the latest techniques and came home and applied them to the family farm. For each new scientific farming application he found out there were side effects and then had to apply a different treatment to overcome the new symptoms. (Sound familiar?) Yes, for every new treatment he used, he had to keep trying a new chemical to counter the side effects until finally, he threw the towel in, became a vegetarian and went back to organic farming. His book is a classic and a must read for everyone. He is well known for sharing on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He's the reason why the meat industry sued Oprah (and lost) for saying she would never eat meat again on her program --- read about it here!
SHINE ON!EXPECT MIRACLES!

CT Scans Linked to Cancer

2009-12-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Miracle Workers,

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was given a CT scan (short for computerized tomography scan). In fact I had several CT scans and MRIs too before I abandoned the system. I remember being concerned that the CT scan was probably not good for me. My doctors assured me the risk was minimal. They were looking for metastasized tumors on my liver and elsewhere. They found something once but instead of a tumor it was fat and the spot on my spleen was a hematoma. Now there's a new study out linking CT scans to cancer. They are predicting that 29,000 future cancers could be related to CT scans received in 2007 and most of those cancers will be in the pelvic and abdominal region. How ironic.

The study also says that the amount of radiation received was more than a mammogram but varied widely. Some patients received only 1/10th the amount of radiation as other patients. Did you know that CT scans were not standardized? Apparently the more radiation the clearer the picture. Hmmmm?

Intuitively I did not feel right about these procedures but I went ahead anyway... because I was scared. Yes I was SCARED. I was scared I was going to die from breast cancer and I wanted to know how far along I was. No one twisted my arm... they just encouraged me. I was on medicaid so I didn't have to pay anything. During the 3 years I was in the grip of the medical system I tried to remain open to what was the best route for me, but I drew the line when they advised me to have chemo, radiation and double mastectomies with reconstructive surgery.

A friend of mine and someone whom I had spent many hours praying with in Lakota Sioux sweat lodges happened to be a radiologist and worked in the lab at the hospital I went to. She called me one day and pleaded with me to get the operations. She told me my type of cancer was very aggressive and my best chances for survival were to do it.

My family encouraged me to go the allopathic route. I come from a medical family. My dad was a doctor, my brother-in-law is a doctor. My sister was afraid I was choosing death. My kids were scared. I prayed a lot about it. It took great courage for me to say no. I prayed I wouldn't regret it. I had to follow my intuition even if it meant I would die trying. I strongly believe the body can heal itself given the opportunity and the right circumstances... also the right mindset.

The right mindset is probably the most important. It's probably why allopathic treatment works some of the time. I say some of the time because it doesn't always. Did you know that iatrogenic error and illness is the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer? In fact according to the Starfield Study, the total of medically-caused deaths in the US every year is 225,000...

I remember thinking that if western medicine offered me something that just targeted the cancer cells I might consider it, but I work too hard to stay healthy and I don't want my immune system being compromised. I remember thinking if I could either reverse my condition completely naturally or hang in there until a better alternative was discovered I would be fine.

Well guess what there is a new breakthrough I recently read about coming from Tel Aviv "A never-approved drug developed to prevent the death of nerve cells after a stroke can efficiently kill cancer cells while keeping normal cells healthy and intact, an international team led by a Tel Aviv University researcher is reporting in the journal Breast Cancer Research."

"Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine found that the stroke drug — a member of a family of phenanthridine derivatives developed by an American drug company — worked to kill cancer in mice which had been implanted with human breast cancer cells.

"'Not only did the drug kill the cancer, but when we investigated normal cells, we discovered that they'd reacted as though they hadn't come in contact with the drug," says Prof. Cohen-Armon. "This is the result we were hoping for. If human trials go well, we could have an entirely new class of drugs in our hands for the fight against cancer.'"

Is it a coincidence that this researcher's name is Malka? That's my hebrew name too. It means Queen and it sits in the center of the logo for my ministry.

So who knows what is beyond the horizon for many of us who have been hanging in there post breast cancer. BTW it's really cruel to implant breast cancer cells on mice and this may be a thing of the past (see A Legal Challenge to Animal Research:Animal rights law courses may threaten the use of animals in medical research.)

I have not totally given up on the medical system, I just think they lag behind and do not respect enough, the body's innate ability to heal. But the medical system is made up of people, and it is the people that need to change if the system is going to change.

Some of the healthiest people I know in the system are therapists- physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. Many of them truly understood the value of exercise, diet, independence and quality of life.

I wish crafts were still an important part of Occupational Therapy as that was what motivated me to become an OT in the beginning. There's been a shift in the last 10 years. Insurance no longer pays for therapeutic activity unless it can be categorized under activities of daily living or exercise. The psychological pleasure of creating something and the increase in self-esteem is not acknowledged like it used to be. Utilitarian activities are favored.

I remember 10 years ago making a woven basket with one of my centenarian patients. Her eyesight was failing and her mind was a little fuzzy but I talked her through the weaving of the ribbons for the simple basket. "Put it under this one and over that one.... and under this one... now put the glue here and press it here..." You get the picture. At the end of the week she had a completed basket and she was so proud of herself, she showed everyone what she had made, the nurse, the aide, her family and friends. She couldn't stop admiring it sitting there on her bedside table. Then she looked up at me and she said "I want to make lots of these for everyone for Easter. " That made me smile.

Wishing you all creativity and joy this holiday season.

Expect Miracles!

Blessings,

Melinda

Study Verifies Mammograms Cause Cancer

2009-12-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Sun,

According to a new study presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference, mammography increased the risk of developiing breast cancer in high risk women by 150%. You can read the article by Mike Adams here. The researchers recommend alternatives for women under 40 such as thermography which has been popular with alternative cancer doctors for years.

I'm wondering when mainstream oncology will catch up with the fact that chemo is hazardous to your health? Take chemobrain for instance. According to a recent study, chemobrain or chemo fog is one of the most commonly reported post-treatment symptoms by breast cancer survivors. In a study that came out this year 74 women reported devastating aftereffects a year later that negatively impacted their lives both personal and at work. These included decreased memory, decreased cognition and reduced independence among other symptoms. The majority of women reported a lack of acknowledgement from the medical community when they mentioned their chemobrain symptoms.

I remember when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I did a thorough research on the internet and found Dr. Day online. I printed up several pages of info. Here was a medical doctor who also believed that chemo was harmful. She chose a natural route to cure herself and she said anyone can do it. For some reason I was surprised when my health care professionals were not interested even to read what she had to say. I thought surely they would be open to one of their own. Sadly this was not the case.

I had a conversation with my aunt this morning who is awaiting her biopsy results and also the biopsy results of her daughter's breast. I told her that the majority of biopsies are negative- but it sure does scare the heck out of women. I was explaining to her that I feel the medical system is really good for acute situations such as breaking a leg or when my labor was not progressing and I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and ended up several hours later with an emergencyCesarean, I am sure my life was saved as a result, (although I wished my midwives could have come to the hospital with me instead of running like fugitives). I think she was surprised to hear me say this. She said the difference between us is that she sees breast cancer in the same light as an acute situation that calls for medical attention.

Maybe I know too much having worked in the hospitals and nursing homes as an occupational therapist. I have covered up for mistakes that others in the system made. After all we are only human. But more than that, I am lacking faith in chemicals- in fact I beleive the opposite, that we need to get the chemicals out of our system. That's why I fast periodically and eat only organic vegan 98% raw living foods. Maybe because of this my cancer is in remission or maybe I just have scar tissue left from the three surgeries I had... who knows. I am not about to go and have my breast jabbed and squished again to find out. I do not feel it's necessary as I would continue to do what I am doing anyway.

These studies recently reported, don't surprise me, nor would they surprise most alternative cancer doctors like Brian Clement of Hippocrates Health Center where Elaina Love's son is being treated for leukemia. Maybe I shoud say was being treated. After 17 days they head home for the holidays. He is still not better, in fact very ill. He keeps telling his mom he will recover and he very well may. She has surrendered to the path his body needs to take as he is having difficulty keeping down the green juices except for the wheatgrass. He is in pain and is taking morphine.

The raw food community has rallied round them donating more than $100,000 for his treatment and care. In these times that is an amazing gift.

I wonder...how much did his chemo cost? Will he make it? If not, is it because of the treatment or the disease? If he had gone to Hippocrates first when he was still strong, would he have been able to nip it in the bud? We can't answer these questions.

I have to trust that Dominic's soul made an agreement with his parents souls in the same way that I did with my parents about being orphaned. We are dancing a dance in the 3d that is the most perfect for our soul's evolution back to full remembrance of God. If the 3 d is fading there are many other dimensions to focus on to get the 3d back on track. And once we get there... we can rest in the light.

This is my sabbath year since my diagnosis. This is the year I rest in the light of my soul and rejoice. I can look back and say that it is good.

Here is a mandala I drew on Sept 1, 2002. It's prophetic. The drawing is part of a series of mandalas I made in the month after I was diagnosed to help me get in touch with my unconscious as to why I created breast cancer in my life in the first place. Later I printed my collection of mandalas and quilted them. I self-published a book called Cancer as a Sacred Journey: Healing Breast Cancer through the Arts. If you would like a copy you may contact me at ShiningStarMiracles@gmail.com

There's lots more for me as to the meaning of this drawing. When I was little my mother used to say the prayer over the candles as the sun set, welcoming in the Sabbath. The Hebrew letters above the picture are Shabat Shalom meaning Welcome to the Peace of the Sabbath.

There were six of us in our immediate family, 4 children and two adults and there were six candle holders and six candles- 2 tall ones and four shorter ones. I was mesmerized with the small candle that represented me- the Light of my Soul. This mandala is a message from Soul for me to return to the wonder of the child in relation to the childlike fascination of that part of me that links to the Great Rays. We are shining stars and this year it is my turn to fully rememember that. Won't you join me?

Blessings and keep beaming.... EXPECT MIRACLES!

In Love and Light,

Melinda