We all have those amazing, confident people in our lives that we admire and aspire to be. They may be our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, or the smiling face of your barista as they hand over your morning almond milk latte to start the day.
Every October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This annual national campaign was founded in 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries who produced several anti-breast cancer drugs.
This month brings awareness to this ‘silent disease’ and enables empowerment, not just for women, but also men, to become more self-aware to their own bodies for early detection, as well as helping to raise funds for further research in the fight against this disease.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not only revolved around finding a treatment for the disease, but also educating the wider community about the symptoms, treatments and celebration of those amazing people who have encountered this disease, with a vast majority of people overcoming it. Appreciation and acknowledgement of those supporting families and friends that have helped ease the pain of those that have encountered the disease by creating a support system.
Numerous fundraising campaigns and activities have been developed over the years and are hosted through the month of October. Pink Ribbon Day is the 26th October, and people from all over the world ban together to support this global movement in all sorts of creative ways from hosting a Pink Breakfast, challenging themselves/team in a physical challenge to raise money, headshave, night in/out, and even clothes swaps.
I am DONATING $10 from EVERY ticket sold to my ‘Stress, Anxiety and Your Digestion Workshop’ hosted on 30th October to National Breast Cancer Foundation. This will help to support the fight against breast cancer and assist in raising awareness/money for continued research. If you are not able to make the workshop please feel free to show your support through my fundraiser page: http://nbcf-hostyourown.gofundraise.com.au/page/ZhenyaGerson.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting Australian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). In 2014, according to Breast Cancer Care WA, the statistics 
accumulated from the latest research show that “it is estimated that 15,270 Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer…Breast cancer in men is rare with the latest statistics recording 113 Australian men diagnosed in 2008. The five year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 89%. Improvements in survival are attributed to earlier detection of breast cancer through regular mammograms, regular self-examinations and improved treatment outcomes for breast cancer” (Breast Cancer Care WA, 2015).
As a woman, and also working in the health and wellbeing industry, I find these statistics extremely interesting for my own self awareness and also believe in alerting those special women in my lives (both that I know personally and my cyberspace female friends) to the growth in this disease and what research has found for prevention, treatment of and aftercare.
National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2015 has conducted research that states “…in 2020, 17,210 women are projected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia. This is an average of 47 women every day…Increasing age is one of the strongest risk factors for developing breast cancer. More than two in three cases of breast cancer occur in women aged between 40 and 69 years”. These statistics can feel quite daunting and overwhelming leading to myself thinking ‘why was I not born a man?!’, however, we must all band together and support one another, especially those 89% of women that have kicked cancers butt! In conjunction with creating support networks there are numerous organisations, such as National Breast Cancer Foundation that are continuously researching and raising awareness/funds for the treatment of this disease.
Working within the Health and Wellness Industry for many years, especially as a Colonic Hydrotherapist, I have met and worked with numerous people who have come to me for all different reasons and ailments. My own father was diagnosed with colorectal (bowel) cancer, which was detected early and made a full recovery with no trace of the disease! My mother was also diagnosed and caught early with breast cancer and too made a full recovery and is cancer free. We were a lucky family, many are not. These two very personal reasons and experiences, have fuelled my passion even more so in advocating in my own life, friends/family and also my clients, that prevention and early detection is the key and is always the best cure to any disease.
Only after one of my clients, Leah F., came to Exhale Wellness Spa for her aftercare of breast cancer, that this ‘silent disease’ was really brought to my attention and I started doing my own research. Leah, has been kind enough to provide her story below about her encounter of breast cancer and how Exhale Wellness Spa and Detox Delivered have supported her.
“When I was diagnosed with and treated for Breast Cancer in 2012, I felt a great sense of being totally indebted to those who saved my life and supported me through the initial stages of this very traumatic and distressing experience. I will always be thankful for the love and care I received during that time from my family and friends.
After an ongoing struggle to maintain my sense of ‘self’ during and after treatment, I found that I was suffering from information overload and even a feeling of regret about undergoing the treatment. I was trying to find the best way forward to continue with my life but, without clear direction, I became even more confused about how to best support my healing process.
There is a lot to deal with in the aftermath of a serious illness, not only on my physical and mental health, but also being constantly faced with contradictory advice about nutrition, vitamins and supplements. Everything was extremely overwhelming and caused immense anxiety; my feelings of frustration were compounded because it seemed that at every turn I was encouraged to take anti-depressants. This was the constant ‘solution’ offered for the emotional and physical issues I was facing. Personally, after months of being injected with chemicals, I wanted to regain some control and deal with things without medication and more chemicals plaguing my body and mind. So as you can see this did nothing to restore a sense of real hope and I felt I was just wading through water and not getting anywhere.
When I queried whether certain nutrition, probiotics and other alternatives might help me as an individual, I felt that I was was really just wasting my Oncologists time. I now feel from my experience that many beneficial treatments are overlooked and certainly not promoted in Oncology and many other medical fields as a vast majority of doctors and physicians do not believe in natural therapies or its benefits even with proven research.
This is when I took control and searched for an alternative therapy that resonated with my own beliefs and that I prayed would give me a proper solution to help heal my body and mind without the use of another dozen of pills to pop each day. After talking to friends and searching the internet I came across Exhale Wellness Spa and immediately I was drawn to this business and the services that were on offer, so my research expanded upon the services offered and the proven results.
At Exhale Wellness Spa, I was provided with a gentle introduction to nurturing myself through a combination of complementary treatments. Exhale offer a really
Consultation with Zhenya from Exhale
genuine, unique, and natural approach to wellbeing. Together with Zhenya from Exhale Wellness Spa, Mel at Detox Delivered did a comprehensive nutritional plan with me so that she could accurately provide a personally tailored juice cleanse based on my own needs and requirements, not just mass produced like many others out there. Detox Delivered created a juice cleanse (that I am still on and love) based on mainly using alkalising greens as after the treatment for my breast cancer this weakened my body dramatically, in addition to the medicine that was given to me by my oncologists. Even without having a background in medicine I could feel how the chemotherapy and medication left my body heavily acidic, and the juice cleanse created has been assisting my body in healing itself through re-alkalising whilst supporting and replenishing my liver.
This new discovery was a revelation which left me feeling that I was finally on the path to actually repairing my body. It was comforting to know that each juice was made with my particular medical issues in mind and it felt wonderful to actually enjoy the process of bringing wellness back into my life.
Zhenya, Mel and her colleagues at Exhale Wellness Spa offer a really special service – a calming and effective path to healing”
Through meeting and working with Leah, along with my other clients, these touching and inspiring stories concrete and emphasise the fact that we all have the power and time to invest in educating ourselves on tools to implement in our own lives that which will help assist us in the long term. Whether it be for the prevention of cancer or for our general wellbeing, we are only gifted with one body in this lifetime and as Buddha has quoted, “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” I don’t know about you, but I personally aim to look 40 when I am 70 years old, drinking my Juice elixirs, teaching yoga and its philosophies, whilst still doing headstands.
The good news is that according to the National Cancer Institute (NIC), at least 80% of all cancer in America is contributed to be poor lifestyle choices (Dr. Miller, B 2010). Ergo, alter your unhealthy lifestyle patterns and you will assist in dramatically reducing your risks of contracting cancer.
In saying this, the development of cancer, is not only brought on by poor lifestyle choices, as there has been no specific determination of the cause of cancer (breast, prostate or any other form) with genetics, age, and family history also playing a part in the potential contraction of cancer. However, leading a lifestyle based on an unhealthy diet, smoking, inadequate exercise, not having enough sun exposure, lack of iron levels, excessive alcohol consumption, and not maintaining your mental wellbeing can all significantly attribute to the development of cancer. So this is where the power lies with YOU to make the right choices for your own health (Dr. Mercola 2011, Breast Cancer Breakthrough – Cut Your Risk in Half).
One of the most fascinating aspects that stood out to me was the link between cancer, mental wellbeing and how this affects the body. I came across a study based on a randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute which included 84 female BC survivors (stages 0-III) that were all within 18 months of of treatment completion with surgery, radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy.
The objective of this aforementioned study was to determine the quality of life for survivors of BC and how breast cancer affected their “levels of psychological stress, anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, and physical symptoms including pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances” (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2009). Each BC survivor was assigned to a 6-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program which was designed to self-regulate arousal to stressful circumstances or symptoms during the post treatment process which “included validated measures of psychological status (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, fear of recurrence, optimism, social support) and psychological and physical subscales of quality of life” (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2009, ).
I found the results of this study fascinating as one of the important aspects of MBSR is its effect on the quality of life on an individual that has experienced cancer and also those that are non-cancer patients. Through the findings it was determined that “MBSR(BC) improves physical and emotional quality of life in BC survivors…significant improvements in overall quality of life and symptoms of stress and sleep quality. In addition, our findings are consistent with nonrandomized studies showing favorable effects from MBSR in diverse medical settings including treatment of anxiety disorders, fatigue, and chronic pain…with our findings extending to women who have recently transitioned from completion of BC treatment to resuming normal daily life activities necessary as a cancer survivor” (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2009).
Through reading the above research and linking this to my own knowledge/experience with working with Leah, it appears that a number of cancer patients are seeking complementary medicine, especially for mind-body therapies and this has been increasing within recent years.
This has been supported by a different research paper called ‘Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Women With Breast Cancer’, that had the similar objective of the study before to investigate the effectiveness of MBSR. However, this study differed to the above research as this controlled trial was based on 27 women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer, rather than those that have already completed treatment and survivors of BC.
The purpose of the study was to still determine the effectiveness of MBSR on “stress, state anxiety, mental adjustment to cancer, and health locus” (Tacón,Caldera, and Ronaghan, 2004). The finding from this investigation “indicated significant decreases in pre-to-post stress and state anxiety levels; also, results showed significant and beneficial changes for mental adjustment to cancer and health locus…following completion of the MBSR intervention. These results provide initial support for the application of mindfulness-based interventions to individuals struggling with the stress and threat of cancer” (Tacón,Caldera, and Ronaghan, 2004).
At Exhale Wellness Spa we specialise in bringing the wellbeing and wellness into the lives of our clients in a calm and healing space. The Stress, Anxiety and Your Digestion Workshop does not address working with breast cancer patients directly. However, this workshop does link closely to the the two studies above and how Exhale Wellness Spa introduces, supports and encourages people to recognise and therefore nurture the connection between our colon and its effect upon fear, depression and sadness. Whether this be connected to breast cancer or any other aspects of our lives, as these emotions directly affect the balance within our colons and the rest of our mind/body. With the right tools we can effectively control our emotions so that they are guided into a positive direction that leaves our entire being at peace.
References:
Tacón, A.; Caldera, Y; and Ronaghan, C 2004, ‘Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Women With Breast Cancer’, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 193-203. Available from: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/fsh/22/2/193/
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2009, ‘Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer’, pp. 1261-1272, Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.1529/pdf
National Breast Cancer Foundation 2015, Sydney, NSW, viewed 8 October 2015, http://www.nbcf.org.au/
Breast Cancer Care WA 2013, Breast Cancer Care WA, Cottesloe, Western Australia, viewed 18 October 2015, http://www.breastcancer.org.au/contact-us/default.aspx
Dr Miller, B 2005, Cancer: We Can Win The War Against Cancer By Aggresively pursuing Prevention, Google Books, Available from: https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=O8KvBgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=foods+that+fight+cancer&ots=2Y45AF4FmZ&sig=Wg-XDRaCW3FDQoDtjugyOn2QsUQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Dr Mercola, J 2015, Breast Cancer Breakthrough – Cut Your Risk of Death in Half, Mercola.com. Available from: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/14/beating-breast-cancer-a-guide-to-prevention-treatment-and-recovery.aspx (14 February 2011).
