Cancer diagnosis: Seek out all resources
A difficult diagnosis can make the world seem to stop: one minute you are living your ordinary life, and the next you are sitting in a doctor's office hearing words you never expected to hear. There may be scans to review, pathology reports to understand, treatment options to consider and appointments already being scheduled before you have even had a chance to process what has happened.
It can feel overwhelming – and when you are overwhelmed, it is easy to believe that you simply need to follow the single path placed in front of you.
But there is another option: pause.
Pause because you deserve the opportunity to understand your diagnosis and explore your options before making decisions about your care.
Give yourself permission to catch your breath
After receiving a diagnosis like cancer, your doctors can immediately make you feel like there's an enormous sense of urgency. And they will also make you feel like theirs is the only correct path to take, the "only one that will work" and that even considering other options is just plain stupid.
This diagnosis, however, is also an opportunity to take a little time to gather information, speak with the people you trust and understand what you are being offered.
Ask questions, ask what the diagnosis means, ask what the treatment is intended to accomplish, ask about benefits, risks and side effects.
Ask what happens if you wait a week to make a decision.
Ask whether there are other treatment options – because as we know, there are, and they're being used around the world (just not quite here yet, in Canada). It's called "Integrative Healthcare" and you deserve the right and time to look into what that looks like.
By asking, you are not being difficult – you are participating in your own healthcare.
Even the National Cancer Institute encourages people facing cancer to learn about their treatment options and discuss those options with their healthcare team, whatever the team looks like for you, or who you choose to invite into that healing tribe.
A second opinion isn't a betrayal
Seeking a second opinion does not mean you don't trust your doctor – it means you want to be certain you understand what is happening before making an important decision ON YOUR BODY. Because it's your body = your life!
Sometimes the second opinion confirms exactly what you were already told, and that can bring its own reassurance. Either way, you have gained information. Information gives you something incredibly important at a time when you may feel that you have very little control: the ability to participate in your decisions.
Look beyond the first door that opens
One of the most important things we believe at Ezra Healing is that people have the right to know that other resources do exist and are very effective – and if you have been following us for the past years, you know that we know!
Maybe you start by speaking with a different oncologist or specialist, if you don't feel open to speak with yours about embracing other modalities. Maybe it means adding an experienced naturopathic doctor who specializes in cancer care to your care team.
It may also mean there are supplements that have been showing great promise for cancer support, and you'd like to talk about these without being immediately shut down... perhaps it's repurposed medications, or CBD products, mushroom-derived extracts, teas, tinctures, seeds, or herbs...
Maybe it's Ayurveda, or Traditional Chinese Method, Mindfulness Meditation or Breathwork, maybe it's controlled fasting, a complete diet change, or dealing with your stress or trauma — we have been on this Earth for too long to ignore all other modalities and choose just one. After all this is YOUR body, and you have the right to explore what is best for it.
Embracing – or even considering – alternative medicine doesn't mean you are using alternative modalities instead of conventional treatment. It means there is a bigger picture that you can consider to include with your conventional care (if you choose it), and that it all becomes part of the path you follow.
There are many complementary approaches that may support the whole person. International definitions describe integrative oncology as a patient-centred, evidence-informed approach that can incorporate lifestyle strategies, mind-body practices and natural products alongside conventional cancer treatment; and it's worth considering them all, until the right approach resonates with you.
What about Canada?
In Canada, we are eons behind in cancer-care. Even the Canadian Cancer Society states that most Canadian cancer treatment centres do not have formal integrative cancer care programs – and that is a slap in the face to someone who has been recently diagnosed and wants to investigate other modalities. Some centres here will include mediation, but that is not enough considering all other options available – and when you are talking about a possible end-of-life outcome, that is simply not good enough.
Canadian oncology is inadequate. The model of care is not truly based on health "care"; it's based on creating fear and pressure to "do as we say or be doomed".
Canadian-based oncology is about burning the problem through radiation, cutting it out in hopes it will work (surgery) or injecting toxicity throughout the whole body (chemo) in hopes it will respond favourably, as if that were a possible good thing...
The first step to giving your body a chance is knowing that other possibilities exist, and that's what we aim to show you at Ezra Healing.
Build a team around you
Your oncologist does not have to be the only person involved in your health journey. The right combination of specialists and modalities will be different for every person and can completely change your mindset – and what gets you excited about healing is what will get you motivated to get through it.
That is what responsible integrative care should look like in Canada – and everywhere else around the world.
Not competing practitioners.
Not conflicting advice.
A team.
You don't have to make every decision today
Please remenber, above all: You are allowed to take a breath.
You are allowed to bring your family into the conversation.
You are allowed to ask questions.
You are allowed to seek a second opinion.
You are allowed to ask about nutrition, exercise, emotional support and complementary therapies.
You are allowed to seek personalized wellness practitioners who will listen to you and work collaboratively with your medical team.
And you are allowed to gather information before deciding what feels right for you.
A diagnosis can change your life, but it does not have to take away your voice in what happens next.
Seek information, ask questions, build your team, explore your resources – and make decisions with as much knowledge and support as possible.
That is health sovereignty. And sometimes, the first step toward taking back a sense of control is simply giving yourself permission to look beyond the first answer.
Book a consultation with Ezra Healing and let's talk about your options.
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