RECOMMENDED THERAPIES
Our hope is that our recommended therapies can help provide some relief from all the side effects that a diagnosis brings mentally, physically and emotionally.
You might find yourself needing a bit of support from chemotherapy, radiation or from simply hearing the words “you have cancer” for the first time. Wherever you are on your journey Meagan has found these additional healing modalities extremely helpful alongside both conventional and non-conventional cancer treatments.
We always recommend advising your medical professionals to be sure these do not interfere with your treatment.
+ Red Light Therapy
Light within the infrared spectrum is the predominant light that we see emitted from the sun during sunrise and sunset. InfraRed Light is one of the most researched therapeutic modalities on the market and is widely reported to help treat a wide range of conditions. The reason for this wide range of abilities is that red light increases blood circulation and enables the cells to produce energy better.
Meagan's Experience:
I have used a red light panel from very early on in my diagnosis. I gave my liver tumour a daily blast, along with my face as my vanity hoped it would help my collagen production up and I would come out the other side of cancer looking like a glowing goddess! I also used it when healing my sacrum post radiation. It feels warm like you're sitting under the sun. I found that chemo also adversely affected my circadian rhythm meaning I couldn't get to sleep and struggled waking up. Using it as a sunrise and sunset helped for sure.
+ Hyperbaric
A hyperbaric chamber administers oxygen under pressure. The idea behind it is that when you pressurise an oxygen molecule it shrinks therefore when we administer hyperbaric oxygen therapy it makes it easy to oxygenate our tissues. As you may be aware most tumours create a low oxygen environment which makes the environment beneficial to tumour cells whilst inhibiting our own cells and immune system within the area, by increasing oxygen we can tip the balance the other way.
Meagan's Experience:
I was kindly gifted a chamber that I have in my home which I’m so grateful for. I've used it at least 5 times a week since very early on in my diagnosis. It helps me feel calm, gain mental clarity, and sometimes feel sleepy so sometimes I get a nap in and more importantly I use it as a space completely to myself, to read, journal and relax.
+ Meditation
Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. There are many different ways to meditate and you can find lots of tools in our Mind Body Connection section. It is about finding the right fit for you.
Meagan's Experience:
I find meditation quite difficult and have tried to conquer a few different methods. I find a guided meditation a little easier as it gives me something to focus on. Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping I’ve also found very helpful to help slow my brain down from thinking all the time.
+ Grounding
Earth Vs Matt Everyone carries an electrical charge within their body. Sometimes the environment around us, with all the electronics etc, can cause our charge to become unbalanced. By connecting with the earth it helps our body to recalibrate our charge. This helps to lower the body's inflammation and sometimes an altered charge on our cell walls can repel our immune system.
Meagan's Experience:
I try to ground at least once a day outside, I’ll bring a book or find time when playing outside with my family to take off my shoes and put both my feet and body directly on the grass or pavement. On days where I couldn't get outside I knew I was still protecting myself as I sleep on a grounding mat every night, it's great to be able to tick something off from my healing list while I’m sleeping.
+ Spiritual Healings/Energy Healings
Everything in life has an energetic and vibrational frequency that can be measured. We also have flows of energy, Qi in traditional Chinese medicine (a lot more difficult to measure). These can become lowered, stagnant or blocked. Working with an energy practitioner helps to raise energy levels, remove blocks and improve flow.
Meagan's Experience:
I have received a lot of spiritual and energy healings so far. I realized early on that I needed every avenue of healing possible to survive even if I didn’t always know how or why something was working. I found when I came from a place of receiving while staying opened minded that is when the tiny gifts started appearing. These types of healing have released pain, stress, events from my past, present, future and mostly fears that my body was holding onto.
+ Forest Bathing
Involves being in nature and bathing in the atmosphere of the forest. The shapes and movements in nature are calming to the nervous system. We come into contact with lots of healthy bacteria found in nature that helps our immune system to protect us against the less healthy ones. Also trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen so the air in the forests is both purer and higher in oxygen content.
Meagan's Experience:
I found forest bathing a wonderful activity both by myself and with my family. It’s calming and allows me a little walk and a wonderful change of scenery. This can take place on a trail or in someone's backyard as long as you are surrounded by trees, plants, and grass to breathe in all that Mother Nature has to offer.
+ Ozone Therapy
Ozone Therapy uses ozone gas (administered in many different ways). The ozone gas is a very unstable molecule made of 3 oxygens (O3) compared to oxygen (O2). The bond to the third oxygen is very weak and is broken very easily so therefore when the O3 enters the body any bacteria viruses yeast or other toxins and cancer cells that it comes into contact with it neutralises. It also creates free radicals and super radicals (these aren’t necessarily a good thing, think antioxidants). When administered carefully and at the right dose this can stimulate our bodies own antioxidant systems to strengthen and become better at buffering free radicals. It also stimulates our immune system and increases the release of stem cells.
Meagan's Experience: Hocatt Vs Home
I started using ozone for a number of reasons. But mostly in the beginning to treat my side effects from all the chemo and particularly a drug called erbitux. Erbitux caused the skin on my face to be so messed up, rashes around and under my eyes, checks, nose and a super itchy scalp. So I would put ozone through my ears which seem to help take the edge off a lot of time. An important note though is I did have professional guidance on dosage so that I could administer this at home by myself. Another alternative way to administer ozone to the system is both vaginally and rectally. I have also found an alternative medicine doctor close to me who uses a machine called a Hocatt. This is another way ozone can be administered and used. It has a specific cancer setting so you just sit in it and it feels like you're sitting in a sauna, but your head is out.