ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING! ! ! ! BETH'S STORY by Gisele Le Blanc, Reiki Master
Published in THE SOURCE, Halifax, Nova Scotia, December/January 02 ---- THE VOICE OF CHOICES, Seattle, WA February 2002 ---- HEALTH MOVES, Calgary, AB. April 2002 ---- the Canadian Breast Cancer Society website.
- Beth MacGillivray first crossed my path in January 2001, when she came to see me as a client for a Reiki session. Beth's story is one of triumph and the power of self-healing through a positive attitude. You see, Beth had lost her right breast to cancer in 1997 and had just received the devastating news that she now had cancer in her left breast. Her second mastectomy was set for February 12, 2001.
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- On a cold, clear February day, Beth entered the hospital and was operated on at 7:45 a.m. By 11:00 a.m. the operation was over. A Reiki Practitioner herself, Beth was well aware of the part that energy work could play in her recovery. Her healing team was in place and we were ready to go!
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- With the head nurse's permission, I was there to offer Beth Reiki for an hour as she slowly regained consciousness in the recovery room. All had gone well and by 3:30 in the afternoon she was on her way home. A remarkable feat! Although to be in and out of the hospital after such a serious operation in just one day is not for everyone, Beth was confident that with the help of her mother and a nurse in attendance, her recovery would be that much more enhanced by going home.
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- Over the next six months, Beth took an active part in her healing as the chemotherapy sessions began. Knowing that body work can stimulate the lymphatic system to allow toxins to exit the body quickly, we first had to determine whether this would be advantageous to her treatments. Beth checked with her oncologist - was it best for the CMF (Cyclophosphamide Methatrexate 5FU) to pass quickly through her body or not? The consensus was that the less time the toxins remained in her system the better. The go-ahead given, Beth received a combination of Reiki and CranioSacral Therapy treatments every Tuesday, followed by chemotherapy on Wednesdays. The plan was working as she suffered almost no nausea from the chemo!
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- Was breast cancer going to slow Beth down? Not one little bit! She helped organize a certification workshop for Focus on Healing Through Movement and Dance and became an instructor herself in May of 2001, just a few short months after her operation. On May 12 of this year, she was honoured with the NS Skate Canada Figure Skating Coach of the Year Award. An avid paddler and active member of Bosom Buddies (the NS Provincial Breast Cancer Survivors Dragon Boat team), Beth participated in the July 14 Bosom Buddies Dragon Boat race at the Halifax Festival and was in the winning boat for the Survivors Cup.
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- During her third chemo cycle in May, Beth went to Newfoundland to present Focus on Healing at the Second Annual Breast Cancer Survivors Retreat. Again, not letting the chemo sessions prevent her from participating in life, she booked ahead through the oncology unit of the local hospital and her May 23 chemo treatment took place in St. John's, Newfoundland!
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- Beth's chemotherapy treatments were finished by mid-August and her counts on her last blood tests were almost as high as they had been in March! Beth did the dance of joy for the chemo nurses when she heard the good news!
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- Beth’s motto is “Attitude IS everything!” and she lives up to it too! By informing herself about her disease and its treatment, by actively pursuing alternative healing methods such as Reiki, CranioSacral Therapy and nutritional counseling, Beth refused to let this disease stop her from celebrating life. In fact, she’s looking forward to returning to work in April 2002 as a Reiki Practitioner, a Learn-To-Skate instructor and a Focus on Healing facilitator.
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- With her positive attitude, Beth has shown courage and determination in the face of such a potentially devastating disease. As she charges full force into a future holding much promise, her hair is growing back now, gently framing a beautiful smiling face!
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- If you are facing what seems like insurmountable obstacles in your life, we sincerely hope that you too can find courage and strength by hearing Beth's story.
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- UPDATE: On Thanksgiving Day, 2006, Beth lost her brave fight with cancer at the age of 49.