My Story
12 fibroadenomas, 1 tumor, 1 surgery, 6 biopsies, 6 ultrasounds and 35 years old. You don’t have to be over 50 to experience breast health struggles.
5 years ago I decided to take my health challenges as opportunities for healing and growth. It started with the book Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. In it he shares how his wife Julie healed a cyst in her neck with Ayurveda. The story is incredibly moving and inspired me to try.
Before starting with Ayurveda, I met with an oncologist/surgeon in Vancouver several times. I had many questions regarding the hows and whys of my breast imbalances and I wish I could tell you she answered all my questions. I remember asking her if the birth control pill I had been on for years had any effect on fibroadenoma and tumor growth and she answered that millions of women were on birth control and didn’t have my problem. Not the answer I had hoped for. In her mind this could not be healed naturally and I didn’t find myself to be supported in the way I had hoped. When I had the surgery to remove a large fibroadenoma years prior, the surgeon was incredibly kind, reassuring and gentle.
When dealing with any health struggle you want to feel understanding and support from your healthcare practitioner. I left her office each time incredibly hesitant to go through with the surgery. Her bedside manner wasn’t my only hesitation. The tumor I wanted removed was in the exact same spot where I had a fibroadenoma removed years prior. If the tumor is removed would something more serious grow in its place? I was hesitant to remove something I knew nothing about.
I’d like to tell you that I embarked on my Ayurveda journey and one year later my tumor had healed. This couldn’t have been further from the truth. I followed an Ayurveda protocol for 2 years and looking back I now realize how much I fought my body during this time. I stressed that the treatment wouldn’t work. I worried about paying for the treatment. I was constantly thinking and obsessing about the tumor. I had little faith in myself. I became incredibly obsessive about adhering to the diet to the point where I was borderline orthorexic. I was not only judging myself but others for what they ate. I was mentally exhausted.
During this time, I went to my functional medicine doctor and had an ultrasound to check on things. To my absolute disappointment, the tumor grew. A lot! I was so disheartened and frustrated that “Ayurveda” didn’t work. I blamed the Ayurvedic doctor. I blamed myself. I blamed the herbs. I blamed it all. I needed to rest, so I stopped the treatment. This taught me was that no matter how healthy you eat, how many herbs you take, if you stress or don’t believe in yourself no protocol will work. It’s ALL energy!
Here are some of the lessons I learned:
Fighting your body will never produce desired results.
Stress makes things worse, much worse.
What you focus on grows.
We are responsible for our own healing.
It’s all about how we direct our energy
We need to allow our bodies to relax to receive healing
How we use these healing modalities is entirely up to us.
When you get tired, learn to rest not quit.
Nobody said it was going to be easy.
Our internal dialogue has tremendous impact on our bodies
Follow your intuition.
If a doctor isn’t providing you with the support or answers, don’t be scared to get a second or even third opinion no matter how highly they’re recommended. No one has all the answers.
Create a community or tribe of support. Experiment with and research different healing modalities. I have a naturopath, functional medicine doctor, chiropractor, energy healer, reflexologist, herbalist, etc. on constant rotation. They all have something to offer.
Keep going!
The tumor and fibroadenomas are benign so I have the opportunity to continue on the holistic path. During this time I became a Holistic Nutritionist, herbalist and learned more about Ayurveda. Learning how our mind, body and spirit are interwoven has been a true asset in my quest for health.
Here’s a glimpse of some the things I’ve done: Ayurveda treatment, mercury amalgam removal, heavy metal detox, nutrient testing, food sensitivity testing, blood photos, lots of blood work, supplementation like you wouldn’t believe, gut healing protocols, balms, oils, meditations, mantras, energy work, herbs, healers, acupuncture, naturopaths, holistic nutritionist, functional medicine, western medicine, reflexology, infrared sauna, chiropractic care, etc. They’ve all brought immense healing to my physical and energetic body and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them all. In fact, I continue with many of these approaches and constantly try and experiment with new ones.
I may not have healed my tumor with Ayurveda and perhaps I wasn’t meant to. Maybe I stopped when I should have kept going. I could dwell on all the what-ifs but I’m not sure what good that would do. Perhaps Ayurveda was merely meant to be the first step in my healing journey. It did, however, cleanse my body on so many different levels. I’m captivated by its wisdom and continue to incorporate many of its teachings into my daily vata routine. As they say, all paths lead to wellness.
This journey has awakened my spirit, softened my heart, nourished and strengthened my body. It’s taken me from my head to my heart and brought forth a community I could have only dreamed of. We are all healers and it is our responsibility to heal ourselves. No one else can do it for us. It’s our duty to dive deep, harness our strength, honour ourselves with deep reverence and allow our bodies innate intelligence to work it’s magic. It’s taught me self-love, to be compassionate and kind towards myself, and to listen to my body’s messages. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us. It’s our job to listen.
To date (2024), all my fibroadenomas have healed completely and the tumor has shrunk and healed about 75%. There’s just a little bit left to go. The faith that I’ve built in myself and my body is unmatched. I’ve totally healed my anxiety, I no longer worry about my health. I just get stronger and healthier every day.
Keep going. No matter how it looks. Stay focused on your desired outcome, believe in yourself and watch how your body heals.
If you’re looking for support in your healing jourey, I offer online courses, 1-1 sessions and private coaching.
Thank you for sharing in my journey.
Love and gratitude,
Rachelle