EIGHT OF US

In the beginning it was difficult to re-engage. Something like arriving home from vacation. Maybe a little more like coming back from the dead.

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I remember that first night home with my loved ones after having built a new family [of sorts] in Cancun. Hard things shared make humans bond quickly. And those of us in the image did.  

Carrying a profound sense of exhaustion and a heavy burden that’s hard to explain, I joined my husband, boys and their girls at a favorite restaurant, enjoying dinner outside in the unusual warmth of a fall evening, sipping margaritas and iced tea.

The conversation was lively between us, or more accurately, amongst them. I remember hearing voices of ones sitting right next to me and yet seemingly so far away, incidental conversations wedged between this feeling like there was something important that needed saying, like angel voices descending from a moody Idaho sky.

Re-entry is most often imagined as some mark on the calendar, a definable moment in time. Yet, for those of us who find ourselves written into the lines of an inexplicably hard story, our mashup of emotions is perpetual: like we can never leave the feeling that we have one foot in heaven behind.

There are the quiet, nearly mundane reminders—mistletoe injections, hyperthermia treatments, endless labwork, and high dose vitamin C IVs. And then there come the more jarring ones, like the image that arrived last week. Out of eight of us [who passed white-robed versions of our own humanity in the quiet corridors] only six remain.

 At this point it will wash over you,

this natural inclination to wonder how they passed away.

This curiosity connects us in a shared vulnerability,

the need to understand keeps our universal fears at bay.

Still, the story I should like to tell, is one that underscores a rare tenacity. Not in how they departed. But in how they lived. 

Their lives amplify the question, “How are you living the moments of your every days?

One week from the day this entry is published, our second son will take his own steps down a different sacred path that leads to the promise of, “I Do.” To be utterly transparent, there have been times in my recent journey when I wasn’t certain I would be present to dance with him on his wedding day. But yesterday we folded back the cowhide rug and held one another as we glided across my living room.

Practice is recommended—dance steps in particular, but more importantly the chronic willingness to lead with your heart no matter what the day may bring.

How perfectly unpredictable. This marvel of how surprising and confounding life is.

This synchronous adventure of having one foot in heaven and the other planted firmly here on Earth. It’s a revelatory experience we all share, of being Spirit with human flesh surrounding: Have we missed that we are mighty and then beautifully fragile to every last detail?

We are delicate and invincible,

fearless and then so terribly afraid.

We are grateful while being just so needful,

losing site of the Essential in the ambition of the day.

Those of us who have been through the hard moment [and who among us has not?] carry in our terry-cloth-robe-pockets the gift of being ever-present, ready, and aware.

How we live in all the tiniest details—how we speak, respond, and love—is the eulogy we are writing for ourselves. If written in this instant, what would yours say?

Every random moment, builds upon the next one and the next. Until we either evolve into someone we hardly recognize, or the person we [self] respect.

I think what strikes me more than all of it, as I study these beautiful people smiling through the pain, is just how little time we have to get it right.

Then I feel compelled to ask, shall we try a little harder then, to get it right? Oh how holy it feels when we do. Even if it’s not always exactly as it should be, perhaps more often than not. At least for the eight of us, that’s my pledge to you.

NOTES:

This is not a cancer story. This is a celebration of two lives—

Cheri Jo, who stands next to me in the image.

And Robin, on her left.

Through every exhausting therapy, each delivery of difficult news, these powerful women sparkled like the Caribbean Sea. And that’s exactly how I will remember them, laughing in the waves.

For those of you who are just beginning to read The Journal, let me share a little background [contained in multiple blog entries] to bring context to my words—

In November of 2022, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit Hope4Cancer in Cancun, Mexico for a three-week intensive, inclusive of life-saving cancer therapies not available in the States.

I met so many beautiful people when I was a patient at the Clinic. They have become family to me—

Hard things shared make humans bond quickly. And we did.

This image was taken by Sarah Joy Paul, the beautiful wife of Matthew, who is the tall handsome gentleman just behind me. Other Clinic patients included Cheri Jo [my left], Robin [her husband], Ashley [her husband], Cindy, Andrea and Kimmi. Out of eight, six remain.

It’s important to mention here that each of us who brought ourselves to the doorstep of Hope4Cancer were at varying stages of serious and progressive disease. And yet we held out hope that the remarkable, science-based modalities offered would give us the time that no traditional medical treatment plan could. If you find yourself, at this point, questioning my decision, I ask you to put all judgement aside until: 1] You’ve thoroughly read my story 2] You’ve personally walked out this cancer journey 3] You’ve intensely studied the integrative modalities that we all benefited from, that are only now becoming “mainstream” in some of the most reputable cancer treatment facilities in this country and around the world.

MORE IMPORTANT READING:

I am now entering my fourth year of thriving with Stage IV Uterine Cancer, thanks in large part to an Integrative program that places a Metabolic Approach to living at the top of my priorities. Last week I hosted a zoom meeting to share how these methods are not only lifesaving for me…but for you as well.

This past week, Hope4Cancer published a powerful study that punctuates my beliefs.

The 11 Integrative Hallmarks of  Cancer and Health not only assist those with active cancer but also healthy individuals, as a way to reduce their future risk of developing chronic diseases. To make sourcing this information easy, I’ve included much of it below.

If you would like to join me for my next Metabolic Approach to Healthy Living Zoom meeting which speaks directly to nutrition and its role in not only managing but curing disease, please “Connect with Me” through this website or email me at jkraft@sanctuaryliving.life.

11 INTEGRATIVE HALLMARKS

I. Systemic Deregulations

1. Compromised Immune System

This hallmark refers to a weakened immune system and its relationship with chronic inflammation, autoimmune conditions, and pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. A compromised immune system is less able to recognize and destroy cancer cells, increasing the risk of cancer development and progression.

2. Disrupted Microbiome

The microbiome is an intricate community of microorganisms inhabiting different parts of our body, such as the gut, skin, and oral cavity. These bacterial communities are entwined with the immune system and play a crucial role in maintaining health. Issues like compromised gut health and imbalances in oral bacteria can lead to inflammation, infections, and other serious downstream problems, creating an environment conducive to cancer.

3. Metabolic Dysfunction

This hallmark encapsulates the abnormal metabolic processes and conditions that foster an environment for cancer growth. It highlights how cancer cells hijack normal cellular metabolism to support their rapid growth, creating an inflammatory and immunosuppressive environment in the body. Furthermore, it underscores the deep interconnections between conditions like obesity, high blood sugar, and insulin resistance with the development and progression of various cancers.

4. Energetic Incoherence

This hallmark involves energetic imbalances that arise from a disconnection from nature, aberrations in the body’s electromagnetic fields, and a lack of grounding. These issues can lead to overall health imbalances and an accumulation of oxidative stress and inflammation, capable of contributing to and worsening the development of cancer and its symptoms.

II. Environmental and Biological Influences

5. Epigenomics

Epigenomics focuses on how our genes and their expression can contribute to cancer. It elucidates that while cancer initiates as a genetic disease, only a very small percentage can be attributed to inheritance. Instead, most cancers arise from mutations in genes during our lifetime, often induced by environmental, lifestyle, and geographical factors. Epigenetics also plays a crucial role since it is capable of turning genes on or off in ways that can cause uncontrolled cell growth and cancer.

6. Exposure to Toxins

Cancer-causing toxins are more ubiquitous than ever before. Exposure to biological, chemical, and physical carcinogens can directly damage DNA, leading to mutations that may result in cancer. This hallmark also covers substances that can be viewed as addictive, such as nicotine, alcohol, and a variety of recreational drugs, with short-term and long-term effects.

III. Habits and Behaviors

7. Physical Inactivity

Sedentary habits and lack of exercise can increase the risk of several types of cancer by affecting body weight, hormone levels, immune function, inflammation, and digestive health. On the other hand, regular physical activity is a powerful tool for both cancer prevention and as part of an integrative treatment regime, helping alleviate treatment side effects and slowing down the development of debilitating conditions like sarcopenia and cachexia. This hallmark also includes consideration of life circumstances such as age, temporary or permanent physical disabilities, disease, lack of time, and other factors that prevent people from embracing a physically active life.

8. Nutritional Imbalances

Nutrition, whether it’s undernutrition, malnutrition, or overnutrition, is entwined with human health and disease. Nutritional addictions are an emerging issue in our modern-day society, with an unhealthy and increasing reliance on sugar and processed foods. Learning the nutritional needs of the body and applying those lessons as daily habits is fundamental to living a life free of chronic diseases like cancer.

9. Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is essential for the body’s repair and cellular detoxification, and a lack of adequate sleep can interfere with these processes. Conditions like insomnia or circadian rhythm imbalances can lead to downstream hormonal imbalances and weakened immunity, contributing to an increased risk of cancer.

IV. Emotional and Lifestyle Imbalances

10. Emotional and Spiritual Terrain

Mental health disorders, trauma, loneliness, and spiritual disconnection can all contribute to chronic stress. Persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system has wide-ranging effects on the immune and endocrine systems, capable of increasing the risk of cancer.

11. Lifestyle Stressors

Socioeconomic and psychosocial stressors are wide-ranging, encompassing everything from financial instability to discrimination. Studies have repeatedly shown these factors play a role in the incidence and severity of chronic diseases, including cancer. These sustained stressors can increase exposure to chronic stress and toxins, as well as impact timely healthcare choices, often determined by a lack of education or access to quality healthcare and preventive measures.