Question for Bernie:
I am a Cancer patient with urinary bladder carcinoma & bone metastases Stage T4. But with my fighting spirit and very special mental strength, I am driving a two-hour roundtrip commute to work regularly. How long I will be able to do that Sir, can you guess? I have already completed six cycles of Carboplatin+ gemcite+ Zoladronic Acid starting in March 2011. Indian doctors told me not to drive and gave me a survival period of two years at most. But I have my own ideas and choose to defy cancer by treating it as if it were a common, non-life threatening disease. Right now my physical condition is so good that nobody–not even doctors– can judge by looking at me that I am cancer patient.
Bernie’s Answer:
No one knows your future. You have the potential to exceed expectations. The key is doing what you love to do so you love your life and body.
If you find that driving to the office and working there is what you love to do and it makes your heart happy, then go on doing that. But if it is just work that you really don’t enjoy very much, then let it go and do what you love to do with your time…then magic happens
You want your body to know you love what you are doing and then it does its best to induce healing.
I suggest that you add listening to guided imagery tapes to the other things you are doing for yourself. They will help you learn to relax deeply and think clearly about what you really want to do with your time.
–Bernie
Question for Bernie:
Dr. Siegel,
I read you book “Love, Medicine, and Miracles” many years ago. I now am reading “Peace, Love, and Healing”.
When you refer to “Our Creator” are you talking about the God of The Bible? I understand why you may just leave it at “Our Creator” (kind of like AA uses “a higher power”) to reach more people. However, for me it is important to know your intent.
Thank you.
Bernie’s Answer:
My definition of our creator is intelligent loving conscious energy, and from that, God was created and then went on creating—because when you are the only one, you are still indescribable, and you are no thing, just as 1 x 1 = 1 and 1 divided by 1 = 1.
So life begins when animals, plants, and people are created, then 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
AND TEN IS A VERY MEANINGFUL NUMBER IN OUR LIVES FOR A REASON.
Hope this helps. Feel free to dialog with me.
–Bernie
Question for Bernie:
I believe that my depression may have caused my breast cancer. I had thoughts of suicide on-and-off over a few years before I developed breast cancer in 2008. I think of my cells as having their own brain that is connected to my brain so they can hear my thoughts. Because they could hear my thoughts of suicide, they decided to develop into cancer cells and kill me through the disease—a kind of suicide by cancer. Is that possible?
Bernie’s Answer:
Yes it is very possible. Monday morning we have more suicides, illnesses, heart attacks and strokes
The brave choice is to turn from suicide and choose life. Create a life you love so that your body works at self-healing, strengthened by knowing that you love your body and your life.
Your cells don’t hear but they are affected by the chemistry in your body when you are suicidal versus happy. Loneliness leads to more disease but laughter leads to longer survival–so
- laugh for no reason several times a day
- get out your baby pictures and put them around your home and love the kid you see in them every day
Remember, God loves you. Give her a new name, too.
Love you, and I am your new CD = Chosen Dad
–Bernie
Question for Bernie:
Firstly, thank you for your inspirational teaching about cancer and healing. In a lot of your writing (in the book and on this blog) you talk about the importance of having loving people around you and getting support from them. What if you don’t have this in your life? I’m being treated for breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and I’m now having radiotherapy. My dad rarely calls me to find out how I am (we’ve never been close and I think I’ve finally worked the anger about this out of my system), and my sister has been working away through most of my treatment so wasn’t around. They are my only family members. I’ve noticed that people who I call friends also don’t really ring up much to find out how I’m getting along (this surprised me as I would certainly make a point of contacting them if they were going through something like this). Some friends offered support but I never took it. People see me as being strong (I’ve continued to work through treatment and my friends at work have been supportive. I have been able to let my emotions out around them). I’ve never been the most social of people even as a youngster, it’s just who I am. When I read all this about having loving relationships (I’m single) and loving support I get concerned! I do feel very positive about my health ironically, and eat well and exercise the best I can. So what advice would you give people like me on healing and health?
Bernie’s Answer:
I would read the Immune Competent Personality List on my website—notice that it mentions you can ask for the help you need from friends and family. It includes other things for you to incorporate into your behavior in addition to asking for what you need, like expressing appropriate anger.
So let your friends and family know your needs. Their response is up to them, but at least you can ask.
You can find or start a support group to help you and others, too. This is a good way to be among people.
And get a furry pet to keep you company and remind you to live in the moment and not resent others—if you expend energy resenting others, it affects your healing in a negative way.
Drive friends and family nuts by calling them every day for a month asking how they are and telling them you love them. Then skip a day and watch who calls you.
Peace,
Bernie