Question for Bernie:
I recently read your book, A Book of Miracles, and found it beautiful and inspiring. For the past seven years I have been battling a mysterious illness that doctors cannot seem to diagnose. I have been to so many different specialists but unfortunately no one seems to be able to help. I have tried healing myself with alternative methods, but I ask myself, “How can I get better if I don’t know what the problem is?” I wonder if you could give me any guidance. I am so tired of feeling sick and desperately want to get well. Thank you so much for your assistance.
Bernie’s Answer:
I think you could benefit from a visit to a naturopathic or a homeopathic physician at this point since you have been evaluated by a number of specialists in mainstream medicine without a resolution.
You can begin to heal now by using a technique I know to be very effective. Ask yourself how you would describe what it is like to live with this problem. Use clear descriptions about how it feels with words that apply. An example would be the word “limiting” if that applies. List all of the actual physical symptoms like “headache” and then describe what having that headache does to you in terms of living your life—does it give you a sense of “unpredictability” because you don’t know when you will get one? Or does it give you a sense of “helplessness” because you know you are going to get one every day?
Once you have your list of negative words associated with this health problem, then take each word and think about what else in your life could be described with that word. For example, does a particular relationship in your life “limit” you from being the person you really are? Does something other than the health issue make you feel “helpless”? Remember, these are just examples of words you might use—only you can pick the words that apply the best to what you are experiencing.
As you identify things, other than the health problem, that are negative in your life, resolve to completely eliminate them. In doing this, you will be taking back control which will set you on the road to recovery. The message to your body by going through this important healing exercise is that you love it and your life. Enjoy the sense of power over your own life that you will get from this and have faith in yourself once again. Start meditating regularly and you will begin to heal.
Peace,
Bernie
Question for Bernie:
Please tell me how we can best help my grandson who had surgery to remove a pilocytic astrocytoma from his brainstem. On his MRI done on Halloween 2011 the doctors saw a small regrowth in an area the surgeons did not want to approach during surgery due to the possibility of nerve damage. My grandson is only four. How can we help him beat this? What is the best way to stimulate healing visualization in one so young? Finally, how can those of us who love him so much not fall victim to abject fear? I sincerely thank you.
Bernie’s Answer:
Let your 4-year-old grandson be your guide. Learn from him how to live one day at a time and enjoy just that day. Do not live in the worrisome future. When I thought one of our five kids was going to die due to a tumor at age 7, he came to me and said, “Dad, you’re handling this poorly.” He went on to explain that he wanted to play and have a nice day, but I was ruining it by worrying about how he would be next year.
Remember his the potential to help himself heal. Have him visualize the tumor being eliminated, and let him choose the images he uses. The tumor can be seen as a block of ice that is melted by god’s light, or a piece of meat eaten by a pet representing his immune system. You can also suggest that he turn off the blood to his tumor like he turns off the water faucet.
Here’s an idea that comes from kids who have done it all, including Jason Gaes who had the same problem as your grandson and survived. Jason’s book is My Book for Kids with Cansur and is available on Amazon.com—
Help your grandson write a book for other kids with cancer to help them. Let him make some drawings for his book and ask him to tell you about them. Provide him with crayons (all colors). Write down a few of his words on each page to go with the drawings. See what his drawings look like in terms of color choices and sense of his life in them. He will let you know how he is doing through his drawing.
Tell your grandson that he can be a doctor when he grows up and help other children.
Peace,
Bernie