I am starting the August newsletter today and thinking about what July was like. Here on Vancouver Island it has been very hot and we had a really freaky storm - it was like a laser light show with erratic drumming in the background. Fortunately it did not interfere with all the festivals that are on in July.

 

We just received news that a good friend of ours has died suddenly; a wonderful lady we have known since childhood. Although she had breast cancer, nobody realised how badly she was doing. It makes me wonder why someone who had led such an exemplary life - she never drank alcohol, never smoked, was never overweight and she exercised regularly - should succumb to any disease, never mind breast cancer.   

 

I have been reading a lot of information about the link between mental and emotional issues and physical disease. For example, it is now believed that childhood abuse, though one may appear to come through it OK, may manifest into a physical disease when one gets older. From these readings I understood that breast cancer may be linked to the loss of a child (not necessarily a death) and how you dealt with the loss. If you want more information about these concepts, check out When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Mate, MD. Dr. Mate is a Vancouver physician.

The word "cancer" strikes fear into all our hearts; there are very few of us who have not been connected to someone who has had this disease, whether as a survivor or as a part of someone's support group. This is where essential oils are so very useful. Essential oils have been found to help with the side effects of the treatments, for example, lavender essential oil is great with radiation burns and ginger can be helpful with nausea. Depending on your reaction to chemotherapy there are several oils that will help you feel better. I am not in any way trying to say that essential oils cure cancer, but they can help with some of the symptoms.

 

The family and friends who are part of the support group for the person with cancer also need some support to keep a happy positive outlook. Diffusing a blend of geranium essential oil, orange essential oil and bergamot essential oil may help. Be prepared that chemotherapy has the side effect of altering the way we smell things so the smell may be unpleasant for the person experiencing chemotherapy.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer holidays and that you can take some time to relax and reduce your stress.

Aromatically yours,


Barb Greenwood