Over the past two years the term “health is wealth” has hit home in a way that many never considered before.
The value of a healthy body was a lesson I learned the hard way – being diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Until that point, I thought myself pretty indestructible. I was working too hard, playing too hard, not eating the best, and stressed out all the time. Cancer and chemo and radiation treatment stopped me in my tracks and made me reconsider my life priorities. This was not a contemplative assessment based on pros and cons. It was a non-optional hard stop. My body said, “Steve, lay down and don’t move.” I had a feeding tube and I couldn’t talk or even walk to the mailbox.
After treatment, I had visions of going back to my “normal” way of living, but that was not to be. My energy was completely depleted, neuropathy numbed my hands and feet, I couldn’t taste food or gain weight. I was skeletal. The things I prioritized pre-cancer slipped away. The only thing that mattered was getting my health back.
I started researching integrative modalities that could help me recover. I found an Ayurvedic practice of “swishing” with sunflower oil returned my salivary gland function. A specialized massage therapist worked the tightness in my legs and arms till the neuropathy receded. Yoga therapy and personal training restored my strength and vitality. Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs tonified my digestion and I gained weight. Slowly but surely these complementary therapies gave me my life back.
Too many cancer patients and survivors don’t know where to get this kind of help. Medical professionals are in support of integrative care, but it’s not always available through the Western medical system. That is why I opened Revivorship Holistic Cancer Wellness Center.
Revivorship is the place where you can get help with all cancer-related side effects — nausea, lymphedema, neuropathy, pain, etc. All our practitioners are specialists in the fields of acupuncture, yoga therapy, massage, nutrition, cranial-sacral therapy, talk therapy, and more. We are fully integrative and integrated. This means our specialists communicate with each other and your medical team, if requested, to make sure all the treatment you receive at Revivorship is the best option for your specific situation.
Integrative modalities can be supportive for so many different health situations. Now that we all have a much greater appreciation for “health as wealth,” Revivorship is partnering with Coast News to gather and share the best wellness advice available on a wide range of important topics. You can look to this monthly column for simple, accessible tools and practices that can help us all live longer, healthier and happier!
Steve Leisher is the founder of Revivorship Holistic Cancer Wellness Center.
