The Begining of Deep Kinnections
It was the fall of '98, I had just started my freshman year of high school, when we got the news that my grandmother, Marcia White, had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer know as IBC, Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
It was devastating news, waves of shock rippled through our family, stopping life as we knew it. Marcia was the beating heart of the White Family - the most central core that held it all together. What were we going to do? We did what grandma said and she said, FIGHT! So that is exactly what she did - for almost 2 whole years she fought that cancer like Mohamed Ali at his greatest.
My grandma tried all the modern medicine that was available to her - at the time "alternative medicine" was making it's way onto health insurance's covered therapies. So for the first time in my young life I watch my brave, strong grandmother struggle through a double mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy. When the side effects of the treatment became too much she turned to eastern medicine to ease her pain. She tried acupunture and medicinal tinctures and herbs -she even tried massage therapy.
Of all the therapies that my grandmother experimented with, I saw the most life in her when she looked east instead of west. She was happy and in less pain - even if only for a moment, an hour... a day, it didn't matter, everything for her was ok in those moments.
Seeing the comfort that the alternative approach could bring is what led me into healthcare and massage, Reiki, and yoga.
Grandma died during my sophomore year in November of 2000. Four years later, I began my journey to help and heal those in pain. I have worked all over the Puget Sound area and, after 6 years I feel I am finally ready and able to share all that I have learned.
I believe that in life pain is inevitable, but suffering? I believe suffering is optional. What I have to offer is options - Alternatives to suffering.
Won't you give it a try?
My Grandma Marcia and Grandpa Jack
Christmas 1998