The Adventure

It was November of 2013, and life was good!  No, not good...it was GREAT!  I was enjoying great times, creating fantastic memories with my husband and son. We were exploring new adventures, doing the things we dreamed of in life and had emerged from some years of tough challenges better than ever. My business was reaching goals after years of hard work, and my husband loved his work, helping along a happy life at home. We felt God was blessing us beyond the material with opportunities to serve and take our faith further. I had also recently taken my health to new levels and felt great from eating "clean" and strengthening with new forms of fun exercise.  

So came the shock wave with a stage one breast cancer diagnosis on the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

Amid confusion and feelings of betrayal from my own body, I immediately sought the help of a friend and Healing Touch practitioner who had a vast amount of experience working with breast cancer patients. Two days following the diagnosis, we met and completed a session.  It was the start of my adventure...

An adventure of discovery
An adventure of understanding
An adventure of spiritual awakening
An adventure of understanding the intricate beauty of how we are created
An adventure of seeing first hand the power of God's own tools
An adventure of healing my WHOLE self

Before I took the time to really research, I had opted to do surgery and underwent the double mastectomy followed by full reconstruction. I won't deny the vanity of it all. After decades of working to make the best of my large cup size - and finally getting used to them - I had the opportunity to enjoy that same size but with some extra control and new ability to wear things that I never had before. That being said, the horrific pain - both physical and emotional - and long term affects prompt me today to say that I would not want to make that choice again.  But at the same time, there is plenty that I wouldn't know today if I had not endured that particular experience.  God is using it to help me understand even more!

Moving forward, test results following the surgery prompted the anticipated strong push of "preventative" treatment with chemotherapy.  My soul screamed "NO", and my elementary understanding of natural care gave me some avenues to begin seeking the truth for myself and additional options.  To the horror of my oncologist - whom I did fire after her god-complex emerged with fierce vengence - I declined the chemotherapy and tamoxifen (hormone blocker).  As stubborn as I am, it was still tough to face the dragon in my stance. To have someone with such authority in the medical industry, as she did, tell you that you will die if the cancer returns and chemotherapy is your only way to ensure that it doesn't is rather daunting.  But frankly, her near angry response only fueled my fire to prove her wrong.

Immediately I dove into research. By making my decision public through social media and my online journal that was followed by family and friends, I received a surprising amount of support and offerings of direction and resources to get more information.  I became a sponge to everything and, it became a full time job.

The first result was to truly learn about cancer, why the body allows for it to develop and grow, and what it really takes for the body to eliminate it. It really didn't take long for any fears lingering inside to dissapate as I continued to uncover fascinating information regarding the biology of cancer. But it didn't stop there... quantum physics, psychology, epigenetics, neutraceuticals, immunotherapies, spinal health, social impacts, conditions of the heart and soul... so much to look at and explore!

Peeling back the onion layers for months, and still continuing today, I discovered areas in every aspect of my life that needed to be addressed, while utilizing natural resources to support my body through the healing processes.  The truths and "ah-ha" moments evoked emotions across a full spectrum from heartache to exhilerating joy! 

Through proper care, guidance from a group of trusted practitioners, and support from my medical doctors, I was fully cancer-free by May of 2014. But not only was I free from the pesky little cancer cells, I was healthier than I had ever been in my 41 years.  I felt better, was stronger, was more at peace and the test results continue to prove it all to this day.

To dive further into some of these points of discovery as they happened, you can check out the blog.  Some of the posts are/will be taken directly from my journal throughout the year of healing adventure.

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Paula Swift is from the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Nashville in 2000. Married to her husband, Sam, since 2001, they have enjoyed raising their son born in 2006.  She has created a career in marketing with specific skills in consulting strategy and brand development.  She continues to consult with clients in marketing while building her practice as a Healing Touch Practitioner and coaching/supporting other cancer patients.  

Paula also serves as a board member for Freedom's Promise, a non-profit organization targeting the prevention of human trafficking in Cambodia. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor sports, flying with her husband and actively supporting her son's race car driving.

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I am not a physician.
I am not a science scholar.

I AM a cancer conqueror and thriver.
I AM a researcher, constantly learning.
I AM a believer in whole healing beyond what we can see.
I AM a believer that one can HEAL, even if a condition isn't cured.
I AM here to encourage, inspire and direct others to resources I believe in.
I AM here to share my story, so that others can turn their own illness of journey into an adventure.
I AM to share God's healing power in my life and let others know He can & will do the same for them.