When Roses’ husband Hal called me to let me know that she was in transition, headed home to a greater place, I was beyond saddened, I was angry too.  Angry that cancer took yet another amazing woman, a person I loved and respected. A colleague and friend, Rose made the world a better place for having been in it, and I will miss her greatly.

When I first met Rose after her recurrence, she told me she decided against more chemotherapy as she had a strong conviction that it was not the right choice for her this time. Her training as a naturopathic practitioner and nutritionist — not to mention countless hours spent reading studies, articles, and books – provided her the knowledge, confidence, and strength that she was making a good choice. She had done the research and prayed for guidance. Rose prayed over ever decision to be sure it was the best for her body, knowing through God she would find the answer. She was determined to recover, and grateful for the perseverance and tenacity to move forward. She was steadfast in her belief that she was on the right path, but God had another plan for her. We can be angry with God, but he always has a plan, painful as it can sometimes be.

Rose lived with her cancer for over 18 years. She accomplished this through her immense knowledge and with the tender love and support she gave to and received from others, especially her family. Those of you who knew Rose knew that she did many things to combat cancer. She kept to a strict but delicious and varied diet, using the power of food as medicine alongside many supplements and essential oils. But most of all, she relied on her faith in and love of God.

Rose felt that a very big component to her health was her relationship with God.  She would meditate with God and visualize His healing power going into her bones and the rest of her body. She felt it was very powerful and would do this once or twice a day. She once told me she would speak every day to her white blood cells to increase and be strong like the Lion of Judah, in Jesus’s name. She would use visualization to see her lymphocytes making strong colonies like an army; shoulder to shoulder not allowing any abnormalities in her cells and in her body. She worked hard on this visualization.

Days before she began her transition, and while in great pain, Roses’ only thought was to share some things she learned from her new doctor. She wanted to share these with me as she thought it could help others. That was the kind of person Rose was, always striving to make a difference in the lives of anyone she crossed paths with and even those she hadn’t. She would pray for me, pray for others, and insist that others pray for others she was praying for. It brought a big smile to my face when I heard that over and over again at the celebration of her life.

But cancer is sneaky, and can take advantage of us at our weakest times (and even at our strongest). Stay vigilant; if you are on a holistic protocol that is working for you, stay on it. Try not to revert back to your pre-cancerous lifestyle that could allow cancer back through the door. If you notice symptoms, you may need to make changes to your protocol. Get checked out and don’t delay seeking treatment (conventional or holistic).  The sooner you address the issue, the better your chances.

However, don’t let the beast we call cancer get to your soul. The mind is more powerful than the body, so stay out of that dark place we call doubt. Most importantly, you don’t have to be dying to start living. Enjoy every day; tell your loved ones how you feel—you just never know when you won’t get the chance to do so.

Roses’ light still shines for me and for countless others. I will greatly miss her voice, love, kindness, and wisdom.  My heart aches for her beloved husband Hal and for their loving children, family, and friends.  Rose’s love shone through everything she did, always a kind word, a sweet note, or a cherished gift.  I can feel her presence as if she was still here, and in a way, she is and always will be.

Rose Green Ferguson M.A., R.D. C.H.C., was an internationally renowned naturopathic practitioner and nutritionist who specialized in chronic diseases (such as G.I. issues (i.e., leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease) and thyroid complications. She shared a plethora of knowledge of a variety of natural modalities including diet therapy, supplementation, essential oils, and hydrotherapy.

Elyn

~~If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any~~

Elyn Jacobs is a holistic cancer strategist and speaker specializing in the prevention and treatment of cancer. She is a Contributing Editor for The Truth About Cancer and is on the Medical Advisory Board for BeatCancer.Org and the Advisory Board to the Radical Remission Project. Elyn has written for numerous journals and publications. She was the former Executive Director of the Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation and the creator and host of the Survive and Live Well Radio Show.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to forgo medical advice and treatment.  This post is not intended to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any disease or condition. This post does not represent medical advice nor should it be considered to be medical advice or a replacement for medical advice.  I encourage you to discuss this information with your integrative oncologist, naturopathic doctor, or conventional oncologist. The information provided is from my research and not to be taken as scientific evidence.