Ask A Healer Cancer Education Series

What if the cancer is diagnosed as terminal?
Copyright, Neva. J. Howell


This is part three of a health response I gave to an email I received about cervical cancer.

To read the entire article, please start with cervical cancer, part one. You may also wish to read caregiver coping resources and how to tell the family, which includes resources defining the caregiver's role and tells how people of different ages experience a terminal diagnosis, from children to adults.

This part of my reply to the reader's question about cervical cancer deals with how to spiritually respond to a terminal diagnosis in such a way that we do not set ourselves up for defeat, mentally and emotionally.

Terminal Isn't The Doctors Call - When cancer diagnosis is terminal

The impact of a terminal diagnosis can stress the entire body in ways that help weaken immune response, thus giving the cancer an added advantage. If a person can avoid falling into a defeatist attitude and remain hopeful in the face of such a diagnosis, I believe they have a better chance of surviving cancer, regardless of whether they choose to address that cancer naturally or traditionally.

Optimal Spiritual Response to a Terminal Diagnosis:


If I was given a terminal cancer diagnosis, I would exercise my spiritual awareness of the limited scope of any doctor's control over my destiny. No doctor, regardless of how learned or brilliant they may be, can say when a life is over. Only God can make that announcement.

Although I would definitely consider it important information, and a warning that I should take immediate action to change my life and address the imbalances in it, I would not accept a terminal diagnosis as incontrovertable fact.

Giving in to a terminal diagnosis, in my view at least, leads to a defeated attitude that suppresses the very immune system that would help you fight it. After all, why fight if death is inevitable?

In this case, I'd probably follow pretty much the same regimen except that I would not do a full body detox if my system were weakened and I would introduce raw foods more slowly as they can tend to flush toxins fast.

This is an extremely personal decision to make and, when faced with what amounts to a death sentence anyway, I just don't believe I'd ever subject myself to chemo or radiation or surgery. If the doctors believe the prognosis is that dim, it would not be an energetic environment that would be supportive of success, in my opinion.

Whether a person decides to address cancer through conventional medicine, alternative medicine, or both, I do think it's vital to get the testing, keep on top of what is working and not working, and take conventional measures to safeguard life if the situation gets critical. In other words, in some cases, surgery of chemo may be the best option.

I see this as true whenever the cancer has such a hold on the body that immediate action is needed to avoid death and when the person simply cannot address the underlying emotional issues.

Part Four: why we get cancer, from a spiritual perspective

What the asker of this question had to say about my response: "Thanks again Neva, I couldn't have gathered all the information you gave me in a year of google searches!"

Women's Health Disclaimer: The information contained in the alternative health care / healing questions posted here should not be construed as replacement for personal medical advice from your health care professional. Cervical cancer, like other forms of cancer, is best treated when caught early so regular pap exams are important. If you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, it's very important to discuss any adjunctive therapies, such as herbals or other natural cancer remedies, with your doctor.