A big congratulations and thank you to Dr. Barbi Phelps-Sandall for taking the names of 85 “pilgrims” on her pilgrimage on Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

She walked 182 miles with their names attached to her back pack, culminating at the Cathedral in Santiago where she lit a candle for each “pilgrim” whose name she had been carrying, and she attended the Pilgrims’ Mass in their honor.

You can read her blog posts along the trail here. Thank you to those of you who donated to Healing Journeys and honored someone in your life by including them on this pilgrimage.

I promised you some information about what we are planning for 2018. First, some history. I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989. I began searching for resources to help me navigate the cancer world, and couldn’t find what I needed to address the whole person — mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Because I came from a background of teaching seminars on mind-body health, I had information and contacts that would help me create the resources I needed. It took a few years, and in 1993 I designed the Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving™ conference, booked the Monterey Beach Hotel (our first venue), contracted with the speakers, and did the paperwork to create Healing Journeys as a non-profit organization. We have offered that conference 37 times since then in 25 different locations.

In 2018 we are planning to celebrate Healing Journeys’ 25th anniversary by offering a one-day free conference, in Sacramento, on September 8th – save the date! Our focus will be on stories of healing, featuring presenters who have used different strategies for healing. We want to provide a variety of stories, demonstrating that in the world of healing, one size doesn’t fit everyone.

One of our stories of healing will come from Nasha Winters, ND, whose book, The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, I have been writing about for months now. She was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer when she was 19 and was told by her doctor that chemo could extend her life for 3 months, at the most. She chose other alternatives, and is alive and well more than 25 years later. I’m excited to hear her story, and stories from other people who have taken charge of their healing and have learned to thrive in the face of cancer or other life-altering conditions. The only “experts” we are planning to invite to speak at this conference are people who have lived their own healing journeys. Each one has walked a unique path, and has provided a role model for what is possible for the rest of us.

Even though I don’t always feel like an “expert,” I am planning to be one of the storytellers at this conference instead of my past role as emcee. Cancer has been a part of my life for 28 years and I have learned to navigate it more as a chronic illness, mostly using the strategies identified by Radical Remission survivors. The 9 strategies are:

• Diet Change
• Herbs & Supplements
• Increasing Positive Emotions
• Releasing Suppressed Emotions
• Following Your Intuition
• Deepening Your Spiritual Connection
• Increasing Social Support
• Finding Strong Reasons for Living
• Taking Control of Your Health

I have thought that my story wasn’t valuable because I haven’t “beat” cancer, but I have come to understand that there is value in learning to live well with cancer.

Save the date – September 8, 2018, and celebrate with us.

As always, I welcome your comments; to reply please click here.

In the Spirit of Healing,

Jan Adrian, MSW
Founder and Executive Director