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Cuddle Therapy - Cancer
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Cuddle Therapy - trauma, grief & depression
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I believe people with cancer, or come to that, any ‘terminal’ or life restricting illness have two very fundamental rights – the right to know and the right to choose their care. To be able to have this they need to be informed about ALL possible avenues they could take. And perhaps, just as importantly, not judged for the decisions they make. I
am not about to argue the point of allopathic medicine as appose to
complimentary therapy when talking of how cancer ‘should’ be
treated. I do not have medical training and certainly am not an expert
in this field. However, as a complimentary therapist and someone who
cares I do believe that everyone should have the right to make an
informed decision about the care they choose for their illness. As
a logical thinking person, conventional medicine, as practiced today, is
nothing more than a pool of contradictory statements, form that anybody
may take what he wants, protected by health insurance organizations',
governments, and many medical associations. Lothar
Hirneise So, where does Cuddle therapy fit into ‘any’ treatment regarding cancer, or any other illness? The emotional rollercoaster that anyone will go through when they hear the diagnoses of cancer, or any other serious illness, and the months/years ahead whilst seeking, deciding, and having treatment will be enormous. Although I was well aware of this I never thought to use EFT and Cuddle Therapy to help, until one day I was……..well the best way is to tell you a story! A good friend of mine had been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach; it was a very …… form of cancer and quickly affected other parts of her body. She was given only months to live. Lucy (her real identity is being respected), made firm decisions that she did not want to spend her last months in hospital, having treatment that may only increase her chances of extra time by a few months, and missing out on being at home with her family and friends. She chose care at home with support from varies places. However, at the very start of her illness Lucy underwent exploratory surgery. I dropped in to see her the day before and whilst talking she asked me if I had been doing any work with my ‘special babies’, as she called them. I said I had. ‘Will you bring the one called Sophie in to see me when you come again, she’s so sweet’ she said. Although not sure what had made her say this, I did as she asked when I went back in the following day, which was in fact the day she had surgery. Now I have to tell you that walking onto a ward in any hospital carrying a car seat with a cuddle therapy doll safely strapped inside turns peoples heads and certainly causes some of the strangest conversations. This day was no different. It was clear that the staff had NEVER seen anything like it, and many were caught out with thinking that Sophie, the doll was in fact a real baby. Great stuff!!! Clearly doing my job well. However, my first surprise was the reaction of the staff themselves. They ‘cooed’ over her, lots of ‘aaahh’s, and it made me think about how ‘their’ energy systems were reacting to seeing and holding this doll, (this took me down other avenues in my research). Eventually I was directed to Lucy’s bed and Sophie and I went over. As I approached Lucy’s bedside I could see she was attached to all kinds of technical equipment and appeared to be dozing. However, it was only a matter of minutes before she noticed me and that I was holding Sophie. Straight away she asked to hold her. Because of all the tubes and wires I was careful how I placed Sophie in her ‘free arm’, but Lucy soon pulled Sophie up to her face where she began to talk to Sophie and kiss her head. Straight away emotion came to the surface with Lucy and she began to cry, spilling out all her anxieties about her health and fears. I sat beside her and held her hand. In this particular case, to tap on her hand was not really possible and she was already in considerable pain without me tapping anywhere upon her body. Besides she would not free herself from holding and cuddling Sophie. So, whilst holding her hand, with my left hand I suggested I should ‘tap’ for her, in a surrogate way repeating the words she said to me. She nodded her head in agreement. During the next 20 minutes or so many emotions surfaced and were dealt with. Be cause of confidentiality I am unable to talk of what was said, however, it was very clear that cuddling Sophie whilst I tapped worked. Sophie seemed to ‘allow’ the emotion to ‘bubble up’ and when it was at the surface I was able to help Lucy clear it away. When we were finished a nurse appeared and asked how what I was doing worked? I was more than happy to explain how I perceived it to work, and that afternoon was one of may visits. Soon other patients asked if they to could cuddle Sophie or one of the other dolls I had. Sadly Lucy passed away several months later. However, when she was in the last stages of her illness she decided that going into a hospice would be best for all concerned. Thank you Lucy for allowing me into your life in those last days whilst you were in the hospice and for asking to hold Sophie. In fact Sophie had a cuddle (along with tapping) just hours before Lucy passed over. One of the last things that was said was ‘Bless your heart (meaning Sophie) you make me feel so much better’………… One of Lucy’s fears was dying. I like to think that by having a cuddle and being able to ‘tap’ about these fears, I was able to comfort in some way. A cuddle is a wonderful thing when you have fear and trauma running through your body. The beauty of using these ‘special’ dolls is that they are perfect within the confines of a hospital or hospice. They are cleaned when they return home after each ‘outing’ and dressed in clean clothes. They do not make any noise (well most of them), and each one has its unique ‘way’. I am now using these dolls with Flower Essences. When asked by a client to visit I will research the client’s condition and the doll will have their hair/clothes ‘dabbed’ with a particular essence. Also, crystal bracelets are being made for the dolls to wear, there fore enhancing the energy whilst they are being cuddled. Cuddle therapy, used with EFT and other energy therapies still has lots of research to go through. However, I have seen the effects with my own eyes and shall continue to take Sophie and the other dolls into where ever I am invited, to help where I can.
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