The Lessons in Healing

Four weeks ago our sweet crazy girl, Auraluna, was diagnosed with Bone Cancer.  I was beside myself when the Vet said "this moves fast and you will need to decide soon, she has 6 weeks during which time you will see her start going down"...our choices were full amputation of her right front leg up to her shoulder, with Chemo treatments or palliative care and putting her down.  It was heartbreaking when the Vet said...

"You know she will not make the move with you to Oregon..."

We've been planning to make the move to Oregon by the end of May.  After talking with my son, who she really belongs to, he was clear he did not want to see her suffer.  The vet pointed out the stress and the potential quality of life she would have if we went with the surgery and Chemo.  Being that she's already a very nervous dog, though she's gotten better, she's been this way since we found her...we didn't want her to suffer.  We were told the surgery would only extend her life for maybe a year, we also had to consider her age...she's at the age where they say it's the average life span for her mix breed, and the quality of life she'd have going through the treatment, surgery and adjusting to her missing limb.  She's also part lab and labs are known for their hip issues as they age, losing her front leg would make this worse.

We would make her comfortable and continue to give her lovin's

Let her tell us when it was time.  During these past few weeks I've learned a lot.  First, I was torn as to whether or not I should pull from my medicine bag and offer her healing.  I felt I was preventing the enviable, Cancer...that is sooo huge and the prognoses I read were not good...but after sitting with it, I got that I should, I should offer what ever tools I had and explore what ever palliative actions were available and be open to what ever needed to happen. 

And so...

Aside from the pain meds the Vet gave us, I've been putting some Bach's Rescue Remedy in her drinking water.   I made her a little medicine bag consisting of stones that called to me to help her through this... Rose Quartz which opens the Heart Chakra and brings calmness to stressful situations, Sugilite, re-energizes the body systems and directs energy to the part that's blocked, which to me would help her release the pain making her more comfortable, Purple Fluorite, restores the body as it fights an illness.

I also turned to my Essential Oils...

Frankincense known to work at the cellular level and restore our DNA to it's original form.  Blended with White Fir, it's known to support and repair bone, which in this case is being eaten away by the Cancer.  I also use Lemongrass, as it's known as the oil of cleansing and a powerful cleanser of our energy. 

And I offered her my Reiki healing...

I felt since offering healing is in my nature, I wanted to do what ever I could for her...while remaining open and present to what ever needs to happen, happen.

While researching Bone Cancer in dogs, I came across B.S.S.T an herbal tincture formulated to help strengthen the immune system's ability to fight and destroy abnormal cells.  She's been such a trouper though it all, taking all of her meds, wearing her little medicine bag and accepting the oils and Reiki.

Today, she's doing good...tomorrow who knows...

Another lesson she's taught me...stay present in the moment.  We watch for signs from her, but so far her spirits are up and she's happy.  The limp isn't there, though it showed up again for about 2 days last week, interesting enough, it showed up when we all started to wonder...was she misdiagnosed, because she's doing well and no where close to where the Vet said she'd be?  I suppose that may have been Spirits way to remind us of her true condition.  Other than those two day she's not limped again.  We don't know what the next two weeks will hold or the next month...for now we keep loving her up.

And me...

I keep thanking her for her lessons, for teaching me to trust myself as a healer...for teaching me to not DO but to ALLOW...to create a space (as I recently learned in my Energy Clearing class) to let what needs to happen...happen.

You can read more about her journey Here and Here.