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THE HEALTH | MAY-JUNE , 2022
| Hot Topic |
A new mountain to climb
A cancer patient ’ s journey , from choosing to be a Thriver instead of a Survivor to helping others approach cancer holistically
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
WHEN Vijay Bhat was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2001 , he was 40-years-old and at the peak of his career .
“ Like everybody else , the diagnosis came as a complete shock , and I was sent to surgery because I had two tumours in my colon ,” said Vijay .
As the surgery was successful , the doctor gave him a choice to proceed with chemotherapy or not . He chose a holistic and integrated approach over chemotherapy to minimise relapse . He has remained cancer-free .
Vijay spoke about his cancer journey during the recent CanSurvive Global Symposium 2022 , held virtually .
“ By no means do I recommend to anybody that they should reject chemotherapy , radiotherapy or any of the medical options . I would have taken it if the doctors had told me I was supposed to take chemotherapy .
“ It is because they gave me a choice and showed me the statistics . My wife and I had the confidence to say no to chemotherapy and to look for a holistic and integrated approach .
“ We , therefore , don ’ t look at holistic and integrated approaches as alternatives . We look at them as complementary .
“ Within three days of receiving my diagnosis , I emailed about 500 or more of my family members , friends and colleagues with an email titled ‘ A New Mountain to Climb ’, and I asked for their help .
“ I ’ m glad that I did it because I was amazed by the waves of love ,
By no means do I recommend to anybody that they should reject chemotherapy , radiotherapy or any of the medical options . I would have taken it if the doctors had told me that I was supposed to take chemotherapy . It is because they gave me a choice and showed me the statistics . My wife and I had the confidence to say no to chemotherapy and to look for a holistic and integrated approach .”
— Vijay Bhat
goodwill , support and resources I received .
“ That was a big turning point for me to realise that relationships are a key healing factor in any illness , especially cancer .”
Cancer-thriver
Vijay finds himself fortunate because he got help from experts in regard to Cognitive Behavior Therapy , traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ), and holistic and spiritual health .
“ Immediately after my surgery , I was referred to a TCM doctor , Dr Xuan Song Ke , and he worked with me for a few years .
“ He told us that essentially , the future of your health will depend on how well you manage your immunity . He told us this in early 2002 . It ’ s been 20 years since , and only now , after Covid-19 , the world is talking about immunity .”
TCM and holistic and spiritual health has been the foundation of Vijay ’ s healing and approach to cancer . And while going through these approaches , Vijay wished to be more than just a cancer survivor .
Thus , he re-defined himself as a “ cancer-thriver ”, and an idea started to form to reframe cancer as a growth opportunity .
“ Not everybody can beat the odds and go beyond surviving . Thrivers are people who turn their traumatic cancer experience into a springboard for personal growth .”
Developing a coaching protocol
In 2004 , Vijay disengaged from his corporate career and returned home to India from Hong Kong .
“ My wife and I started helping other people , from individuals to small groups and larger groups .
“ And through this process , our philosophy of holistic and integrated approach to cancer began to form slowly .
“ Based on that , we created a holistic and integrated coaching protocol , and we piloted that about two to three years in a clinical setting , working alongside other experts .”
Vijay and his wife , Nilima , pioneered Cancer Coaching in India , co-developing a holistic and integrative approach and training coaches to deliver a “ Thriver ” programme to cancer patients .
Then , in 2010 , they launched Cancer Awakens , an online resource website where people can find high-quality , well-curated information about holistic and integrated cancer treatments .
The holistic and integrated approach
Holistic , he explained , means addressing all aspects of an individual ; the physical , mental , emotional , relational , and spiritual . And integrated means drawing upon different systems of wellness and wisdom from around the world .
“ The physical dimension pertains to the lifestyle habits such as diet , exercise and rest .
“ The second dimension is emotions , which have to do with feelings because negative or positive feelings directly impact our immunity .”
Next , he explained , is the mental dimension which addresses the level of thinking , whether we are enabling or disabling thoughts that could improve or compromise our immunity
The fourth dimension is relational , which Vijay noted is often neglected . “ We have found that the quality of relationships within our social circle directly impacts our immunity .
“ Healthy and supportive relationships strengthen the immunity . Meanwhile , toxic relationships compromise it .”
The final dimension is spiritual . According to Vijay , spirituality is not limited to faith and prayer .
“ It also deals with the searching for purpose in life , understanding the greater good and values , and finding answers to existential questions .
“ These holistic and integrated approaches directly impact the immunity , which is the essence of illness and healing .” — The Health