As I was doing yoga this morning and during savasana, when I 'should' have been quieting my mind, instead I was inspired to write this post!  The reason being, I couldn't wait to get home to apply my essential oils to my desmoid tumor, which was experiencing some discomfort. For the record, I rubbed in some frankincense and copaiba (along with coconut oil) on arrival and voila, no discomfort. Then I got to thinking, these oils are giving me so much relief to a lot of cancer and desmoid related side effects, that this post simply must be written. So here I am!

I'm going to start with the support for breast cancer side effects and then move on to desmoid tumour. Much of this is relatable to cancer in general.

Breast cancer:

Chemopause related (menopause) hot flashes: 7 years on, I still get these every day. Although at a reduced frequency. Thankfully! I have found the fastest relief ever using EO's.  I make a mix in a small spray bottle (glass), it has 9 mls of filtered water, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 5 drops of lavender. I spray it on my chest and the back of my neck.  The relief is instant. Also to help with hormonal balance I use a blend called 'Clary Calm' which I apply to my wrists and the back of my neck. This I do every day and I think it's really helping me. 

Sex drive: truth, I am single and not in need of this. But for those who aren't like me, I've heard clary sage is a big help. But, fair warning, you should check with your doctor before trying this. That's how good it is, it may interfere with the drugs you take to keep you in menopause. (I was on tamoxifen for five years, I asked and was told that you should wait to at least a year after starting tamoxifen to introduce it, but every case is different so please check).  There are other oils for you libido that are less about hormones and more about aphrodisiac help, like ylang ylang, jasmine and rose. 

Nausea and digestive problems: These are big during treatment so I thought worth discussing here. Whilst I didn’t have essential oils in my life when I went through chemotherapy, I wish I did. I would recommend trying the following oils applied topically (to the tummy and/or digestive tract) - be sure to dilute (in fractionated coconut oil) first. DigestZen, Ginger, Peppermint, Zendochrine.

Sleeping: I've struggled with restful sleep ever since having breast cancer. I'm a tosser and turner, a sweater, even a kicker (lucky I sleep alone!).  BUT, finally, with the help of vetiver I am sleeping better.  I diffuse it and mix it with carrier oil (google that) and massage it in to my feet when I go to bed. This is big for me. That said, a lot of people find that Lavender or Lavender Peace work better for them (the same protocol). I'm just not one of them!

Scars: Easy one! Frankincense, lavender rubbed in (also in carrier oil) and my skin is so much better. Scars have faded away to nothing. This isn't just helpful for breast cancer, it's also helping my sun damage.

Lymph node cording (drainage too): there's a whole article here http://bit.ly/lymphhealth, but for me I just have the cording and am now using geranium and citrus bliss (or lemon, tangerine, wild orange) to massage in. This is new so can't state results yet.

Emotional support: OK, truth is, I worry every time I have a health issue (not surprising after finding my desmoid tumor!!!). I also suffer from anxiety at times and I've found essential oils amazing helpful to manage. My favorite is a blend called Balance. But I also have chamomile and bermagot (which are in Balance) so I mix it up. Balance is just the best, I put it on my temples, wrists or even just smell it from the bottle when I'm needing some relief from worry/anxiety. Lavender Peace is another really soothing option I love.

Inflammation: as we've all learned, inflammation in the body is the root of many evils. Especially cancer and this extends to desmoids too. While I no longer have breast cancer (yay), I do have a desmoid and want to keep my body as free from inflammation as possible to AVOID a recurrence. There are two key oils for this - frankincense and copaiba.  Click the links on those two and you can read medical research that supports their use. Ok, so I have made a blend of both of these oils (with carrier oil) in a roll on bottle. I use this under my feet every day, as it's the fastest way to get the oils to my blood stream.  Additionally I massage this mix into my desmoid tumor. I am due for a scan later this month and I am absolutely confident it is shrinking it, but will report back when I know for sure.

Low tox living: Ever since getting cancer and later a desmoid, I've been suspicious of the impact of the modern world of toxicity we live in. As a result, I have systematically reduce the amount of toxins in my home. By being a member of doTERRA I have opened up a whole range of products to my home that are 100% natural. From soap to washing detergent and of course, natural support to illness and other issues, doTERRA has me covered.

Desmoid Tumor specific additions:

Pain relief: because i do have discomfort (ok maybe it's pain but I don't like to tell myself it hurts). Turns out that the same mix I use for shrinkage kicks pain in the butt at the same time. So therefore, my franky and copaiba works double time.

I became a doTERRA Wellness Advocate in November last year and I've had so many health gains, I'm finding I simply have to share the love. Please get in touch if you want to hear more about how they support me and could do the same for you. My email is yvettemayer@hotmail.com.  Alternatively you can go on my doTERRA site and watch videos, do more research and even buy at wholesale prices. If you do that, please do yourself a favor and enroll as a WA or wholesale customer and you will receive wholesale prices (20%) off for the next 12 months. Click shop to see what you like, but to buy, click on the join and save link and go from there. Enrollment kits waive the $35 fee for an account and offer the best value. But if you just want a couple of oils, pay the fee and go ahead and do that. Good luck with it, I'm here to support you if you become a customer.