The Power of Perception

M. has cancer. They almost all have cancer of some sort. She had just gotten back from a long stay at the hospital and she and her family had decided to stop all treatment and enter hospice. She was weak, she could barely walk. She used a walker to get a around her condo in a house coat, because it took a lot of energy to get dressed, so she saved her energy and only got dressed when she needed to.

I started working with her legs and feet intially because she didn't like that they had gotten swollen with her long stay in the hospital. I told her I would do what I could, knowing full well that the swelling in the legs is a hard thing to reduce at this stage.

Two to three weeks later, the swelling in her legs and feet had noticably gone down and she thanked me. I was frankly surprised, but I knew massage could help, so accepted the thanks gracefully. A few weeks later, M. was walking around with out her walker and only usuing the furniture for support when needed. She was energtic and feeling very well, not to mentioned dressed when I arrived. She attributed this renewed energy and ability to walk to the massage. I smiled and thanked her for her confidence in me, but assured her it was her hard work that brought her to this point, not just the massage.

After a couple months I notice M. is out visiting friends more often and leading an active live. It wouldn't seem that she was part of a hospice program. At the end of the 6 months I arrive for a visit and M. is beaming. "I've got some good news and some bad news!" she says. "I just heard from the doctor, my cancer is in remission!" This is great news. It is rare that I get to see a client get better. "The bad news is, I won't be in hospice anymore, so I won't be able to get your massages! I know that it was your massages that helped turn things around!"

I thought about that. Of course I told her that massage wasn't the only thing that was working in her favor, but later I got to thinking about people perceptions. I thought about all those placebo tests and 'postive thinking'. This woman feels strongly that my work helped to heal her, at least into a remission. I know this is not biologically possible for massage on it's own to stop a cancer growth.. but her perception is different.

It got me to thinking about how other things in life don't really work if you don't believe in them either. I'm starting to wonder how much the medicine, therapy, doctors visits, etc play a role in healing and how much of it is your brain or just luck. Either way, M. is living up the days she has been granted and thanking me for the oppertunity.

The polite thing to do would be say "Your Welcome" so.. "Your welcome, M. I did my best and was happy to help you."