One thing I know for sure is that I want to inspire, educate and empower wellness. My friend and colleague Susan Brady and myself will be launching an online membership program next month so stay tuned for more information and a special invitation. All spring and summer Susan has been interviewing 40 professionals for a Healthy Aging Summit that will be airing in October so stay tuned for that too. We have more fantastic things planned for the New Year and next spring too.
Time flies and some of us have more time than others. One of the things on my bucket list is to be able to help those in need of financial support who are unable to pay for what is really important for healing. Things like healthy organic food, coaching, nutritional support and integrative therapies that are not covered by insurance. To support friends like Babette Lamarre who has the courage and self compassion to prioritize her own healing to become another radical remission story. She is still on her healing journey and still in need of support. She's surpassed her initial minimum prognosis of 3 months and more importantly is feeling very well. She is an artist, just one of her many talents and has designed a self portrait with her inspirational story to sell as a way to raise money for her vaccine therapy. For my birthday present, I'd like to suggest a donation to Babette or purchase her artwork to support her journey. Here is her story:
Into the Light
Hello my friend. I would like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about this self-portrait. My name is Babette Lamarre, and I was diagnosed in October of 2018 with Stage Four Ovarian Cancer. I was given a three-month to three-year prognosis (considered generous).
At the time of my diagnosis, I had been struggling financially and emotionally for a long time, both due to early life experiences and to hardships in my forties and fifties. Even though I had done a lot of “work” on myself and become stronger over the years, dark and entrenched thoughts still endured. At times things felt so difficult and without purpose that I wondered why go on.
With my diagnosis, however, this all began to change. Cancer was a “get out of jail free” card for me, odd as that sounds. It gave me the opportunity to break free from stressful circumstances and emotionally toxic dynamics with people close to me, and with great good fortune, to move to a beautiful place across the country and begin healing my body, heart and soul.
Now I think about life differently. I have developed the most in a spiritual way. Raised in an agnostic/ atheist setting, I never thought much about the big questions like why am I here? What is a soul? Is there a god? What is God? Is there life after death? Etc. Now I fully see that there is a higher power and I meditate/pray daily to stay connected. My heart is filled with happiness, love and joy, and this new light spills over. My relationships are better, and even my view of difficult events in my past has changed – I can see now that they were essential to my growth - and prepared me for what was ahead. I have come to understand that there is nothing random about life – that it unfolds exactly as it should for a higher purpose - which is often a mystery for years. My desire and ability to love and give to others are greater. I look forward to new passions and adventures. Things come more easily now. I am becoming who I really am and was always meant to be: laughing, loving, forgiving, blessing, enjoying the light, and giving myself completely to this wild ride we call life.
This is all reflected in my self-portrait. The bottom left has dark squares in a gold matrix showing that there was order and beauty in me and my early life - but also darkness. As the viewer moves right and upwards (counterclockwise), there is disintegration into chaos, representing problems in my adult life. Starting at my chin (the year or two before and leading up to my diagnosis), the darkness begins to lighten up, and then color begins to appear, mostly in the form of flowers. The top third of the portrait is all about light, color, growth, and connection to the divine. A vine grows downward from the source of all life, and brings color to a dark past, essentially healing it. The good that was always there is clear now.
It is ten months since my diagnosis and I’ve had a PET scan that shows my tumor activity has been cut in half. Many points of metastasis have disappeared. Only four of twelve visitors still need to be escorted out! I feel very well physically. I am blessed!
Thank you for taking the time to read about me and for contributing to the funding of my continuing cancer treatment by purchasing a copy on canvas of my self-portrait (the original is a photo collage with textured paper and paint). You are helping me with expensive cancer vaccines and other therapies not covered by health insurance for my complete healing.
Blessings to you and your loved ones. May we all continue towards the light!
Babette – August 30, 2019
blamarre2k@gmail.com
If interested please contact babette directly blamarre2k@gmail.com
What is on your bucket list?
Carpe Diem,
LisaWhat is on your bucket list?
Carpe Diem,
About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN-P, AFMC
Lisa is an author, functional nutrition and functional medicine trained health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to "Inspire, Educate and Empower" individuals and corporations to achieve optimal health.
Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive is a self-health book offering her Seven Steps to Optimal Health.
When she is not coaching, or speaking, you can find Lisa joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance or playing with her two grandchildren. She is the mother of four adult children and believes, "Optimal health should not be a secret."
