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I AM HealingStrong
Discover how to transform the most challenging chapter of your life with Jim Mann's inspiring podcast. As a stage 4 cancer survivor, Jim interviews famous musical artists like Tasha Layton, Ellie Holcomb, Katy Nichole, and Tim Timmons, as well as health influencers who beat incurable diseases like depression and addiction. Through humor and a renewed sense of purpose, guests courageously share their stories of overcoming the toughest times and learning to trust God. Tune in to Jim's powerful podcast to find hope and inspiration.
I AM HealingStrong
93: Overcoming Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer with Family and Faith | Julia Mora
HealingStrong Group Leader, Julia Mora, shares her courageous journey from peak physical condition to a life-altering colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2011. Julia reflects on the early symptoms, the emotional impact on her family, and facing cancer head-on with resilience and determination.
Julia's intense path from initial misdiagnosis to critical surgery and the rollercoaster of emotions that came with frequent medical check-ups and the eventual relief of being cancer-free in 2015. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and the necessity of personalized health strategies, touching also on the unexpected challenges that continued to test her strength.
Discover the vital role her faith and the supportive network of the HealingStrong community, played during her journey, and to this day. Julia encourages the listener that hope and faith can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Julia then extends an invitation to join the HealingStrong organization, through free support groups online or in-person, reminding the listener that it does not matter what route you are taking. You are welcome at HealingStrong.
HealingStrong's mission is to educate, equip and empower our group leaders and group participants through their journey with cancer or other chronic illnesses, and know there is HOPE. We bring this hope through educational materials, webinars, guest speakers, conferences, community small group support and more.
Please consider supporting our mission by becoming a part of our Membership Program, as a monthly donor.
When you do, you will receive additional resources such as: webinars, access to ALL our past and most recent conference videos, downloadables and more, as a bonus.
To learn more, head to the HealingStrong Membership Program link below:
The doctor sat my husband and my kids down at that time. I look back now and think, oh my gosh, why did we allow that to even happen? I think it just it was a blur. But he sat my husband and kids down and told them me to basically wrap everything up, tighten a bow and put the box away, because I wasn't going to be here very long. So it gave me more determination to survive, because I knew that I was not a statistic.
Speaker 2:You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, a part of the Healing Strong organization, the number one network of holistic cancer support groups in the world. Each week we bring you stories of hope, real stories that will encourage you as you navigate your way on your own journey to health. Now here's your host stage four cancer thriver, jim Mann.
Speaker 3:Looking forward to sharing another story here all the way across the country in California I'm talking to Julia Mora how you doing.
Speaker 1:Hello, how are you?
Speaker 3:I'm doing well. It's too stinking hot here, but other than that I'm doing great.
Speaker 1:Good, good, it's like 170 degrees here I think Ooh, you know it's been really warm here too. We're all going through it.
Speaker 3:I wanted to whine a little bit more, but whatever, I'm just kidding. I'm in my air conditioning house, so I'm hot outside. Yeah, I go inside, so that's fine. Anyway, you are a group leader there in California. How long have you been there?
Speaker 1:Well, I've been in California my whole life. I grew up in San Diego and I moved up to Ventura County here I'm, in Simi Valley when I was a senior in high school. So I have been in California, I'm a lifer.
Speaker 3:Ah, high school was just a few years ago.
Speaker 1:Five years ago. Quite a few.
Speaker 3:I was guessing five.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, you're being very kind.
Speaker 3:How long have you been a group leader?
Speaker 1:I actually have been a group leader since this January 2024.
Speaker 3:All right. So what catches up here with your life? Tell us everything from first grade on. No, I'm just kidding, oh gosh. Well, how big was your family? You have like 14 kids.
Speaker 1:No, myself or growing up. Are you asking?
Speaker 3:Either one.
Speaker 1:Well, I myself have five kids, so I have lots of kiddos. I have two grandchildren and one on the way and, yes, and a husband, of course, can't forget the husband yes, and. I come actually from a family of four.
Speaker 3:And what do you do for a living?
Speaker 1:You know, I just actually I was a special ed teacher before I had children and then I spent many years being a stay-at-home working mom, so I was a stay-at-home mom, and then, when my third child was going to college it was actually right after I had finished chemo I went back to work and I was a coordinator at a window company.
Speaker 3:And your husband? Again, this is a guy question. What's your husband do?
Speaker 1:My husband is a plastering contractor. So he does stucco on the front of houses?
Speaker 3:Yes, my oldest son is a general contractor and right now they're putting stucco on the front of houses. Yes, my oldest son is a general contractor and right now they're putting stucco on this big old two-story house that he's renovating. So yeah, it's fun work.
Speaker 1:There you go, so you know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3:Yes, were you healthy all your life.
Speaker 1:You know, I would have thought I was. I definitely actually when I was diagnosed for cancer the first time I was training for a triathlon. So I would assume I always worked out I ate. I guess I should get back up. I ate what I thought at the time was really healthy. But when I look back now there were a lot of things I could have changed in my diet.
Speaker 3:Okay, so your first diagnosis was in 2011,. Right?
Speaker 1:Yes, I actually felt great. I felt great. I was training for the triathlon, like I said, and I had noticed when I was using the restroom I was bleeding sometimes. So I was in the midst of training the restroom, I was bleeding sometimes. So I was in the midst of training, busy raising my kids, and I really at the beginning, didn't think much of it. You know, I did feel a little. It took more time for me to recover, especially after swimming. So I did, I just thought I'm tired, I'm fatigued, and then the bleeding kind of turned to a little bit of irritable bowel and I still, I want to say in a total, I sat on that for a few months and I finally, you know, told my husband and my mom and decided I needed to see a doctor at that point. So that's when I actually went to the doctor and you know, everybody around me, because of my good health, thought oh, it's just hemorrhoids, it's something simple. Could not? You know, not me, I couldn't ever be sick.
Speaker 3:Did you go to a just regular doctor or an oncologist or?
Speaker 1:No, I actually went to a well, a gastronologist, so I went and I just so he had me told him what I had. He had me sit on like this it's like a fake toilet because he wanted me to push, because that's when I bled and felt like something was happening.
Speaker 1:And so he did that. And then he had me lay on the table and he actually, at that point he plucked something out which now I look back and think, was that even wise? But he plucked something out and thought, you know it's? He said, at that point I was with my mom actually and he said I think you're good it didn't have. It had a little more flexible flexibility and, um, he didn't think it was going to be cancer. He said, you know, we'll get back to you but we'll test it and see. And you know, even leaving that appointment, uh, when I was getting in the elevator with my mom and she said, oh, I think it's hemorrhoids, I, you know this, this and that, and I looked at her and I said, no, I think it's cancer. So I had that. Just, I think inwardly I might have felt that something was wrong for a while, but I just I didn't come to the reality yet till that moment.
Speaker 3:So what happened at that point? On what did the doctor suggest?
Speaker 1:suggest. Well, so he, when it came back that I had cancer, you know, my mom, my dad, my husband, we all went to go meet with him and he was suggesting a pretty radical, because I did have colorectal cancer. So he was suggesting, you know, a big surgery to take out a lot of my colon and my rectum, and it was very detailed. And I left that appointment and went home with my husband saying, hey, I would rather live another 10 years and be healthy and run around with my kids than wind up in bed every day. So at that particular moment I was going to not have surgery. I had chosen you know, I'm going to talk to my mom and dad and my kids and I went back to the doctor to tell him I wasn't going to have surgery. And he basically proceeded to tell me that I was going to die within the next two years if I didn't.
Speaker 1:So I, you know, at that point in my life I really, really was 100% trusting everything the doctors told me. So I I knew enough to not just believe him. So I went and I think at that point I I got about, I got about four other opinions and they all said the same thing and I didn't choose him to do my surgery. But I did choose a doctor here in LA to do my surgery. So I did have the surgery, came out with an ileostomy for approximately eight months and at that time they did not recommend chemo for me.
Speaker 3:So at that point did he just, did you just like, do nothing from that point, or how did it go from there?
Speaker 1:I did actually. So every three months I would have a sigmoidoscopy, and then every six months I would have a colonoscopy. So I did that and, you know, at that time the doctors were saying they were really impressed. You know there's where my fitness came in. You know they were shocked and impressed that I was. You know, first night out of surgery they were wanting me to just get out of bed and I was making round after round after round in the hall because I basically just wanted to get home to my kids, and so they thought this was a one and done you are. You know, this is kind of a fluke. That you got Cancer was their thing.
Speaker 1:So, though, I would have my sigmoids and my colonoscopy every six months at year two, so that was 2011. So 12, 13, and 14, that was a regular thing. And then, in 2015, granted, in between that, they did no PET scans. I really didn't. I had had one PET scan, but I was again following all the doctor's recommendations, and they never recommended PET scan or anything. So, in 2015, I had my annual six-month test colonoscopy and the doctor, my surgeon, checked me and he said pretty much cancer free, You're good to go, I'll see you in a year. You know, he gave me a year lease on life, basically, and it was that week that my world got turned around again.
Speaker 3:Wow, so you were thinking everything was fine, and then it turns out it's not true, right?
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and you know the crazy. I do have a crazy story to tell. I mean God, god has had his hand in my journey from day one. You know I do, I am definitely. I've heard, you know, a lot of people just in the cancer world just say that cancer was, has been, a blessing, and definitely I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but it was, it was life changing for me, you know. So I don't regret anything that I've been through, even if it's just helping somebody else. I do feel like God has gotten me through the best and the worst of cancer. So, but in 2015, my doctor gave me a clean go, said you're good to go.
Speaker 1:I'm not a big social media poster, but I did at that time post something on Facebook and said cancer free, you know. And I was super excited and I was actually asked. I was caring for my grandfather at the time, so I dropped my kids off at school and go take care of my grandpa and then pick up my kids from school and, you know, go back and get him dinner and get him to bed. So I was asked to pray for. A friend of mine asked if I would go to his friends and pray for her husband because he was dying of cancer. And at that time I you know, my selfish part of me is like, oh my gosh, I'm taking care of my grandpa, I've got my kids, and I, my selfish part, was like no, I'm just so tired. But I decided to go.
Speaker 1:You know, I went and I didn't know these people. So I I went to the house and was waiting. There was a group of people there and so I was kind of waiting to talk to this gentleman's wife and I saw him walk down the stairs and and he looked very sick. So I I knew it was him and he sat in front of me and I could God was just tugging at my heart like talk to him, talk to him, talk to him. So I did eventually walk up to him and introduce myself and he said, you know, he explained what his cancer was. Lo and behold, it's the same exact cancer I have. He explained his surgeries same surgeries and we talked, you know, for a good 30 minutes and I ended up saying you know, alec, I'm going to pray. You know, I prayed with him and I said you know, I just got, I was just told this week that I'm cancer free and I'm good to go. And he said he looked me straight in the eye and he said oh, you're not cancer free.
Speaker 1:You're very sick and I just was taken back and he said when was your last PET scan? And I said, well gosh, it's been a couple of years. But you know, my doctor just checked her and he said, yeah, if I had a colonoscopy I would be cancer free too, but it's now in my stomach and in my this and that, and I just was really shaken up. So, um, I ended up leaving and, uh, woke up the next day and did go to my doctor and say, hey, I, I, I wanted a PET scan at that point and I still didn't know about. Not, I was still very much believer in just everything do what you're told, kind of as far as doctors.
Speaker 1:So, through a series of events, I did get finally a PET scan and I did. I didn't have cancer in my colon, I had cancer where my ovaries used to be and it was a very large mass that was malignant. And I mean, basically, god, through that gentleman, saved my life, you know, because I was, you know, working out six days a week. Again, I had been losing weight, but I thought maybe I was. I tend to be thin anyway, so I thought maybe I was just pushing it too far. But yeah, I did. That's how I found out I had cancer again and it was stage four.
Speaker 3:That's a that sounded brutal mentally.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was. You know what it was.
Speaker 1:It was a wake up call for me to take my own health and what's going on with me into my own hands, you know, and to find into, investigate. You know it. I had looked up things, definitely I had looked up things on cancer and how to do better, but I just really wasn't, I think, because I really thought this was a big fluke. I should have never, you know, gotten cancer in the first place. I eat more vegetables than the most of the world but I think that it made me realize that nobody, nobody's immune. Really. I mean only the things we do to help our bodies keep it clean is what can you know, taking charge of our own health?
Speaker 3:Have you ever? Well, I'm sure you have thought about it, but have you ever figured out? Of course, nutrition is a huge thing and you were it sounds like you were doing good with exercise and eating right, but was there a lot? Of stress in your life, or what do you think contributed to that?
Speaker 1:You know, when I look back now, I can see many factors. Like you know, I I was a really healthy eater, but boy did I love my hot tamales, you know, loved eating. So sugar, loved sugar. So I would eat. I was a candy, sour candy, spicy candy that was my thing, and so that that didn't help. But I do think that when I was pregnant with my first child my brother was killed and I do think that I just so many raw and tragic emotions you know I think and the stress and and which went into my children being little.
Speaker 1:There was I'm a believer, of course, but that fear of one of my kids dying, for it took me time and therapy to get that. God has me, you know, and has them. So it was yeah, there were a lot of emotional stresses involved, which I do think played a big factor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean there's so many things and it's never just I should say, hardly ever just one thing. I mean people think of nutrition right away. Of course that's usually a big part, because lots of us do eat tons of sugar, which is what I did but then again different people are affected that way. My dad, who passed away at 96, I mean he ate sugar like crazy he also. He ate well otherwise, but he always had dessert and sometimes, in fact, when he lived with us, sometimes his dinner was ice cream.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely yes.
Speaker 3:Oh my grandfather.
Speaker 1:He lived till he was 97. It was processed bread. It was TV dinners at the end, I mean, they ate. They didn't really know about nutrition, really. So yes, I guess you're right, you're totally right that one person can eat crummy their whole lives and not even ever have an illness.
Speaker 3:So yeah, yeah, and of course, when they were young it wasn't as bad as it is now the processing and stuff like that. My point is and we want to push that point when we talk to people, it's not like, hey, this person did this and they healed their cancer. If you do exactly what they did, you'll be fine, because you just got to figure out.
Speaker 3:Like you said, take your own health into your hands, which is. Most of us grew up thinking the doctors know everything and we just have to do what they say, which is how I also was raised, but I too, thinking it's up to me. I mean, the doctors are smart, but they don't know everything, that's for sure, and some of them only know one thing, and that seems to be all they want you to do.
Speaker 1:And you know, I don't think people really realize it was me, I know, when I was diagnosed in 2015,. Again I. The first I want to say thing that I saw and listened to is a docuseries called the truth about cancer. Yeah, have you seen that, jim?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that really kind of opened the floodgates about doctors know what doctors know and nutrition. Unless they're a nutritionalist, they don't know a lot about nutrition, and so it really started me digging down the rabbit hole of nutrition and supplements and how each individual body works differently. You know, not even all the same foods work for a different. Everybody's body is different, so what? Might work for me might not work for somebody else.
Speaker 3:Right yeah, that docuseries is a floodgate of information. It's almost you know it's almost too much, which sometimes that overwhelms people and they're just like don't do anything. You basically need to start with the basics, make sure you're eating right. Make sure you're exercising, moving somehow, and get rid of stress. Make sure you have forgiveness for anything you're holding on to.
Speaker 1:Those are the basics for everybody. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:So what happened from that point, once you found out it was cancer, and what did the doctor say to do at that point?
Speaker 1:I found out I had cancer again and really because they found the mass in, like it's called, the adnexal, it was where my ovaries used to be, so it was like a empty cavity. I saw an OBGYN oncologist so he is actually the one that did my second surgery because they did not believe it was colon cancer, colorectal cancer. It did end up being colorectal cancer that had gone to my ovary, where my ovaries were. So I had another big surgery, but in between that. So I did have my ileostomy after approximately six to eight months it was about seven months, I believe I had that reversed. So they did reverse my ileostomy before I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015.
Speaker 1:But in my 2015 diagnosis had another surgery and they were, you know, I needed chemo at that point is what they wanted, and they wanted it to be ASAP for chemo. So I though I hadn't dug deep yet into all of the things I know now I knew in the hospital my body was not ready to start chemo. I do know my own body, weaknesses and strengths, so I did hold off to do the chemo and I did end up doing it. I did chemo, for it lasted approximately eight months. There were a month or so. I had to stop because my white blood cells were low. But I did eight months of chemo and I did opt out of radiation.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that put me there. That was a 2015 was a big year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and of course now I'm assuming you are cancer free now- Well, they won't say cancer free.
Speaker 1:I do still see my oncologist every three months In 2015,. They gave me three years. They said I would be lucky to live five, but they basically the doctor sat my husband and my kids down at that time. I look back now and think, oh my gosh, why did we allow that to even happen? I think it just it was a blur, but he sat my husband and kids down and told them me to basically wrap everything up, tighten a bow and put the box away because I wasn't going to be here very long.
Speaker 1:So it gave me more determination to survive because I knew that I was not a statistic. It definitely you know them saying giving me my death sentence was for me. It was more determination to stay alive and really I started with steps. My first step after chemo really, and even before, is to live during chemo. Actually, it was right after my diagnosis to live long enough to see my kids graduate high school. You know all of my kids graduate In 2011, my oldest was a senior in high school and in 2015, my youngest was going into the eighth grade.
Speaker 1:So I really just prayed Lord, let me please. You know, if it's your will, let me. I want to stay alive, to see my kids graduate at least, and you know I asked for other things. And then you know I have been blessed. I've seen two children get married, I've seen grandchildren, so it's almost like God has blessed me and beyond of what I've asked and you know it's not it I would be blessed even if I weren't granted that. But it has opened the doors for beautiful conversations with my family about you know, even life and death and where we're going.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it seems like all the devotions I've been reading lately and the scripture I'm coming across it all kind of zeroes. In Even some of the books I'm reading they talk about how important hardships are, how important pain is, and I'm like man, why do we have to do that? But I mean, at my age I understand what that's all about. I mean, we've been like most people, we've been through so many things. If you live long enough, you've been through a lot of things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:We had like seven years in a row where it was just like hit after hit and my cancer was in the middle of that, and then losing parents after bringing them into the house and just all kinds of stuff. And I'm a different person now because of it. Not that I mean all kinds of stuff and I'm a different person now because of it. I thought I was okay before, but now I'm okay only deeper. How about that?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes Think about it, jesus, I think he went through some pain.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm thinking. Yeah, a little bit, yeah, so we never have a reason to complain about going through anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we never have a reason to complain about going through anything, grateful for every day and give thanks the minute I wake up for waking up that morning and getting to do, whether it's going to be a hard day, whether it's going to be a wonderful day, embracing whatever it's going to be. You know that the gratitude for the good and the bad cancer really changed all of that. You're just grateful to be here to go through it.
Speaker 3:Right. So how are you personally feeling these days?
Speaker 1:I'm good, you know I do. I take care. I have two. My parents are both alive, they're living, and so I am. One of the reasons I quit my job last year was to help take care of my mom has dementia was to help take care of my mom has dementia. So they are still living in their home. But I go there a few days a week to help there. And you know, my dad just turned 86 last month. My mom's going to be 85 in a couple of weeks. So you know, helping with my parents. My daughter lives in Simi, where we live. She's getting ready to have a baby so I'll be babysitting for baby. You know another baby.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I know, right, really what a hardship. But yeah, I, you know my levels go up and down, but it's not my levels don't make or break how I feel anymore, because I do know. I can now say that I am literally I eat the healthiest and live the healthiest that I've emotionally, spiritually, physically. You know that I've ever lived. So I'm doing. I'm doing everything that is in my power to do, but I'm letting go of the things that aren't.
Speaker 1:If cancer were to be in my future, I don't fear it. I really feel like God has brought me to that point where he's blessed me beyond measure and I feel great. So when I say my levels aren't always great, but I don't, I don't concern myself, I do the best that I can do without stressing, because I do think that so many times that we are, when we have so much information kind of like you were talking about the truth, about cancer being so much information oh, my gosh, when I first started listening, you know, to even, and doing the square one program and Chris work, I literally had to buy every supplement. I had to do every. You know everything and that in itself can be stress you out. You know, if you're not doing it a hundred percent, you're going to fail and I I no longer feel that way, you know. I feel really like I'm doing everything in my power to be the best I can be and it's good enough.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's my theory on it. It could stress me out to think you know I'm not taking every supplement out there, but my food is providing me. I hear Chris Wark talk about it and I really love that that he talks about. He kind of rotates his supplements. He feels like we and our food should be getting the majority of what we're getting and the supplement is just to. You know, help out here and there, but we don't need to buy everything on the market and go go broke.
Speaker 3:Yeah, cause you can go broke you can.
Speaker 1:Of course, every treatment, every you know and that you know. I do really feel like I was saved at one point when I started finding about all these wonderful treatments out there that you can go to you know, the hyperbaric chamber, all these different things. I really didn't. I was busy raising young kids and putting them through. You know, a couple of my kids were still in school. That was costing money, and then they went to college, which was costing money, so I really couldn't afford it. Nor did I want us to go broke trying to do that. So I wasn't able to. And now I know that if I had a ton of money I would for sure go and do it. But I do also think that there are very inexpensive ways to help our health. You know, one of the things I did get I have an infrared sauna that I absolutely love. I of course have my little rebounder that I jump on a lot, so there are things that I have invested in, but I'm not going broke. You don't have to be rich to get healthy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I hear grounding is pretty cheap.
Speaker 1:I do grounding. Yes, definitely yes.
Speaker 3:Now tell me about your group. Is it online or is it in person?
Speaker 1:We meet in person. I actually found a wonderful co-leader very quickly and so we meet over in Moore Park, which is just a city over from Simi Valley, at her church. It's a smaller church, wonderful and we meet, you know, in person, have met some lovely people. We're kind of in that beginning stages of just bringing people in, but it's been really wonderful to be semi-small right now because we've gotten to start building relationships.
Speaker 3:Right yeah, the best part about my group. They all say and I realize it also is when we come together we almost don't even get to the curriculum. And realize it also is when we come together we almost don't even get to the curriculum, that's so us. Yeah, people are just telling their stories and where they're at, and there's always somebody new. We want to find out about that. And next thing you know, we're like oh, we've been here for two hours.
Speaker 1:Right, right, and you want to catch up how everybody's Because in our Healing Strong group. I don't have active cancer right now, of course, but the majority of the people in my group do have active cancer, so they're in that healing process. So there's always updates and you know, all that takes time and that's what we're there for is support.
Speaker 1:Speak to people who are listening now and they are scared. They just got that gut punch and they're thinking life is over, because when you hear cancer you think well, that means I'm dying. But what would you say to them?
Speaker 1:especially the importance to go back, jim, briefly, I don't know that you'll put this in there, but you know, when I was going through chemo because I was given that diagnosis of basically death you know you're going to die and when I went into the chemo room I met many wonderful people. We all have the diagnosis of cancer, of course, but a lot of these people were given a really bright outcome. Nobody wants to go through chemo, but they were basically given a stage one, stage two do the chemo, you're good to go. But what I saw is your state of mind and your mind frame is everything, because hope and of course my hope is in Christ. But I saw a lot of people die. You know I went through. There were quite a few people that weren't supposed to die, that died in my chemo room and I can really say that they gave up before they started. They gave up on the diagnosis of cancer and I would say that our groups, the Healing strong groups, are to just instill that everybody has hope to survive.
Speaker 1:You are not a statistic. Those are the beautiful things we talk about. We talk about what alternative treatments, people that are, you know, that can talk about people that have been given a horrible diagnosis of terminal cancer and they're living and it's been, you know, years later and they've been given months. So I do think the Healing Strong Group is really a learning tool and, even if you know a lot, it's a support group and a group that is going to keep you with a positive, it's just positive. You know, we're all lifting each other up, we're all praying for each other, we are there and those are the things that you need. You need to keep remembering that you can't give up.
Speaker 1:You got to keep fighting you know, you can't give up unless you want to give up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well put.
Speaker 1:And our thoughts become our realities. You know our positive thoughts become our realities. You know Our positive thoughts become positive actions. Our negative thoughts really they become negative reactions. So, if we can, you know one thing I know we got to wrap it up, but one thing that was really helpful for me throughout there's many, many things, so I could probably talk to you for hours about about now that we're talking.
Speaker 1:I'm comfortable, so, but you know, just laying wherever laying in bed and putting on some for me it was instrumental worship or regular worship and laying in bed and just praying and starting at the top of my head and going down and in the worship, just singing okay, lord, you are healing my head and Lord, you're healing my brain. Lord, you're healing my eyes, my mouth, you're healing. And I would go down my body every inch and just imagine that God was healing me from top to bottom. And when you're done, the positive feeling you have is incredible. You can't go out of that, out of gratitude, of healing, and feel negative, and so I really do feel like you are going to become what you think. If you feel you can get better, you're going to make actions to try, and I think, if we think the worst. That's not always a good outcome. We have to, we lift each other up.
Speaker 3:That's a that was a great story. I like that. I like the fact that you're you're feeling healthy. Your, your mindset is that you're healthy and of course, it's all in God's hands anyway, and we can be perfectly healthy and have a tree fall on us.
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly, exactly, yes, you never know no.
Speaker 3:I've got a lot of trees in my yard so that could happen. But anyway, I'm not planning on it. If I do, I'm ready to go anyway.
Speaker 1:There you go, see yeah.
Speaker 3:I feel better now I might start singing.
Speaker 1:All right, I'm ready.
Speaker 3:Well, maybe on another episode. Okay, jaleah, thank you so much for spending time with us. How can people get a hold of you if they want to ask more questions, or should they just go to the healingstrongorg and look up your group?
Speaker 1:Yes, we have an email that's healingstrongseemevalley at gmailcom, so they can reach me that way or through the Healing Strong website. Absolutely, I would love that. I have a lot more to say.
Speaker 3:All right, the purpose of these podcasts is to pique people's interest and give them hope, of course, but they're like oh what is this Healing Strong about? And look it up, that's how it got me, Jim.
Speaker 1:You know, I saw Chris say something and I thought what's that about? And I it pushed me to the site and I was looking for a local group. Um, I like I think your story was a little similar to mine, where you were like looking for a group but there was no, no group. So you stepped up and, um, but yeah, that's how I found Healing Strong is I'm like, wow, this is amazing.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes it is, and it all started just because Susie was sharing her story and people wanted to get more of it, and they go, man, we just need to meet all the time. It's been 10 years now, wow, coming up on 11. I was just a kid when it started, me too, exactly.
Speaker 1:Well, julia a kid when it started, me too, exactly.
Speaker 3:Well, Julia, thank you so much and look forward to crossing paths someday.
Speaker 1:I'm not in.
Speaker 3:California a lot, but maybe to another convention that we have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, I might just see you at that convention.
Speaker 2:You've been listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast. A part of the Healing Strong organization. We hope you found encouragement in this episode, as well as the confidence to take control of your healing journey, knowing that God will guide you on this path. Healing Strong is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect, support and educate individuals facing cancer and other diseases through strategies that help to rebuild the body, renew the soul and refresh the spirit.
Speaker 2:It costs nothing to be a part of a local or online group. You can do that by going to our website at healingstrongorg and finding a group near you or an online group, or start your own, your choice. While you're there, take a look around at all the free resources. Though the resources and groups are free, we encourage you to join our membership program at $25 or $75 a month. This helps us to be able to reach more people with hope and encouragement, and that also comes with some extra perks as well. So check it out. If you enjoyed this podcast, please give us a five star rating, leave an encouraging comment and help us spread the word. We'll see you next week with another story on I Am Healing Strong podcast.
