Finding Hope & Healing In Love
by Dr. Anna McConville DPT, PT
In the depths of a Midwest winter, when the snow lingers and the days feel impossibly gray, February arrives like a glimmer of hope. Valentine’s Day reminds us that love can warm our hearts and rekindle our spirits even in the coldest seasons. But love isn’t just about romance—it’s about compassion, self-care, and the connections that bind us. For those living with cancer, love, in its many forms, becomes a vital force for healing. Compassion isn’t just an abstract feeling; we can actively cultivate it. It can take shape in grand gestures or minor acts of kindness. One of the most poignant examples of this universal compassion comes from a barnyard—a seemingly unlikely place to find profound lessons about care and healing.
Compassion Without Words
A few years back, a patient told me a story that clarified my belief that compassion exists in all living things. Among a colorful 4-H barnyard of chickens, ducks, and goats, two potbelly pigs of the dozens she raised faced a unique challenge: both went blind. Their loss of sight could have left them isolated and vulnerable, but what happened instead was extraordinary. In each case, a barn cat adopted the blind pig, becoming its guide and companion. The cat would lead the pig to the field to graze and hang for the day, then back to the barn at dusk. This simple yet profound act of care was repeated daily, without fail. The need existed, and the right animal stepped in. This true story highlights that compassion is not just a human trait—it’s a trait for all things living. It reflects an innate drive to nurture, support, and protect. For cancer patients, this universal compassion can be a powerful reminder of their interconnectedness with the world, offering comfort during their most challenging times. We all do better when we work as a village and a community. I’m going to share Annette’s story of cancer, self-love, and a journey to a new career in service to others.
Physical, Emotional, Mental & Spiritual Healing
For cancer patients, the healing journey often begins with addressing physical pain and discomfort. Cannabis can become a trusted companion with its ability to ease nausea, pain, and anxiety. It works through the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a “master regulator” that helps maintain balance. For Annette, a Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer survivor, cannabis provided relief from cancer’s challenges and chemotherapy’s harsh effects. This plant medicine gave her the strength to engage in deeper emotional and spiritual healing. We worked together to find the right strains for each particular type of pain or condition that was challenging her ability to be all in for her healing journey. But healing goes beyond the physical. Emotional and spiritual well-being are equally essential. Annette discovered this through practices like HeartMath, which uses simple techniques like heart-focused breathing and gratitude to foster emotional resilience. These small, daily practices created a foundation for her healing, allowing her to reclaim a sense of purpose and connection.
Transformative Self-Care
Annette didn’t just survive cancer; she transformed through it. She developed a self-care routine that honored all aspects of her being. The pain was intense with her chemotherapy and treatments, and cannabis was a powerful tool to shifting things into a place where she could manage the mental, physical, and emotional aspects of her experience. We worked together to find the right balance for sleep, nausea, pain, and anxiety. She used it in conjunction with toning up her ECS system with gentle movement and a strain called Blue Dream, with five terpenes that work together to create a balanced blend of relaxation and pain relief, as well as decreasing anxiety. When she meditated at night using her heart math and other mindfulness tools, she found the blend that allowed her deeper sleep: Glitter Bomb. This strain is high in Myrcene, allowing for deeper, more restful sleep. Together, we discovered that Limonene caused her to be more wakeful at night and avoided strains high in that terpene. Over time, she used the habits she built to pivot into a new career, becoming a shamanic teacher and a trauma-informed educator who now holds space for others in their healing journeys. Her story reminds us that healing is not just about surviving but about finding meaning and growth in the process.
Healing Through Connection
Healing is never about one thing; it’s a process, a tapestry woven from many threads. For those navigating cancer—or any profound challenge—healing involves addressing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of life. The journey is deeply personal, but the foundation is universal: it begins with love - love for life, others, and, most importantly, oneself. One of the most transformative steps in healing is creating a self-care routine—a habit of love that nourishes the body, mind, and spirit - a challenging endeavor when energy and motivation are in short supply. Habit stacking is building new habits by attaching them to existing ones. For example, if you start your day with a cup of tea, you can add a moment of gratitude or a few deep breaths to that routine. Over time, these small, intentional acts compound, creating a more manageable framework for self-care.
AT The CORE: Compassion & Love
At its core, healing is a process of coming home to oneself. It’s about creating space for growth, even in the face of adversity, and nurturing the innate capacity to heal. Compassion for others and oneself is the foundation of this process. The quiet guide leads us, step by step, back to wholeness. The story of the barn cat and the pigs offers a gentle reminder that compassion finds a way even in the most challenging seasons. It doesn’t need to be loud or grand; it can be as simple as guiding someone—or yourself—to the next step.
The Bloom Beneath the Snow
As February gives way to the promise of spring, we trust that love is always present, like the plants beneath the snow. It may not always be visible, but it’s there, rooting and preparing to bloom again. For cancer patients, caregivers, and anyone facing challenges, love is both the guide and the goal. Love is in the tools we use, the habits we build, and the moments of connection we create. We can cultivate a healing environment that nurtures every part of who we are through cannabis, gratitude practices, or simply showing up for ourselves each day. Let us build habits that reflect our love for ourselves and honor the interconnectedness of all life.
