Lance Armstrong and Holistic Medicine

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Part 2:
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Lance Armstrong is known for great triumphs and overcoming the odds. His approach to his cancer treatment was very much a holistic one. While there were many doctors who were pessimistic about his odds, he sought out and chose to work only with ones who truly believed that he could get better. He was determined - and he knew how important it was for optimizing his inner strength and vitality, to surround himself with people who believed he could get better, even given the seriousness and conventional medical thinking regarding his diagnosis.

I have not read anything that says Lance was consciously taking a holistic approach; for him it was intuition and survival instinct - from his experience as an athlete he knew what kinds of attitudes and approaches strengthened him on all levels vs., what kinds of attitudes and approaches weakened him. He knew how important it was for his body's strength and energy systems to believe 100% that he could get better, and to not let other ideas weaken him, on any level. It is very fortunate for all of us that he knew to trust his instincts: for believing in his ability to get better, and the importance of surrounding himself with others who believed in it too, helped to strengthen him and save his life; where many others would have felt there were insurmountable odds, and succumbed.

Lance taught us that with strength, support, and the utmost determination, the body is capable of more health, vitality, and recovery than it was given credit for under such circumstances.

He knew the importance of energies, and how we are more than just physical matter. His approach was holistic because he knew how vital the energies of belief and emotions were. He also optimized his nutrition and all other aspects of his life for strength and healing.

Elizabeth Edwards Pays tribute to Lance in Time Magazine's The 2008 Time 100, Heroes & Pioneers:

"He inspired all of us who face a cancer diagnosis to search out the doctors who believe that we can live, to hold on to those friends and family who stand beside our bed—and then to fight to prove the faith of those friends and the beliefs of those doctors well founded. After Lance, no one of us could ever again say it was too hard, the odds stacked against us were too high, the fight already lost. The fight I fight is for me and my family, but the power to fight belongs in good measure to Lance."

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733756_1735280,00.html


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