Reiki and Chemotherapy

Sometimes people think you either need to go "all western" or "all eastern" in your approach to medical care but I have seen the positive effects of using a combination of both eastern and western medicine and it makes me think they can complement each other in many cases. I don't actually think there is a right or wrong way to approach health care. I think what is probably most important is that we do what feels right to US and trust our own instincts.

Earlier this fall, I started giving reiki treatments to a dog who was going through chemotherapy. Her name is Kaya and she is an absolute sweetheart. She is a big, beautiful mix breed dog, with golden retriever, german shepherd and maybe another breed too. She had a large cancerous tumor removed from her hip and the vet recommended chemotherapy. Kaya's mom agreed to do the chemotherapy but decided she wanted to include reiki in Kaya's health regiment as well because she wanted to give Kaya the best chance at recovery. Kaya's mom and I were both hopeful that the reiki would help and at the same time, we were unsure of what it would actually do. We knew we needed to just give it a try and see what the results were.

I have been going to see Kaya the day after each round of chemo, which she receives every three weeks, and so far we are really pleased with how she has been doing. She is still her normal happy self and she gives me such an enthusiastic greeting when I come to see her that I feel like I am "Queen for a Day." Kaya's vet is amazed that she has had none of the normal side effects from chemo. She hasn't lost her appetite, she is not lethargic, she hasn't had any G. I. issues. She is doing exceptionally well. There was one time that her liver enzymes were out of whack, so they decided to hold off on her treatment that week. Kaya's mom had me come and give her a reiki treatment and I focused much of the session on her liver. The next week, when she got her blood work done, everything was back in balance again and she was able to resume treatment.

I know one of the reasons many people opt not to go the chemo route, is because of the side effects and their concern that their animal's quality of life will diminish too much during the treatment. That is one of the reasons it's been so exciting for me to see how much the reiki treatments are helping Kaya through her chemotherapy treatments. It makes me wonder if other animals (and people) would have an easier time going through chemo if they received some energetic support to keep their bodies in balance. After seeing the way Kaya has responded, it certainly fills me with hope that it is a possibility.