Healing Journey

Sometimes a spiritual awakening requires the body and soul to be faced with situations that are so overwhelming that you have no choice than to open your heart and recognize and accept the healing energy that is flowing all around you. This was certainly my experience when a diagnosis of AFIB in 2017 turned into a diagnosis of multiple myeloma cancer with amyloidosis in 2018. In retrospect, I realize that the healing energy I received, the natural supplements I took, the medical treatments I endured, and the meditative journey I went on were all factors in causing healing powers of my body to activate as I accessed Qi.

Support from my best friend and wife

I was extremely fortunate to have my best friend and wife, Paula, for support even though I think it scared her more than it did me. From my first meeting with the oncologist to almost every doctor appointment and chemo session, she was there for me. I told her one week she really didn’t have to go to the chemo with me if she didn’t want to. She said she couldn’t bear the thought of me sitting alone there.

She accompanied me and held my hand at every doctor’s visit, oncologist meeting and chemo session throughout the process. As the chemo started to weaken me, she worked overtime to help make up the financial slack from my work dropping off. She worked with me in meditation and did REIKI and healing drum sessions. She made sure I had easy to fix meals when she had to work on nights she worked during my treatments. She supported me emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually, and showered me with love throughout the whole process.

How I achieved remission

This is a brief outline of factors that brought the cancer to remission.

POSITIVE ENERGY: I was able to keep a positive attitude throughout. I focused on positive energies and healing. I removed myself from as much negativity in my life as possible. I almost completely quit following any sort of news or politics, I cut ties with those whom I felt brought negative energies.

SUPPLEMENTS: With much help and guidance from my mentor, Shaman JoBeth Eckerman and her Doctor spirit guide, a list of herbal supplements and a plan was put together.

REIKI: I enlisted many likeminded souls to extend me REIKI, both remotely and hands on, and positive healing energies.

MEDITATION: I developed methods of meditation and worked with healing crystals and stones. I kept a very positive outlook throughout. In fact, from the first diagnosis I knew healing would come to fruition.

HALO: My friend Bruce Sarpola was gracious enough to loan me his Halo Systems Harmonic Light. It transmits harmonic vibrations from botanicals into the body where they are used for healing and I feel it was a major factor in my recovery.

NATUROPATHIC: I sought treatment, acupuncture and Naturopathic supplements from Dr Toby Hallowitz ND, a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist.

MODERN MEDICINE: I received medical care from Dr Kevin Kim at Kootenai Cancer Center where I was prescribed 24 weeks of chemotherapy. I achieved remission and was taken off the chemotherapy for the multiple myeloma after 15 weeks.

I also sought out consultation from Dr Hakan Kaya of Cancer care Northwest, who is a specialist in multiple myeloma, and Dr Ed Libby of Seattle Cancer care Alliance who is a specialist in amyloidosis.

Dr Kaya is now overseeing my progress and maintenance and Dr Libby is consulting and keeping up with the amyloidosis. Dr Deirdre Mooney of Providence Center for Advance Heart Disease is my current cardiologist.

The Story

In June of 2017, I was diagnosed with AFIB, irregular heartbeat and prescribed a variety of pharmaceuticals to help regulate. I decided it might be a good idea for me to make some life changes, so I adopted a low sodium diet and decided it would be a good idea to “chill out”.

I have always thought the sound of a clawhammer banjo played in module tuning was somewhat cathartic so I took an old Harmony Banjo that had been following me around most of my life and converted it from a resonator to a clawhammer banjo. Then instead of studying the theory or engaging lessons I simply started making sounds with it. Then I discovered grounding and began to incorporate bare feet dipped in the lake or planted on mother earth as I experimented with sounds on my clawhammer banjo. Soon notes became runs, runs became lines and lines became songs. This began my dive into what would be meditation, grounding, spiritual awareness, and healing.

My first Reiki session

Somewhere around this point, my wife Paula brought me to a friend, Jo Beth Eckerman, for a REIKI session. JoBeth is also a shaman and does soul coaching. After the REIKI session, I felt flooded with a spiritual awareness that I had not felt before. I contacted her shortly after this to ask simply “What do I do now?”, and in a short time she was mentoring me, I began to grow spiritually, learned meditation techniques, and with Jo Beth’s guidance, started developing my own spiritual path.

From being led on a series of soul journeys I began to understand that I am a soul having a physical experience. I followed several paths for a short time seeking to gain some insight and truths from each. From reading and listening to a remarkable guy, Tom Kenyan, I adopted and developed the concept of positive dimensions of consciousness. If we reach out with positive energy we can draw upon positive energies from others, from the universe, and from the source. If we imagine ourselves at the base and we reach up and out like a funnel, then our access to positive energy is limitless.

Referred to a hematologist

In the late Winter/Spring of 2018, I began to have what I thought were either reactions to medication or worsening of my AFIB. I complained to the heart doctors and Kootenai Heart Center over and over. They changed medications, landing me in the emergency room on one occasion, and ran several tests each time coming back with a finding of there was nothing else wrong, or nothing they could operate on.

Eventually, a test was run that showed that my heart muscles had thickened since my original diagnosis. Several tests were run until they eventually sent me to what they referred to as a hematologist. I pulled up for my appointment with the hematologist at a building that read “Cancer Center” above the door.

Chemotherapy treatments

I met with Dr Kim who told me they thought I had multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. A bone marrow test was run to verify this diagnosis and I was scheduled for chemotherapy treatments.

While my first reaction was not one of complete doom, I was extremely scared. I had a good handle on the fact that I am a soul that has lived before and will probably live a physical life again, but I wasn’t ready to give up the physical manifestation I currently held. Next, I made the decision that one of the most important things I could do is to keep positive and to channel as much positive energy as I could.

I was reluctant to just blast out to the world I had cancer because I did not want the energy that would be created from a “pity party”. I did tell my family and I told folks that I had things going on with a need to know basis. I reached out to select folks for positive energy and healing energy and REIKI.

Somewhere early in this process, I developed the knowledge I was going to be OK. I do not mean I just thought positive, I mean I truly developed an inner knowledge and peace that I was going to be OK. Healing was a fact, not a dream or prayer.

Separating myself from conflict

I also distanced myself from conflict. I stopped watching the news, I stopped following politics, I unfollowed many folks on Social media who often posted controversial things from the right or the left. I did not want my mind to go there. I distanced myself from many who I felt would bring negativity, pity or debate to me. I pulled back from contact with many friends who would doubt because of the causation of different stages of recovery because it could lead in the direction of a debate I wasn’t going to have. If I thought something or someone might bring conflict, I backed off and in so doing I surrounded myself with almost nothing but positive thoughts and interactions.

I was also very fortunate to have help from my mentor and Shaman Jo Beth Eckerman, who consulted with her spirit guide doctor, Dr KB, and brought me a plethora of supplements that would not only help fight the cancer but also strengthen my systems while undergoing the chemotherapy. These included Larch Bark, Silymarin, Cats Claw, Reshi Mushroom, Dandelion Root and others. She mentored me through the recovery process. Jo Beth started coming every week when possible to do a hands-on REIKI session for me. I also enlisted several REIKI practitioner/friends to send me remote REIKI. To some I explained my issue, some I just said I have an issue and need some healing energy.

HALO System Harmonic Light

My friend, Bruce, loaned me his HALO System Harmonic Light. It can be used for a variety of healing needs; physical, emotional and mental. It works by shining high-frequency ultraviolet light through a vile of botanicals which causes the harmonic vibrations of the botanicals to move into the body and through the energy field. By shining the light under your tongue, directly on affected areas and/or over various chakras it allows the harmonic vibrations to go into the body, or wherever they are needed most for healing.

My healthcare team

Under direction of Dr Kevin Kim at Kootenai Cancer Care I was put on a 6 round chemotherapy treatment plan of Bortezomib, Cyclophosphamide and Dexamethasone. Each round is four weeks, so the plan was for 24 total weeks of chemo. I sought and received consultation from Dr Hakan Kaya, a specialist in multiple myeloma at Northwest Cancer Care. Dr Kaya is now my primary oncologist and is overseeing my maintenance. I also consulted in Dr Ed Libby, a specialist in Amyloidosis with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

I consulted with Dr Toby Hallowitz ND, a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist in Coeur d Alene, who performed regular acupuncture treatments and prescribed Naturopathic supplements. Dr Toby truly has a healing touch. The Amyloidosis part of the equation caused me to be short of breath and the acupuncture treatments always opened my airways and blood flow. Besides being a Naturopath and Acupuncturist, Dr Toby is a healer.

Growing spiritually through meditation and visions

Throughout the process, I grew spiritually and was able to get deeper into meditation and visions. I would like to share a few mediations/visions I had during this process. My meditation has developed along the following lines. First, I shut out the outside noise, this would include keeping chatter and negativity away. Then I shut out the inner noise. Next, I approach everything with love. In the end, there are only two ways to approach situations in meditation or prayer. You either come from love or fear. If you ask the universe to heal you it is a request based on fear of not being healed and it empowers the emotion of fear. If you come from the place of love and in your heart, you can truly thank the universe for granting healing you act on love and empower this emotion.

Early last winter I had several dark visions. One was of a dark spirit trying to get into the house. I could see him in the front yard and hear him screaming as he was trying to gain entry. I ran to each door or window and blocked him with energy before running to the next. I also had several visions of dark entities sitting on my chest when I went to bed at night and I would have to repel them with my energy and bind them. I believe this was a precursor of the disease growing to the point where it caused me major issues. About the same time, I had a vision of three people dressed like old kings walking into the bedroom single file and going into the closet. I believe these were 3 spirits that would later come to

Help me. This all happened prior to the diagnosis.

Guide, Guard and Heal

I have three special spirits that have been with me since the diagnosis. They are Guide, Guard and Heal.

Guide does not talk but has led me on several soul journeys. He always stays and approaches me from the front. Guard is an angel who stays on my left side and protects me. Heal is a female dressed in white and she stays under my right arm. Heal communicates and I have felt a physical touch from her on many occasions. One REIKI session with Jo Beth I felt her touching my hand while Jo Beth was at my feet. On another occasion, I felt a squeeze on a pressure point in my hand that I later found out related to an acupressure point that dealt with the heart. One vision of Heal she came to me with a serpent in her left hand. This was the precursor of a Kundalini awakening I had shortly after in which I was visited many times by a Serpent.

More visions

I developed the attitude of not fighting my cancer but interacting with love to dis-ease body and make it right rather than battle or fight which I felt were negative emotions. I had one very strong emotional vision in which I was able to interact with my cancer. It started with my wife, Paula, doing a healing drum meditation over me while I laid on the REIKI table. I had some meditation music in the background and when she finished, she left for work and left me alone still on the table in a meditative state.

I had a vision in which my skin opened up and a black ball with thorns coming out of it emerged from the opening. It was like I had been sliced open and the ball rose about halfway out. It had a couple of branches like tree branches with no leaves going in different directions and was sitting in a black gooey tar-like substance. I knew this was my cancer. I went to it and told it that it was part of me and that I loved it, but it was time for it to leave my body, so I could continue. I asked it to leave and go to the universe where it would become stardust again and be reborn as something beautiful.

Shortly after this meditation, I received the test results of the following. One marker is something called lamba light chains. In a disease-free body the count is about 5, mine was 150. The blood work after the meditation showed a count of 1 and it has stayed at or near 1 ever since.

Taken off chemo

Shortly before I was taken off chemo, I had this vision. I was sitting in my chair and my granddaughter, Kensi, was on my left holding my arm and hand with both hands. Kensi is 3 now, but in my vision, she was in her 20’s. She had long hair and a dark short sleeve simple dress. She told me not to worry, she understood, I just needed to get better we would have plenty of time to see each other. I was taken off chemo just one week after this vision.

My Chemo was originally scheduled for 24 weeks. After 15 weeks my blood work was such that another bone marrow test was ordered that showed no signs of cancer. I was taken off chemo at this time and moved my aftercare to Dr Kaya. He agreed to wait 6 weeks and see if I was still improving and consult with Dr Libby about possible maintenance treatments.

Keep doing what you're doing

After 6 weeks of no treatment, my blood work continued to show signs that I was recovered from the cancer and the amyloidosis was continuing to improve. Because of the amyloidosis, Dr Kaya and Dr Libby wanted to put me on maintenance chemo. However, the insurance wanted to combine it with other drugs that the cardiologist did not agree with. While this discussion was going on, another 6 weeks slipped by and I had another round of blood test which showed continued improvement for the amyloidosis and no resurgence of anything cancer-related. At this point, a very happy Dr Kaya told me to just keep doing what I was doing, and they would check me again in 8 weeks and no further treatments were necessary.

I have been told by my doctors that my 15-week recovery from multiple myeloma is remarkable and have been told by others that it simply does not happen. I am now working with a similar plan to cure myself of the Amyloidosis which as a condition is considered manageable but uncurable. I have a similar protocol of Supplements and naturopathic/acupuncture, continuing the REIKI and Halo Light. I continue to channel positive dimensions of consciousness and maintain a positive outlook. The true difference will be to continue healing meditation and activate my body’s healing energy through access to Qi.

Nothing I can't overcome

My energy levels have improved to the point that I am feeling much better than pre-diagnosis. At one point, I had almost resolved myself to the thought that I would have some residual effect from this that would handicap me for the rest of my life. These thoughts have changed too, and with access to positive dimensions of energy and Qi, there is nothing I can’t overcome.

I can enjoy an active life again and am thrilled that I will be able to join my wife, best friend and love of my life, Paula, on many adventures and fishing expeditions!! I am also grateful for all the love and healing energy I was able to channel and the spiritual awakening I have experienced.

I hope something in this can help someone on a similar journey. I would be more than willing to talk, consult, and steer you to resources. Whatever I can do. I offer this 100% out of love and ask for nothing but love in return.

Michael Hicks