26 the rice diet renewal
Many facets of my healing experience will be described throughout
the book, but at this point I will summarize that this resurrection
experience taught me to listen to my inner voice over anyone else ’ s;
to really get honest with my words (mind), feelings, and faith; and to
require that of my healing team as well.
After a couple of visits with one of the most respected rheu-
matologists at Duke, the doctor told me to come back next month
so that he could watch my progression. I suddenly realized that
he did not expect me to recover. I told him that I was interested
in watching my regression, not my progression, and that I needed
to know whether he thought I would be healed. When he fi nally
admitted that I should get my affairs in order because I would be in
a wheelchair within two years, I politely informed him that I would
not be in need of his time and that I needed a doctor who believed
in healing because I planned on being healed.
As I look back and glean the components that were pivotal to
my tenacious pursuit and successful realization of healing, I believe
the following ones to be essential:
My readiness, desire, and will to be free from pain and dis-
ability was enormous.
My mind was informed about the issue (I read every mind,
body, and spirit book I could fi nd).
I felt hopeful, which fueled my expectancy and tenacity.
I truly believed that I would be totally healed.
My faith in God deepened, and faith moves God. (If you do
not believe in God, you may prefer substituting the words
“ the natural, creative source of power, ” which can facilitate
shifts in energy and co - create your healing.)It was a terrifying, painful, and humbling nine - month experi-
ence that, in retrospect, was one of the best things that ever hap-
pened to me. Through the fear, pain, and self - examination of that
time, I learned how to dig deeply into what actually had crippled
me and take responsibility for the emotions that I had uncon-
sciously allowed to preoccupy my thoughts, dreams, and energy