The Diagnosis- Personal Narrative
One fateful day at the end of June in 1998 when I was spending some time at home; my mother came to me with the bad news: my parent's best friend, Tommy, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He had been sick for some time and we all had anxiously been awaiting a prognosis. But none of us were ready for the bumpy roads that lay ahead: testing, surgery, chemotherapy, nausea, headaches, and fatigue. Even loud music would induce vomiting. He just felt all around lousy.
After several surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy, Tommy had lost the will to go on. He stayed at home in bed, he didn't eat, he had lost the "go get' em" attitude he once had. We all tried to give him the love and support he needed, but it didn't look good. The doctor gave him until Christmas time.
Then, one day there was a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Tommy's cousin Tom Tripodi called one morning and told Tommy and his wife Barbara about an Indian healing ceremony. Skeptical at first, we began to learn more about the ancient art of healing ceremonies. We all warmed up to the idea, and Barbara took out several books on the subject. The decision had been toiled over, and finally made. Tommy was going to go through with it.
Various plans must be made, and so the chaos began. Relatives and friends were called upon, both to attend the ceremony, and acquire the necessary supplies and provisions. After many over the phone consultations with the two Indians, Keith and Sean, and their friend/helper Tina, (who all lived in Canada), we were left with a long list of all the things that would be required for the event. Cans of tobacco; twenty foot high, three inch wide birch trees; river rocks...
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...ritually, and physically cleansing. Many people who took part in the ceremonies, or in the sweat lodges were rid of their own physical ailments such as back pains or migraines, and the healing seems to be permanent. With Tommy's more serious case, the healing was temporary. Unfortunately, on May 5, 2001, Tommy passed away. It was obviously devastating and still hasn't totally sunken in. The one thing I gained from the experience was an intense appreciation for alternative medicine. It was terribly hard to lose him but at least the ceremony made the pain subside for awhile. If one doesn't believe in the power of spirits and "magic" one still must believe in the power of love and family. It is not every lifetime that a person gets a chance to take part in something so miraculous, and I hope my sharing it will bring others a little bit closer to understanding.
...uals, even if they don't agree with them. It really falls to nurses to address the situation properly, and effectively ensure that the cultural communication between the doctor and the patient does not break down. Nurses most of all have to communicate with patients in a healing way, even if they do not agree with mystical remedies because the nurse has to recognize that there is nonetheless a function that mystical ritual remedies do serve, even to western medicine: to comfort the patients and their families. Ancient rituals or customs, retained to some extent or respected by western caregivers, can serve to maintain a healing and positive attitude, and as a psycholgocial support which the nurse can provide through respect and symbolic use of non-western cultural myths as a psychological stimulant to assist the healing process and inspire the patient thereof.
The family chose to do the healing ceremony at the temple instead of going ahead with the recommended surgery. People might choose or prefer to adhere to healing traditions of their communities and country of origin. Coordinating care with traditional healers and family members increase compliance and consent
A spiritual ritual would be performed while the ill received medicine. A spiritual ritual would be performed to rid the ill of bad spirits and cleanse the spirit. Native Americans believed that a person became ill when a bad spirit entered the body. It is the shaman’s job to try to purify the ill’s spirit. Every tribe across the nation has a shaman. A shaman or medicine man/woman would perform this ritual. A shaman uses the spiritual world to help heal the sick. Shaman were highly regarded as chiefs and tribal spiritual leaders. Shaman were often born into a family with many generations of shaman. Shamans who were not born into, they had visons that lead them to study medicine. Being the shaman was a full-time job. In return of their services to the tribe, the tribe would provide food, shelter, and any assistance needed to the shaman.
Many traditional Native medicines and healing practices were discouraged with the advent of Western medicine, but now there is a movement to return to traditional ways (Zubek, 1994, p. 1924). Modern Western medicine treats the symptoms to cure a diseased state when the body is out of homeostasis. Native American healing traditions do this as well with herbs and plants suited to the purpose. These Native healing traditions also include sacred rituals, chants, and purification rites to help bring the spirit and mind of the afflicted back into balance. In effect, treating the whole person, not only the disease. A blending of these two healing practices could bring about better prognoses for today's patients. The purpose of this paper is to show the views of practicing physicians and their patients in regards to Native American healing traditions. It also discusses a hot spring in Alaska, where participants go to experience holistic healing in the mineral springs and the success they have experienced using this form of healing process.
The influence of a supernatural god and the spirit world influenced every aspect of the Indigenous African community including health and healing, thus a holistic approach to health and healing was essential.
...ative American dialects there is no statement for “religion,” on the grounds that otherworldly practices are a vital some piece of each part of every day life; they are important for the concordance and equalization, or wellbeing, of the singular, family, clan, and community. Mending and love are viewed as one and the same. For some Native American individuals, the idea of wellbeing and health is a physical state, as well as an otherworldly one too. Customary Native American perspectives of mending and wellbeing underscore the need of looking for congruity insider oneself, with others, and with one’s surroundings. A dynamic relationship between the physical and soul world is underscored alongside with significance of looking for congruity and adjust in both. For some Native American individuals, health through deep sense of being is not a piece of life; it is life.
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness; whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small.
Diagnosed with cancer and given just months to live, Randy Pausch decided to give a last lecture. Randy felt this was important so that he may give a sort of goodbye to those who he cared about, share advice and life-experiences that he felt were important, and most importantly for his kids, whom would never really get to know him because of their age. This book is a collection of stories and general life advice that Randy felt was important to share before moving on.
On the topic of healing rituals, the Iroquois had an unconventional form of medicine. Though they were known to treat common sicknesses and injuries such as wounds and broken bones, they had an alternative method of treating more serious cases. This method involved ritual healers singing and beating of drums in order to cast away bad spirits. The Iroquois even had societies that were dedicated to treating a specific ailment through a specific ritual.
In the US., the therapeutic group seldom has approaches to correspond with individuals of societies so drastically unique in relation to standard American society; even a great interpreter will think that it troublesome deciphering ideas between the two separate societies' reality ideas. American specialists, not at all like Hmong shamans, regularly physically touch and cut into the collections of their patients and utilize an assortment of capable medications and meds.
The smoke floats through the air and surrounds the village people. The eyes of everyone is on the village elder and no one speaks a word. This is a time for sharing the great history that the new generation must learn. Without written langue history and important lessons are spoken to the children of Native American villages. These stories’ hold a special meaning to the children as they are all they know about their ancestors. Often these stories have elements of mystical beings that help the Native people. In this way the people not only get a history lesson, but also a way of practicing religion. Each story is unique to the village and tribe that it was developed; however similar concerts can be seen as the
If you were in the desert or woods and bitten by a snake, where you go for help? A call to the local ambulance and a fast ride to the emergency room are not available to you. How would you know what potions to use and what would heal your wounds? This was the dilemma of the Native American People hundreds of years ago. How did they handle it? The medical traditions and customs have remained a mystery to us for hundreds of years. This paper will try to explore some of these customs and possibly uncover some of the mystery.
McGaa, Ed. Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves and Our World. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990.
“Native American Legends.” The Ghost Dance- A Promise of Fulfillment. 2003-Present. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
As it is clearly stated by Sue (), this Native Hawaiian healing ritual attempts to restore and maintain good relations among family members and between the family and the supernatural powers (p.270). I personally followed different steps. I began praying, and asking the “angels” for guidance and support. The idea was also to stay positive and forgive all the bad and negative things which allows you to feel an incredible sense of resolution and life purpose. Ideally, and when I had enough time, I would’ve concluded with a prayer to thank the “angels” and spirits involved.