Philip has a background in Social Work, managing care services, local politics as a councillor and for the last eight years has worked for a charity helping residents in Gloucestershire build more welcoming communities. His own journey with prostate cancer has led to a passion for helping people come together to support each other in more proactive, personalised approaches to health and wellbeing.
Overwhelmed. Terrified. Bewildered. Just some of the emotions I felt following my prostate cancer diagnosis over three years ago. I didn’t know what to do. This was compounded by a number of different treatment options. What was the best way forward?
Just after the diagnosis, I asked my oncologist about diet and exercise. I was told that I was pretty fit and to keep doing what I was doing. I knew that while this advice was well-meaning, it did not fit with what I knew; there is so much we can all do to improve our health and wellbeing.
So I set about learning. To my surprise I came across lots of studies that showed significant benefits. For example in 2014 a study of 4,623 Swedish men with localised prostate cancer found that those who walked or cycled for at least 20 minutes each day had a 39% lower risk of dying from prostate cancer and a 30% lower risk of dying from any other cause compared to the less active men (i). If that was a tablet I reckon the NHS would be throwing it at us.
Taking an integrative approach
It was some months after learning about exercise that I came across Yes to Life – and discovered they are the UK’s leading charity seeking to improve access for people with cancer to Integrative Medicine. They provide support, information and financial assistance to those with cancer seeking to pursue approaches that are currently only available as private healthcare. In November 2020 they partnered with Your Life and Cancer to organise two of the largest weekends of Integrative Health and Cancer in the UK for people living with cancer; there were over 40 global experts speaking and there are hopes this might become a regular event (ii).
I have so appreciated that the charity is all about combining the best of conventional, lifestyle and complementary approaches. This made so much sense to me and I’ve been on a learning path ever since that has given me a much greater understanding of my cancer and what is possible. Indeed, the more I have read, the more the UK’s focus almost exclusively on surgery, radiotherapy and chemo seems such a huge missed opportunity.
Around the world other countries have embraced the research into cancer that goes beyond our conventional approach. In China, for example, if you aren’t taking herbs as part of your cancer treatment then that is seen as negligent, while in parts of Europe, mistletoe injections and hyperthermia are recognised by many medical doctors.
Kelly Turner in her groundbreaking book ’Radical Remission, Surviving Cancer Against All Odds’ highlights key factors in healing; one of those is about ’embracing social support’. Many of us are fortunate to have family and friends there for us, but support can be invaluable from people facing similar challenges.
So where can we talk and learn safely?
There are not many places where it is possible to discuss other options. When I spoke to Yes to Life nearly three years ago, I found out they had plans for developing ‘Wigwam’ cancer support groups that focused on an integrative approach. Within a few weeks, three of us came together in Stroud, Gloucestershire. We’ve not looked back, and ten of us meet each month to share where we are at and explore different approaches together. It is not about giving advice, but has been a wonderful, confidential place of support to explore challenges, opportunities and share information.
Why call it Wigwam?
Well the idea came from Richard Mayon-White, who had cancer in 2016, he said “a wigwam provides shelter that is flexible, with an informal style and not fixed in any one place. The way that the poles of a wigwam lean inwards to support each other illustrates how a successful group can offer care and help to its members”.
One Wigwam member said they hadn’t realised how lonely they had been on their cancer journey, while another said; “It was such a relief to find an open and supportive group, totally on the same wavelength when it comes to the challenges faced by those of us looking for a more proactive and personalised approach to healing ourselves”.
Some months ago I joined the Yes to Life team to help the charity establish more groups. Our second online Wigwam group is due to start in January and we have three new groups starting in Portishead, Croydon and Stroud. Feedback is very positive and we are planning more. If anyone you know is interested then they can complete the ‘Get Involved’ page on our website and we will be in touch.
Free Forums and Webinars
In addition to the support groups we also now host live expert-led online forums, the videos of which, are then available online. Topics have included sugar, toxins, dance, appetite and an integrative approach. We also have a weekly mindfulness drop in and more planned. See more at: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/events-and-sessions
Philip Booth – Wigwam Coordinator for Yes to Life
For more information please take a look at the websites of Wigwam and Yes to Life: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/ and https://yestolife.org.uk/
In addition, Wigwam is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wigwamsupport
Finally Philip blogs occasionally about his prostate cancer journey at https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com
Notes
(i) Physical Activity and Survival among Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer: http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/24/1/57
(ii) https://www.yourlifeandcancer.com
Philip Booth
Wigwam Coordinator
wigwam@yestolife.org.uk