Sunstone Cancer Support Centers

In December, I went to a cancer retreat at a place called Sunstone Cancer Support Center in Tuscon. I chose Sunstone because Andrew Weil recommended it in Spontaneous Healing, but also because it was free.

Sunstone does ask for a deposit of $150 when you register, but you get back the check at the end of the retreat. They warned, as well, that they would ask for a donation at the end. But no one ever did in person. It came in the form of a note on an envelope taped to my cabin door on Sunday. I was under the influence of dex while there, so I didn't want to make any decisions.

A month or so later, after I realized and remembered the benefit of attending the retreat, I sent in my check. Of course, for some people there's the cost of the flight. Whatever the case, Sunstone does so much, they deserve all the support they can get monetarily or otherwise.

I remember how I transformed while at Sunstone. I arrived feeling overwhelmed and old. Forty-three is not all that old, but I felt as if I were 90. On Saturday night, five of us (three of them pictured here; the fourth, sits to my left in the group pic) decided we needed to make a mad run somewhere. One of us had never been to Walmart! So, of course, we had to go there. We only had a truck, so three of us piled in the back with blankets, while the one from Canada (because she's special) rode shotgun, next to the driver, wearing a pink angora hat since she was bald from treatments. Busting down the freeway, the three of us in back tried to take pictures in the dark as hair whipped around our faces. We had a buttload of fun at Walmart, but the kicker was when we got back to Sunstone. There, we piled out of the truck with our treasures, laughing hysterically. It just so happened an elderly gentleman (the facilitators husband) was pulling in just as we did. He didn't say hi and actually seemed angry with us. Later, we found out he'd reported to his wife that a bunch of teenage hooligans had just pulled up in the parking lot and were probably up to no good.

I had gone from a 90-year-old cancer patient to a teenage hooligan. It was a wonderful transformation. For this reason, I'm sure I'll be going again, when the transplant is done.

But for now, I want to tell you about Sunstone because it helps me remember the joy I had there. For one, Sunstone is a beautiful property. It's not large, but it's filled with beautiful twisted oaks and dessert plants. Mountains overlook Sunstone from the distance. The colors on those mountains are stunning. The rooms are homey. My shower was so big I felt as if I could have played handball in it. I had a window with a view of a large tree. The food is awesome and healthy. A huge plus is the therapies they offer: cranialsacrial, healing touch, Quicong, and on. These are private sessions that will change your life. They do ask for a small donation ($30?) for the therapies, but that's not even a requirement. The best thing about the place, by far, was the people I met who had cancer. It's been two months since the retreat and we are still keeping in touch by e-mail and phone calls. Despite the fact that people in the group were in so many different places and had so many different cancers, we bonded.

It helped me not to feel so alone. Now, if talking in a room for hours and learning "alternative" ways to breath, deal, heal, and think is not something you'd enjoy, you better not go. But I think everyone got something they needed from the retreat. Both men and women.

For more information about upcoming retreats or to donate, go to www.sunstonehealing.org.