Reiki & Chemotherapy: Mia’s Story
In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I began chemotherapy treatments in April of 2014 and received regular Reiki sessions from Pam, from a distance, throughout and alongside my drug therapy.
We experimented with how to time the sessions in relation to when I received the chemo. In most instances, I received a Reiki session that same evening. But when I went from bi-weekly AC meds to weekly Taxol meds, the side effects—primarily fatigue and body aches–intensified. Pam suggested we add a session the night before the chemo. That meant I was receiving a session the night before and the night of the chemotherapy.
This was tremendously helpful in alleviating the side effects!
At one point, we had some scheduling conflicts and I was not able to receive Reiki the night before chemo. Pam texted me while I was in the chemo chair asking if I wanted to have a session then. Having the session while I was in the chair made a huge difference! There was a vast reduction in my side effects and no need for a session that night. I even fell asleep in the chair, I was so relaxed! We continued with this method and timing for the remainder of my treatments.
I suffered from anxiety and depression throughout treatment, but I always felt calmer and more centered after Reiki.
Mia, Minneapolis
Pam’s Note: I also shared Reiki sessions with Mia after her surgery (which followed chemotherapy) and occasionally during her six-week course of radiation. But the bulk of our sessions were concentrated around her chemotherapy treatment, which is when she expressed the most need and found the sessions most helpful.