Personal Statement
Victoria Rice, RN, CNOR, CTT
Hi, I'm Victoria and I'd like to thank you so much for your interest in the Women's Wellness Consulting website!
I've designed this website to help inform, encourage and empower you.
I've been interested in natural healing methods since I was a teenager and I'm now 47 years old. But 30 years ago, these modalities were much less accepted than they are today, and so I eventually pursued the path of conventional medicine, becoming a Registered Nurse. I moved around in different areas of nursing, including 2 years spent in psychiatric nursing, where I began to hone my counseling skills. Eventually I settled into surgical nursing, also called peri-operative nursing, and became certified in that specialty. I still work in surgery part-time and find it fascinating.
But several years ago, I began to feel depressed. By the time my patients came to me in the operating room, their surgery was a done deal. It was too late to save that breast or that uterus or whatever else was about to be permanently removed. All I could do was to hold my patient's hand, pray with her and be the best nurse I knew how.
The kicker came one day when I was interviewing a gentleman who was about to have a quadruple by-pass surgery. "Do you have any questions?" I asked. "Yes" he replied, and gave me a look I will never forget; it was so vulnerable, "Why do I feel so sad all the time?" My eyes welled up and I fought back the tears. What could I say? This man had a broken heart! And everything we were about to put him through wasn't going to fix it!
Well, let me tell you, I really "got it"! I intuitively understood that if this gentleman's feelings were not included in his care plan, his outcome was not going to be very good. Without addressing his depression, healing was not going to be complete.
I knew after that, vaguely, the direction I needed to go. The only thing I was really clear about was that I wanted to help people and I wanted to do it in a more life-affirming way than the surgical arena allowed. I began to really pray for guidance about this new direction my life would take.
Within a year an interesting opportunity dropped into my lap; a breast thermography clinic in my hometown was for sale. I didn't know much about thermography, but I was intrigued. I knew even less about owning and operating a business and was rightfully terrified, as well! But something told me to be brave and just go for it! I took out a second mortgage on my home, held my breath, and took the plunge...
I am so glad I did! For one thing it has allowed me the privilege of getting to know the most incredible women I have ever met. The women who have come to my clinic are the most intelligent, aware, progressive and forward thinking group imaginable, and they have all been my teachers. Through them, I have gained a deep sense of community among sisters, of the importance and value in supporting one another. This sense of connectedness is a profound and wonderful gift and it is something I want to extend to you, as well, dear Reader.
In the process of doing thermography, I found many women were falling into a "gray zone". Their thermograms weren't quite abnormal, but they weren't exactly normal either. Clearly, they were at risk for breast cancer. This elicited a great deal of concern and anxiety from many women who asked me "What should I do now?". Initially, I just said, "Get a follow-up mammogram. Lets keep an eye on it, come back in six months." But that answer just didn't feel like enough. Not nearly enough.
I began to realize that "PREVENTION" was not a concept that was used much in connection with breast cancer. It was all "early detection" and "search for a cure". That's all good, but, if we couldn't prevent it, there had to at least be a way to reduce the risk. Why wasn't anybody talking about that?
Suddenly, I was on a "Mission from God"! I began to bury myself in research, spending long hours, hunched over my computer, or curled up with books, highlighter in hand, frantically underlining and circling critical information. Basically, I was blown away. I couldn't believe how much research has been done for breast cancer prevention and risk reduction through the use of nutrition, supplements and lifestyle. "Why doesn't EVERY WOMAN ON EARTH know this stuff?" I was stunned that names like "Indol-3-carbinol", "DIM" and "Calcium-D-Glucarate" had not become a part of every woman's vocabulary (even if they do sound like the answers to a chemistry test!). All these huge, HUGE (read: very expensive) ad campaigns for breast cancer awareness and hey, I think we're AWARE ALREADY! What we don't know is how NOT TO GET IT!
That was the birthing process for the Pro-Active Protocol for Breast Cancer Prevention. The name of my thermography clinic is Pro-Active Health Imaging, LLC, so the Pro-Active Protocol seemed like a natural offshoot. Plus, it really sums up the philosophy of taking control of your health! I want to help women move from feeling victimized to feeling empowered and its all about being Pro-Active. We are not going to sit on our duffs and just hope we won't get sick! We are going to inform ourselves and take positive action to do everything in our power to live long, healthy and happy lives!
So, interestingly, I have come full circle. As it turns out, all the plants and herbs I studied since my youth are exactly what the latest and most cutting-edge research is pointing toward for optimal health! But now I am able to combine the wisdom of plants with the wisdom I have gained through years of experience in conventional medicine as well. This has paved the way for me to easily navigate the newly emerging field of integrative medicine. In this wonderful discipline I can easily use my Reiki energy training and my surgical expertise on the same problem at the same time, and I have to tell you, I love it. I love being able, finally, to treat the whole person, body, mind, emotions and spirit. Whether I am answering technical questions pertaining to an upcoming surgical procedure, informing a woman how she can reduce her risk for breast cancer, taking thermographic images, praying with her, or hugging her while she cries, its all good. I am living my life's work and I am passionate about it. I know I am where God intended me to be and there is tremendous energy, peace and joy for me in that.
I hope through our interaction, or just in reading this, that I can remind you that you are a wise, powerful and beautiful woman. You have a strong intuition that is capable of guiding you very safely through whatever you are going through. My goal is to help you to connect with what is already yours. YOUR TRUTH. Once you get centered, grounded and informed, your own "inner wise woman" will take over and lead the way. Let her lead you to peace, love, happiness and health!
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