#73 The Cancer Series (3 of 3). My Cancer Journey with Dr Lauren Macdonald

On this episode I’m joined by Dr Lauren Macdonald, who worked as a doctor in Brighton for several years before being diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 cancer in 2014. 

The years that followed gave her a deep understanding of what it is to face a life-threatening illness. Consequently, she became fascinated by the emotional experience of illness, the mind-body connection, and the body’s ability to self-heal.

To optimise her chance of survival she explored Integrative Medicine, specifically focusing on nutrition, the gut microbiome, and stress management techniques, alongside conventional medical treatment. She achieved complete remission in 2016 and has gone on to study vedic meditation, Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Ashtanga yoga.

We talked about:Her cancer journey, what is like to be a doctor with cancer and her experiences within the NHS systemStress and inflammation in diseaseHow she was able to overcome trauma in her lifeGut health and its importance during therapyHer experiences of yoga and learning more about surrendering herself to the universeThe power of nature as a healerHer personal use of psychedelics and her thoughts on its potential use in medicine

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