Ooger Booger! - Still A Lovely Life By Rachel

Nurse Rachel 1974

Nurse Sienna 2007

I’ve never really been a, ‘slap wet fish over my head’ kind of girl, or walk around the house with incense hanging out of my ears kind of girl.

But having gone through this illness, a few new doors have opened, and I’ve been peeking in side.

“Ooger Booger”, I’d call it, the “realm of the unknown”, the “weirdo babble” that some would speak.

I’ve always avoided walking under ladders or opening umbrellas in the house, but never entered the ‘alternative’ world!

However, a life change such as the one I’m going through, opens your eyes and your thinking to other things.

My first experience was my visit to Dr Mumbo Jumbo, in Upper Heidelberg, who promised the ‘Ultimate Consultation’. It took Dad and me so long to get there that I was nearly in remission by the time we found the strange little place. With a yellow highlighter he coloured in a big dot and instructed me to stare at it every day for 20 minutes, which would basically make me “feel better”. I thought at the time, the only thing that will make me “feel better” is walking out your door Mr Loopy. After handing over the $300 for the ‘Ultimate Consultation’, I spent weeks watching A Current Affair to see if he’d pop up on any of their ‘Dodgy Doctor’ exposes.

Dr Mumbo Jumbo
Sienna 2007

But still I didn’t give up, I wanted to persevere, I wanted to become a ‘believer’, even though Ooger Booger went against my cynical grain of existence. My next stop was with 80 year old Nancy who came with great credentials, she had been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia the year I met her in 2006, for service to the community, particularly people living with cancer.

She was just lovely, a real Grandma, I would sit in her lounge room with a cup of tea and spend the next hour chatting and being introduced to meditation. I really enjoyed my time with Nancy she was so calming and healing. Then it came the time that she thought I was ready to attend a group session. Little Miss Scaredy Cat (me) never went back again.

In between all this, I drank litres of Goji Juice, Manuka Honey, Hippie Tea, spent thousands of dollars on organic products, from fruit and vegies to organic toothpaste. I visited several counsellors and swallowed a lot of supplements, and it all just made me feel that little bit more nauseous.

I knew I had to persevere, and understood that there was not only a need for me to heal physically but mentally too.

I wanted to learn how to cope with the feeling of ‘flight or fight’. Try to control the anxiety I would feel when my busy mind would take me down the road of, “am I going to die”. Before I knew it or could control it, my mind would be racing so fast, that I would be mentally preparing my own funeral, including music from the Lion King, gift bags for those who attended, a list of those who didn’t so I could haunt later and door prizes to lighten the moment.

“Trust me I’m a Doctor”
Sienna 2005

So on I went with ‘Ooger Booger’. There was eye staring therapy, (which went down a treat), hypnosis conducted by a Psychologist who thought it was a good idea to ‘break the ice’ by telling me about her Aunty’s last words, “I never knew it would be this hard to die from cancer”. Yes I was so relaxed after that little session.

A visit to a Buddhist Temple this year was a highlight and being introduced to their simple but wise teachings makes me see, it’s the simple things in life I want.

But my ‘end of the rainbow’ moment has been meeting Dr Deb this year. A beautiful and nurturing spirit who simply wants to help. I see Dr Deb once a week for guidance, meditation and learning about mindfulness. Together we’re finding my rhythm of calm to get through this moment safely.

I believe that I have found what I have been searching for over the past years. But I’m still having gift bags and door prizes! And the Lion King!