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Meet the KickButt Cancer Coach
Hi! I’m Judith Frost, your KickButt Empowerment Coach.
When  you sat in the doctor's office, or stood in the kitchen with the phone in your hand, and heard the doctor say, "I'm sorry, you have cancer," you learned in one instant what life is all about. For me it happened in the kitchen, on the phone, in 1996, but my work with cancer sufferers started much earlier.
My passion for helping people live their maximum life through cancer began with a telephone call just before Christmas, 1981. My dear friend April called to tell me she had terminal lung cancer. One of my most vivid memories is of how helpless I felt to say or do anything that would help her. Now, of course, I know that that’s how most people feel when they get a diagnosis, or when someone they love is diagnosed. It’s truly one of the worst feelings in the world.
April’s illness and subsequent death changed the course of my life. It sent me back to school for a Masters in Social Work. It drove me to learn everything I could about cancer and its treatment, and become a Psycho-Oncolgy Specialist- a professional who is expert in helping people with the emotional side of cancer. I learned how to help people live better, and even longer, with some of the then-emerging mind/body techniques. I learned about empowerment, and how being actively involved in your treatment rapidly removes that helpless, victim mentality.
That was the time of the pioneers of “radical alternative” treatment, like Bernie Siegel, Joan Borysenko and Larry LeShan, among others. It was very “out there” to teach people techniques like visualization, imagery and meditation, which have been well-researched and are widely accepted today. I, however, was also very influenced by “cause and effect medicine”—take a pill, the headache goes away. It was concrete, observable and sensible. It was a long, gradual process for me to really grasp that cooperating with my body and my mind could allow the headache to leave. I learned these techniques but remained half-hearted about their usefulness.
Then, in 1996, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. And it all became very personal. Like everyone else hearing those words, I was filled with terror and dread. But, unlike most people, I’d been preparing for that moment for 15 years. I became active in researching and understanding my condition, and partnered with my doctors to make treatment choices that reflected who I am. Extensive testing was done to determine that it was a solid tumor, not a cyst, and that it was, in fact, malignant. The first treatment step was surgery to remove the tumor, and determine the exact type and stage of my disease.
Between the initial diagnosis and the actual surgery, even while undergoing tests, getting additional opinions and reading everything possible, I operated on the assumption used in Quantum Physics that nothing is real until it is observed. I did a lot of mindfulness meditation and created personal guided imagery tapes, one to prepare for the surgery, and one to use during recovery. These taped imageries used everything that the research suggested at the time, including referring to the mass as an “unknown visitor on my ovary.” I got massage therapy and acupuncture to help me stay in the moment and honor my body.
The night before the surgery my dearest friends and family conducted a powerful healing circle for me, filling me with peace and gratitude, and totally eliminating my fear. I sailed into surgery knowing I had done everything I could do, and that I was literally in the hands of God. And, of course, in the hands of my surgical team.
After the surgery the doctors called me their “miracle child.” The mass that had every earmark of cancer, wasn’t. It was nothing more than an “odd conglomeration of cells” that puzzled the pathologists and the doctors alike.
There are really only two possibilities. Either it was a missed diagnosis, just plain wrong... or it was a spontaneous cure. What I know for sure is that the doctors and the tests were unanimous in their opinions before the surgery. And, that I did everything I could to create the conditions in my body that invited the “unknown visitor on my ovary” to simply leave.
But it would be a huge mistake to claim a miracle cure. Truly, no one knows whether the mass ever was or wasn't malignant. I'm simply grateful for the short duration of my cancer journey and what it taught me.
What I learned during that time informs everything I do today. I incorporate that and everything else I’ve learned over the past 27 years to help people heal. Having worked in the medical system for most of those years (including as an oncology social worker), I have enormous respect for what medical professionals can do.
I also have an insider’s view of the pitfalls in the system, and how to navigate around them. I coach people how to get the maximum value from their medical treatment, and how to enhance that value with complementary mind/body healing methods and their own spiritual values.
I know it sounds corny, but helping people live their maximum life during and after cancer is my mission in life. At a time when most of my friends are retiring to exotic places, I’m taking my work to the next level through this website. There is no greater joy in my life than seeing people go from being frightened and bewildered to being empowered and determined. That applies to the person with cancer and to their supporters as well.
I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the shadow of Mt. Rainier with my beautiful dogs In addition to taking care of them, I love being with my sweet family. My creative side enjoys writing, reading, beading and playing the organ.
My new books, The KickButt Cancer Guide and The Kickbutt Caregiver will be released in the Fall of 2010. In the books I discuss in depth the healing program that I use and that I teach to others. I believe it will be a great resource for cancer professionals and patients alike.
I’m a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Washington State. I recently became a Certified Professional Coach through the Academy for Coaching Excellence in Sacramento and the International Coach Federation. My memberships include several professional organizations including:
- The Society for Integrative Oncology,
- The Association of Oncology Social Workers
- The National Association of Social Workers
- The International Coach Federation
My passion is helping people live full lives, and thrive, through cancer. Are you ready to be in charge? You can Email Me or call me (on the West Coast) at 253.752.7579. I look forward to talking with you soon.
Browse The Cancer Coach Services and Programs
See Who The Cancer Coach Serves
Email Me or call at 253-752-7579 253-752-7579
(Pacific time) to schedule a free 30-minute introductory coaching session.
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"Healing is an allowing, not a doing, yet we need to do everything we can physically, emotionally, and spiritually to help that allowing happen."
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