As we all know, grief takes us on all sorts of different paths. It never truly goes away and the journey after time changes its course.
A week before Chantel’s mum Grace took her last breath in her home, Chantel was in a state of trance.
With her spiritual gifts she would receive messages from the spirit worlds and was surrounded by the archangels and her ancestral lines.
She knew the outcome for her Mother and needed to make Grace as comfortable as she could.
Chantel watched her mother take her last breath surrounded by family and seen her mother’s soul exit her body.
For the next few months, Chantel felt her mother by her side until the physicality of Graces presence not being around began to take a toll.
Chantel’s son Rafael was 3 months at the time when her grief started to settle itself inside of her heart.
Life for Chantel started to shrivel up and the anxiety, loneliness and depression started to set in. She was completely heart broken.
Her mother and best friend in this life time was gone and she wasn’t around to see her newborn flourish and physically help her out.
Chantel often would hide in places around her house trying to cover the tears from her family, she found it difficult to socialise and started noticing her mind and soul shutting down from the world.
During this time, Chantel was stubborn in her ways and didn’t seek help as she felt that with her gifts and mindfulness she would eventually heal her self.
This was not the case, she shut her self down completely, which in turn stunted her own healing and deflected anyone trying to assist with her healing.
A year or so after Graces passing, Chantel was given the opportunity for her and her family to move into the family home where her mother had passed.
This was a big relief for Chantel, because it was somewhere she knew and felt comfortable and had memorable times with her family.
Everything from then seemed to be ok but the grief came in waves, the anxiety and depression always lingered, even to the point that Chantel wanted to take her own life.
She started to disconnect and turn herself off from different parts of herself and ignored her own self care.
This can be very heavy to read but that’s how far the mind can take you.
I too had felt that kind of despair after my mother passed.
But this is where Chantel’s physical health started to make a decline.
It started with her sacral. Her womb.
She was experiencing terrible pains that were indescribable and needed to be taken into hospital on occasion.
The doctors couldn’t figure out entirely what it was until they decided to operate.
On the 29th of November 2017, Chantel had her first surgery and the doctors ended up removing a benign tumour on her right ovary and also the removal of stage 4 endometriosis.
Her body somewhat recovered over a 3 month period but then her body started to play up again.
She was experiencing body aches all over, brain fog, difficulties staying awake and lack of focus and couldn’t concentration.
This is where her stomach issues started to arise.
As a person on the outside, I was confused to why all these health issues were arising. If it wasn’t one thing it was another, it was difficult to get answers out of her and her doctors, because no one could diagnose her with anything, she was just constantly in pain.
For me, it really broke my heart. I wanted to help her so much but there was physically nothing I could do but just be there when she needed me and help out whenever I could.
Everyday her stomach was bloated and in pain with anything she ate.
I witnessed her stomach looking like she was 7 months pregnant and she became fatigued and would be completely out of it.
Her endometriosis returned & she started experiencing paralysis on the right side of her pelvis that would run down her leg and she found it difficult to walk.
In all honesty, it was like she was falling apart from the inside out and becoming a frail old woman.
Finally in October of 2018 the doctors decided they would remove her gallbladder and with that do a biopsy.
Chantel was put on a wait list for her surgery, the hospital called her shortly after she received her letter about the wait list and requested that they operate the next morning.
Chantel knew then and there it was her mum working her magic.
She felt her so closely, whispering soothing sounds, the surgery was scheduled on the 3rd date, she was 3rd on the list to be operated on and her hospital room number was number 3.
This was Chantel and Graces special number.
The results of the biopsy were extreme, her body was starting to develop cancerous cells around the gallbladder.
If she had waited a few more months for the surgery she would have needed to start chemo tablets or some form of treatment.
After this surgery nothing really eased for Chantel. The pains only increased with all over body pains and stomach issues.
Chantel started losing weight, depleted of energy most days and became bed ridden and unable to drive her kids to school.
Her children would constantly see her laying on the couch in pain.
Rafael her youngest became so worried of Chantel dying, that they had to get him a therapist through his primary school to help him understand what was happening and give him ways he could cope.
Luca, Chantel’s eldest son suffered also but always tried his best to hide it and always wanted to help out.
He would hold her while she walked and hobbled around the house.
The doctors kept doing their tests, she was in and out of emergency with hospital stays, But all they seemed to do was drug Chantel up and try different medications and her body would always have a negative reaction to them.
One doctor provided an answer and diagnosed Chantel with fibromyalgia, because the pains couldn’t be identified to any symptoms to anything.
During this time Chantel started to look within and started to use a more holistic approach, taking it back to her spiritual roots, she took up specified yoga for Endometriosis and fibromyalgia.
Chantel had her 3rd and last operation in May 2019 where they found pre cancer in her colon.
When she received her results, she asked her doctor what was next and he blankly could not give her an answer.
At this point, Chantel fed up with all western doctors, she started to take things into her hands and started researching.
She found an amazing Gastroenterologist Dr Alan Desmond overseas who advised her to try a completely plant based diet.
This was a challenge and transition for Chantel, being forced into cutting out all types of meats and animal products but it was a must for her health.
She found a holistic doctor in America through social media and started following Anthony William’s Celery Juice and other plant based protocols.
A combination of ancient kundalini practices, deep rooted meditations, breath work and Bowen therapy and doing these practices EVERY DAMN DAY, Chantel started to change her life!
Within a few weeks her energy was back, her children got their mother back and her husband Ruben got his wife back.
Her endometriosis pains were gone.
Chantel realised that plants were her medicine and attuning herself with her body was her medicine.
She rooted herself back into Mother Earth and knew that she was her true healer.
Chantel is completely grateful for all those who stuck by her and helped her through this journey of self discovery.
She is thankful to the universe everyday and knows now that you have to truly experience the depths of your own terrible in order to learn lessons about your own journey.
Chantel with her health in check, her spiritual self has finally aligned with her purpose and her aspirations have floated back to help others out of these depths through plant based medicines and holistic healings.
Her space is definitely one to watch and 100% supported and received with love.
As Chantel would say – Ahó 🕉
Chantel, it took time.
But I knew you could do it.
I love you.
💓
The Woman X Collective 