There are moments in healthcare when professional knowledge suddenly becomes deeply personal.
As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and natural healthcare, together with my wife Susan a medical herbalist and traditional Naturopath, we’ve spent years supporting patients through complex health challenges, including cancer recovery, fatigue, anxiety, digestive dysfunction, pain, and the long-term effects of treatment. But experiencing cancer firsthand changed the way we understand healthcare entirely.
Being a patient is different from understanding disease academically.
It means living with uncertainty. It means navigating exhaustion that is difficult to explain to others. It means dealing with fear, information overload from all sides, side effects, disrupted routines, and the emotional weight that can accompany diagnosis and treatment. It also means learning how important compassionate, individualised support truly is.
My own experience reinforced something I had long believed clinically: supportive cancer care should never focus solely on the disease itself. The person matters just as much as the diagnosis.
Throughout my journey, I gained an even deeper appreciation for the role that supportive care can play alongside conventional medical treatment. Not as an “alternative” to conventional treatment, but as a complementary approach aimed at improving quality of life, supporting recovery, and helping patients feel more supported physically and emotionally throughout the process.
In clinical practice, we frequently see patients struggling not only with the direct effects of cancer, but with:
- persistent fatigue,
- digestive disruption,
- sleep disturbance,
- anxiety and emotional stress,
- pain and neuropathy,
- dry mouth and hot flushes,
- reduced resilience and recovery capacity,
- and the long-term impact treatment can have on overall wellbeing.
While much of the focus understandably centres on the patient, cancer profoundly affects partners, children, parents, siblings, and close friends as well. In many ways, loved ones go through their own parallel journey; one often marked by fear, helplessness, emotional and physical exhaustion, as well as the challenge of trying to remain strong while watching someone they care about navigate a serious, potentially fatal, illness.
My own experience with cancer gave me a much deeper appreciation for how profoundly illness affects entire families, not just individuals. It reinforced the importance of providing care that acknowledges the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of everyone involved in the journey.
These are areas where modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional support, and traditional holistic approaches may provide meaningful support when appropriately integrated into a broader healthcare plan.
My experience as both practitioner and patient has changed the way I listen. It has changed the questions I ask. It has changed how carefully I think about treatment pacing, emotional support, and the importance of helping people feel safe, heard, and understood during vulnerable periods of life.
In our clinic, this perspective informs the way we approach care. Our focus is not on offering false promises or miracle cures. It is on providing thoughtful, evidence based, compassionate support for people navigating complex health challenges, including those undergoing treatment, recovering after treatment, or rebuilding health and wellbeing beyond cancer.
For many patients, healing is not simply about eliminating disease. It is about restoring quality of life, rebuilding confidence in the body, managing stress and feeling supported through the process.
That understanding is no longer only clinical for us. It is deeply personal.
You can read each of our individual journeys by clicking the tabs above.
My experience with cancer began much like it does for many people—with a seemingly minor health concern that eventually led to further investigation. What followed was a journey filled with uncertainty, difficult decisions, unexpected setbacks, and ultimately, profound personal growth.
Like many people facing a serious diagnosis, I found myself navigating a complex world of medical consultations, tests, scans, and treatment options. There were times when answers were unclear and decisions were not straightforward. The process required patience, resilience, and a willingness to carefully weigh different approaches to care.
As a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), I approached my diagnosis from both a professional and personal perspective. Together with my wife, Susan, a naturopath and medical herbalist, we explored ways to support my health through an integrative approach that combined conventional medical care with Chinese-, naturopathic medicine , nutrition, and lifestyle measures. Throughout the journey, I remained committed to making informed decisions while staying open to the expertise of the healthcare professionals guiding my treatment.
Treatment brought its own challenges. There were periods of physical discomfort, emotional uncertainty, and the constant need to adapt to changing circumstances. Yet there were also moments of encouragement, hope, and gratitude. I learned firsthand that healing is not simply about treating a disease; it is about supporting the whole person—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Major surgery became an important part of my treatment journey and required significant adjustments afterwards. Recovery was not simply a matter of healing wounds; it involved adapting to a changed body and learning to embrace a new normal. Like many cancer survivors, I discovered that recovery continues long after treatment ends. It is an ongoing process of rebuilding strength, confidence, and quality of life.
There were further challenges along the way, including additional treatment and ongoing monitoring. Each stage brought new lessons about perseverance, acceptance, and the importance of focusing on what can be controlled rather than dwelling on what cannot.
One of the greatest lessons I learned was the value of maintaining hope and perspective. While a cancer diagnosis can be life-changing, it does not have to define a person’s future. I came to appreciate the remarkable capacity of the human body to recover and adapt when given the right support, and the powerful role that mindset can play during difficult times.
I also gained a much deeper understanding of the impact cancer has on families and loved ones. While the person receiving treatment is at the centre of the experience, partners, children, relatives, and friends often carry their own emotional burdens. Their support can be invaluable, and their wellbeing deserves attention too.
Throughout my journey, the unwavering support of my wife, Susan, was instrumental. She stood beside me through every challenge, offering strength, encouragement, and practical support when it was needed most. I am equally grateful to the healthcare professionals who guided me through treatment and helped me navigate the complexities of cancer care.
Experiencing cancer as both a practitioner and a patient has profoundly influenced the way I work with others. It has deepened my appreciation for truly integrative healthcare—where conventional medicine, natural therapies, emotional support, and patient empowerment all work together. More importantly, it has given me genuine insight into the fears, uncertainties, and challenges that many people face when confronted with a serious illness.
Today, that lived experience allows me to support patients not only with professional knowledge, but also with a level of understanding that can only come from having walked a similar path myself. My goal is not simply to help people manage their health, but to help them feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout their own journey.
It all began with a growing, quiet concern over a persistent pattern of ill health that simply refused to respond to standard treatments. Little did I realise back then that this was the threshold of a very long journey toward my husband Danny’s recovery and an even deeper personal transformation. Looking back, I can see how intensely this path would test me: straining my patience, draining my energy, and challenging my very sanity. Throughout it all, I quickly learned that clarity of mind, peacefulness, balance, and calmness are not just ideals; they are essential components for survival, both for the person undergoing the health crisis and for the loved ones standing by to support them.
The journey formally commenced when we decided to seek a diagnosis through a friendly GP. What followed was a wave of rising anxiety as we faced a daunting list of required investigations to truly uncover what was wrong. From blood tests, CT scans, and physical examinations to a colonoscopy, the medical team eventually discovered numerous bowel polyps in Danny’s rectum and sigmoid colon, alongside a visible cancerous mass near the border of the two. These findings led to a terrifying provisional diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer (CRC).
That anxiety quickly spiralled into panic, fuelled by an underlying distrust of conventional, allopathic medical treatments. We found ourselves paralysed by indecision, wondering where to go for advice we could genuinely trust. Uncertain about whether to proceed with standard treatments, I realized I needed to conduct extensive personal research to truly understand the nature of CRC, its potential complications, and what the outcomes might look like with or without medical intervention.
Our fears were soon realised during a visit to an initial surgeon, who delivered the devastating confirmation that the cancer was indeed CRC. Making matters worse, the days that followed were marked by agonizing, exhausting trips to the Emergency Room to drain a septic abscess; a time made incredibly frustrating by a distinct lack of compassion from some of the ER doctors. Eventually, a second surgeon performed further biopsies and a temporary colostomy. It was during this time, when we were told that the CRC was aggressive, septic, and had aggressively spread from the colon and rectum through to the prostate and bladder. Feelings of dread and despair began to take root just beneath my carefully maintained mask of calm.
Medical professionals advised a gruelling combination of radiation, chemotherapy, and major surgery to give Danny his best chance at survival; otherwise, palliative care was the only likely outcome. Facing this head-on, Danny made the brave decision to follow the recommended allopathic approach, but we chose to heavily support it with natural medicine protocols to mitigate the toxic side effects of the drugs, radiation, and surgeries, as well as to cushion the intense psychological impact.
Underneath my own exterior lurked a profound depression and a constant fear for my husband’s safety and well-being. However, those feelings had to be firmly pushed aside, replaced by a dogged determination to seek out the highest quality natural medicine support and to pull out all the stops. This determination carried us into a consultation with a third surgeon who would perform a massive, complex procedure known as a pelvic exenteration; literally, the removal of various organs and structures within the pelvis.
To prepare, we poured ourselves into researching the accompanying conventional treatments. Understanding their objectives, as well as their exact impacts on Danny’s anatomy and physiological processes, allowed us to choose the most effective nutritional and herbal medicines available. Our goal was to support normal tissue healing, minimise cellular mutation from the toxic therapies, and remain agile enough to adjust his protocol as his symptoms shifted or complications arose.
We also had to aggressively step up our support for other failing bodily systems. For instance, when a cancer-related fistula caused bowel content to leak into his bladder and pelvic cavity, it triggered a severe bladder infection. Because Danny’s digestive tract was too fragile to cope with oral medications, antibiotics had to be administered intravenously or intramuscularly, requiring us to actively protect his gut from further damage. Alongside these medical strategies, we had to make practical lifestyle changes to allow his body and mind to rest, directing all available healing energy toward repair. This meant making the tough decision to reduce, and eventually halt, our work schedules; planning for the financial impact as best we could while focusing entirely on making life as simple, peaceful, and enjoyable as possible.
Through it all, Danny remained incredibly focused on the future. In his mind’s eye, he constantly visualised a successful surgery, a rapid recovery, and a life ahead where he could once again embrace the things that brought him joy and satisfaction. He was steadily guided by his wonderfully open-minded, tolerant, and compassionate GP, who helped Danny frame the crisis not as something to avoid, but as a “fact-finding mission” to be solved. As his support person, I found this analytical, grounded tool to be an absolute lifeline.
The next major milestone was a brutal six-week block of simultaneous chemotherapy and radiation, occurring nine days out of every fourteen. The physical toll was undeniable. The radiation, directed at his anus, rectum, prostate, bladder, and pelvic floor, essentially “cooked” Danny’s tissues. I still do not know how he endured it, but he remained fiercely determined to maintain a positive attitude, focus on the end healing goal, and just get it done.
Following this, the gruelling preparation for the pelvic exenteration began. This period was a blur of endless, exhausting travel, spending two to three hours a day battling heavy traffic to drag ourselves around the hospital and medical centre for a relentless battery of pre-admission tests and consultations. Then came an unexpected hiccup: Danny was informed he would need an angioplasty and two stents inserted into a coronary artery before they could even attempt the major cancer surgery. That was the moment I finally broke down, experiencing a total meltdown right there in the hospital parking lot.
When the day of the massive surgery finally arrived, we braced for a daunting 14-hour procedure, knowing any complications could extend it further. It required three distinct teams of specialists – a gastrointestinal surgeon, a urinary-reproductive surgeon, and a cardiovascular surgeon to monitor his blood pressure and transfusions, alongside an incredible team of support nurses who relayed progress messages to me throughout the agonising wait. True to the unpredictable nature of this journey, another hurdle emerged the following day when doctors discovered an internal bleed, forcing Danny back into surgery for another two hours to repair it.
People often ask how I managed to survive that stress. Fortunately, I had plenty of tasks to keep me occupied, which distracted me from spiralling into further meltdowns. Ultimately, I knew I was there to be Danny’s rock. I learned to temporarily compartmentalise my own fears, self-doubts, and grief to face the monumental life questions before us. I wrestled constantly with terrifying thoughts: How will I cope if he doesn’t survive? What will I do if he enters palliative care? Have I done enough, or the right things, to truly help him? I grieved deeply for the sudden loss of our old life and careers, realising we might have to strip our existence down to an absolute minimum. Seeing my husband suffer so intensely brought a profound, heavy sadness that accompanied a cascade of other painful emotions.
But then came the ultimate turning point: happiness, immense relief, and pure joy – he survived! Not only did he survive, but he began to truly thrive.
I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Gratitude for Danny’s unbreakable spirit, gratitude for the medical angels who stepped into our lives when we needed them most, and gratitude to the great spirit that guides us all along these transformative paths.
Yet, it was only after the immediate crisis passed that the delayed shock finally hit. It can knock you off your feet completely, leaving you suddenly feeling the crushing weight of the world. I’ve learned that this is a completely natural shock reaction that simply requires peace, quiet, and deep rest. It is a reminder to be incredibly kind to yourself, because the journey does not simply end when the surgery is over.
Now, we are entering a phase of deep adaptation—learning a completely new way to live and navigate the world. This transition requires us to willingly let go of the physical and psychological weights we no longer need to carry. It reminds me of a dragonfly breaking free from its cocoon, transforming beautifully into an entirely new version of itself.
Day by day, we are rebuilding our confidence in life. Part of that means stepping back slightly to allow your loved one to regain their own independence and permitting them to walk their own path without carrying them quite so heavily. Much like a toddler learning to take their very first steps, true confidence only grows through the practice of independent walking, and by learning that they have the strength to get right back up whenever they fall down.
The journey continues. It asks us to keep making well-considered decisions, to find the courage to move forward, and to gracefully allow ourselves to adapt and transform.
At Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre, we approach healthcare with a deeply personal understanding of what it means to navigate a serious illness. Our practice is shaped not just by clinical experience, but by our own lives. Having faced cancer from both sides of the equation, both as a patient and as the partner supporting a loved one through illness, we share a unique, firsthand insight into the true meaning of supportive cancer care.
We know intimately the turmoil of diagnosis, the rigors of treatment, the vulnerability of recovery, and the heavy emotional and physical demands that serious illness places on a family. This lived experience gave us a perspective that no textbook or clinical training could ever replicate. It profoundly deepened our belief in the vital importance of compassionate care and deeply personalized support at every single turn of the healing process.
As healthcare professionals with many decades of experience in our respective fields and a strong foundation in research, we are dedicated to wrapping that individual support around both the patient and their family. Our approach is intentionally grounded, realistic, and entirely patient-centred. We don’t promise miracle cures or pretend there is a one-size-fits-all path forward. Instead, our heart is in helping you find a better quality of life, fostering your resilience, and restoring a sense of balance. Together, we look at your unique situation to carefully tailor gentle, supportive approaches that might include acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional support, and lifestyle guidance. We are here to walk beside you.
Why Treating the Root Cause Matters More Than Ever
In today’s health landscape, many people are searching for more than just a quick fixes. While modern life offers an endless stream of symptom-relief solutions, from medications and supplements to trending wellness hacks, more people are beginning to ask a deeper question: Why is so…? or why is this happening in the first place?
We believe this question is one of the most important in healthcare.
Symptoms are important. They can be uncomfortable, disruptive, and sometimes alarming. But symptoms are often the body’s way of communicating that something deeper is out of balance. Headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, hormonal changes, skin flare-ups, poor sleep, and chronic pain are rarely isolated events. They are often signs that the body is struggling to adapt, compensate, or heal.
This is where a root-cause approach becomes so valuable.
Rather than simply suppressing symptoms, Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, herbal medicine, and holistic healthcare aim to understand why symptoms are occurring. We look at the interconnected systems of the body: digestion, nervous system regulation, immune function, hormones, inflammation, sleep, stress, emotional wellbeing, and lifestyle factors to uncover the patterns contributing to illness or imbalance.
In many cases, symptoms that seem unrelated may actually originate from the same underlying issue. Chronic fatigue may connect to digestive dysfunction, chronic stress, poor sleep, nutrient depletion, or nervous system dysregulation. Skin conditions may reflect internal inflammation or gut health imbalances. Hormonal symptoms may be influenced by stress, liver function, metabolic health, or emotional wellbeing. When only the symptom is addressed, these deeper drivers may continue quietly in the background. Furthermore, only treating symptoms without addressing the underlying issues will end in unsatisfactory results for the patient.
The modern world places enormous strain on human health. Constant stimulation, chronic stress, poor sleep, processed foods, environmental toxins, sedentary lifestyles, and information overload all affect the body’s ability to maintain balance. At the same time, many people feel overwhelmed by conflicting health advice online. Wellness trends come and go rapidly, often promoting one-size-fits-all solutions that may not address the individual’s actual needs.
This is why grounded, personalised, clinically informed care matters more than ever.
A root-cause approach does not mean rejecting symptom relief. Helping patients feel better is always important. But sustainable health outcomes often require looking beyond temporary symptom relief and exploring the broader picture of health. When underlying imbalances are addressed, the body is often better able to regulate, repair, and function as it was designed to.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has always viewed health through this broader lens. In Chinese medicine, symptoms are not seen as isolated problems, but as part of larger patterns within the body. Treatment aims to restore harmony and support the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Similarly, naturopathy and Ayurvedic medicine focus on identifying and addressing contributing factors rather than merely managing the outward expression of illness.
For many people, this approach can feel empowering. Instead of feeling like they are constantly “chasing symptoms,” they begin to understand their body more clearly and participate more actively in their own health journey.
There is no universal shortcut to wellness. True healthcare is rarely about finding the latest trend or miracle solution. More often, it involves careful assessment, personalised treatment, consistency, and supporting the body over time.
At Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre, our focus is on helping patients move beyond symptom management toward a deeper understanding of their health. Through acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, and herbal medicine, we aim to provide thoughtful, individualised care that supports long term wellbeing not just temporary relief.
Because now, more than ever, treating the root cause matters.
