by Michelle Potter Artist - Energy Worker - Wayshower | Aug 23, 2023 | Blogs, Cancer, Life Lessons, Pancreatic Cancer, Updates
Hello My Arty Friends,
If you are not connected to my socials you may not be aware that on the 24th July 2023 I was diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. I remember clearly writing about my previous stomach cancer experiences and how my perception of time changed. Hearing the ‘C’ work again after 12 years was like watching two cars collide in slow motion, only this time I felt like I was observing the accident rather that sitting behind the steering wheel. I love explaining things in metaphors, so let’s call this ‘the 2nd baby’. Anyone that has experienced childbirth knows that no matter what anyone tells you first time around, nothing can actually prepare you for parenthood. Second time around you know what’s coming and even though the experience maybe similar there will be new lessons because no second baby is ever like the first baby!
In 2019 I wrote a letter to my past-self which I will share some part of. It tells a grueling tale of what I would have said to myself knowing what I know now. The lows and highs of cancer. The sadness, grief, hope and gratefulness all mixed up in a messy soup of medical appointments. The weight loss, the hair loss, the friend loss. The additional financial burden that’s placed on a family and the lack of support and understanding that the primary Carer suffers. I soon worked out that a wig only made other people feel comfortable, so the night I decided not to wear one to a school open night was met with awkward stares and parents avoiding eye contact to avoid conversations. The absolute clincher was a school mum’s jesting, calling me a ‘skinny bitch’ post-surgery. I assured her that she could also be as thin as me if she was prepared to go through the same thing. Some people are soooooo inappropriate!
‘You are going to lose a lot of weight and I mean a lot. You are probably going to kick yourself for wishing you could lose weight. You got your wish but not the way you thought it was going to happen. You know those chubby cheeks, those voluptuous breasts and wobbly belly you hate so much when you look in the mirror – you are going to lose it all. In fact, by the time you have finished you are going to have to change everything in your wardrobe, even your shoes. It was nice at first but when those curves that define you as a woman start to disappear even you will be shocked at your appearance. You will actually walk past a window and smile at the person looking back at you because for a split second you didn’t realize it was a reflection and you didn’t recognize the girl looking back was you. ‘
Reading back through that letter it is clear how much I have grown and I’m not the only one. The level of support provided by the hospital has improved so much over the last decade that I honestly don’t know how I managed it all by myself the first time around. This second diagnosis has been challenging for my husband and children who, once again, have to watch me go through more treatment, surgery and 12 to 18 months of recovery. I honestly have no idea what life looks like on the other side of this, but I have some comfort in knowing that although this is another high mortality cancer, we caught this one early. It certainly doesn’t mean that I’m out of the woods, but it does give me more options due to early cancer screening.
As this tumour is in my pancreas and not my colon the recommended treatment has to be privately funded. My family needs to raise $61,000 in order to pay for a ‘mismatch repair deficiency cancer’ that decided to grow in a non-government funded organ. This covers approximately 21 treatments and then the next two years are free of charge. If you would like to help us financially I have started a GoFundMe page where you can donate. If you prefer to own some of my artwork you can support me by purchasing through my shop.
If you would like to know a little more about the science, here is some information regarding Lynch Syndrome and its associated cancers along with information regarding Keytruda which is the immunotherapy treatment I have been put on.
Lynch syndrome (previously known as HNPCC) is an inherited genetic mutation which gives people an increased chance of developing certain cancers across their lifetime, often at a younger age than the general population (i.e. before 50 years of age).
These cancers include, but are not limited to:
- Bowel cancer*
- Endometrial cancer (lining of the uterus)*
- Ovarian cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Hepatobiliary cancer (liver/gallbladder)
- Urinary tract cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Brain cancer
- Skin (sebaceous adenoma, sebaceous epithelioma, or sebaceous carcinoma and keratoacanthoma)
- Small bowel cancer
https://lynchsyndrome.org.au/the-facts/what-is-lynch-syndrome/
Most cancers in people with an inherited MLH1 mutation will have a tumor biomarker known as “MSI-high” or “MSI-H” (microsatellite instability). This biomarker indicates that the tumor has a feature known as “mismatch repair deficiency,” which is also known by the abbreviations dMMR or MMR-D. Testing tumors for mismatch repair deficiency or MSI-High can be important, because these tumors are more likely to respond to immunotherapyagents known as immune checkpoint inhibitors.
People with an MLH1 mutation may qualify for clinical trials looking for more effective treatments for cancer. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor used to treat metastatic or advanced colorectal cancer.
(https://www.facingourrisk.org/info/hereditary-cancer-and-genetic-testing/hereditary-cancer-genes-and-risk/genes-by-name/mlh1/cancer-treatment# )
For the first time, Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) will have its listing extended on the PBS to include the treatment of unresectable or metastatic mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer.
This is the first immunotherapy treatment available to Australians with this type of cancer, which cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to an area outside the colon/rectum.
Keytruda® belongs to a new class of immunotherapy medicines that help the body’s own immune system to detect and fight cancer cells. The drug is already available on the PBS for other types of cancer, including lung cancer and melanoma.
https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/landmark-pbs-listing-for-australians-with-bowel-cancer#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20Keytruda,mismatch%20repair%20deficient%20colorectal%20cancer.
A new health report from consumers reveals over 80,000 Australians, at increased risk of developing one or more often-aggressive primary cancers in their lifetime, don’t actually know that they’re at risk from a hereditary cancer gene.
Lynch Syndrome Australia Founding Director, Ms Beth Fairbank said only 5% of Australians with Lynch syndrome have been diagnosed.
“It’s imperative that people with the gene are diagnosed early in order to increase cancer prevention and early detection.
For a person with the gene, they have a 70% chance of developing a Lynch syndrome-related cancer (including bowel, endometrium, pancreas, stomach, breast, prostate, kidney and skin cancer),” said Ms Beth Fairbank, Lynch Syndrome Australia Founding Director.
https://lynchsyndrome.org.au/australias-untold-health-story-lynch-syndrome-media-release/
This path has so many casualties. There are depths of self you have to dive into to find strength, hope and healing that only comes with a cancer diagnosis. I am refining what is important and who I want to spend my time with. I am relearning not to set expectations around those that show up and those that don’t. I am having to find forgiveness for things that I thought I had already forgiven and letting go of people, situations and emotions that I thought I had already released. The cycle has come back around and its time to lean back into the dis-ease so I can peel off another layer and clean house, yet again. This ascension stuff is hard work and I can only say that a cancer free body and true enlightenment will be the ultimate outcome from this experience.
Michelle xx
by Michelle Potter Artist - Energy Worker - Wayshower | Apr 17, 2020 | Artwork, Life Lessons, Spiritual Guidance
Firstly, this is the first time I have publicly shared a reading with you all. Whatever your belief system, if you do decide to continue to read, I want you to do so with an open heart and mind. For those that have had a commissioned Guide Drawing done for them before you will know there is part channeling, part symbology and part intuitive as I am gently guided when I start to write or paint. This is how it works for me.
This painting may mean different things to different people, and that is totally okay. I am an interpreter of my own work and how she resonates with you will be your truth. Feel free to screen shot her and take her into your home. Meditate with what this painting means to you and just allow the images to reveal themselves. I have had several requests for Guide work however I am not offering personal Guide Drawings at the moment as I am choosing to protect my own energy. However, if a little way down the track I feel guided to open up my books again I will be sure to post it on my Social. As always take care and #stayathome.
Namaste
Michelle
As I began writing this reading I was reminded of the song ‘He has the whole world in his hands.’ This song is a reminder that God (The Divine, Universal Energy or however you choose to identify with Source) is in control of all aspects of creation and we should take comfort in this knowledge. From the birds in the air and the fish in the sea to “little bitsy babies”, everything is in Gods hands.
This beautiful Guide introduced herself to me as Marla. When I looked up the meaning of the name Marla it is a variant of the name Marlene, which comes from Mary Magdalene, the biblical woman to whom Jesus Christ first appeared after his resurrection. This may mean something or nothing, but I believe a name holds weight especially when a Guide shares this with me, as they do not always reveal this detail. Interpret this as you will.
For those that know about power animals, Hummingbird symbology represents one of joy, love, healing, happiness and timelessness. ‘Hummingbird also possesses an unusual hovering pattern, and is able to move its wings in a figure of eight pattern, a symbol for infinity., This holds a message for us – often we find ourselves stuck in time, regretting or longing for the past, or hoping that the future will bring better things, building castles in the sky. We are shown how to view the past and then let go, rather than be continuously caught up in it, we learn how to appreciate that the past creates our future, and that even at the time some lessons were harsh and hurtful ones, we wouldn’t be who we are without these lessons today. We need the past to create the future, but mustn’t dwell in it, yet we may reflect on it bur not in a bitter cant-let-go manner. If we become the observer of our lives by moving back a step, our lives will be viewed differently. Hummingbird teaches us to go beyond time and to see that what happened in the past and what may happen in the future is not nearly as important as what is occurring now. Remember to hover in the moment, and to appreciate its sweetness. Drink deeply of the nectar of life. The vibrating hum of this birds wings and their lightness seem to symbolise the subtle energetic healing which essences can provide. Their physical lightness is a powerful reminder for us to lighten up. When weighed down with worries, our spirits cannot soar.’ – Inna Woolcott
To read more about Hummingbird energy please see the Shamanic Journey website http://www.shamanicjourney.com/hummingbird-power-animal-mes…
Marla’s Message:
Your prayers are heard sweet children of planet Earth. You have not been forgotten. Trust me when I say that a solution will come but not in the way you expect. Allow this time to plant seeds for what is to come, for this is the change that was always going to happen. If you want to see a different world then you are going to have to create this together. Some will soon forget the difficulties in which you are all facing, and others will find it difficult to move forward with the weight of their grief and sorrow. Hold fast awakened ones, as you are the anchors that will allow the space for the new world to enter. Grieve not for the souls that are ascending for they are simply coming home. You are surrounded by pure unconditional love. There is no right or wrong, it ‘just is’. Can you feel the energy building? It is sending out impulses that are reaching galaxies far beyond yours. We hear the call and we are coming. You do not have to do this alone, so with unseen hands we are holding space for you while you transition. Much like a Mother will watch tenderly knowing her babe will fall, but also waiting to see them stand up on their own. There are times when we need to step back to allow you to grow, this is that time. Remember, remember dear ones. Remember where you come from and why you are here at this very moment in time. You chose to help with the evolution of this planet. Return back to love and you will remember. You will remember.
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands
He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands
He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands
He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands
He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got you and me, brother in His hands
He’s got you and me, brother in His hands
He’s got you and me, brother in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got you and me, sister in His hands
He’s got you and me, sister in His hands
He’s got you and me, sister in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
by Michelle Potter Artist - Energy Worker - Wayshower | Jul 25, 2019 | Life Lessons
If you follow my website and Facebook Page you may have noticed some gradual transitions over the last twelve months. These changes have occurred as my higher self has been calling and I have been listening. Slowly implementing changes and moving back into studying as I have had a yearning to fully integrate all that I know I am.
The term Visionary Artist was an identity someone else tagged me and at the time I accepted it. If you are told the same thing over and over for many years, no matter what it is, at some level of consciousness you are going to question yourself and perhaps even start to believe it.
Calling myself a Visionary Artist never felt quite right. There is no doubt I am an intuitive Artist, but I am also lots and of other things. Having this label was like locking myself in a room. The same script repeating in my head that I had to find that one thing I was good at and to excel at it. I have learned so many skills and I will be forever grateful for the lessons and the teachers in my life. Without them I would not be who I am today. My mentor at the beginning of my awakening and art career was constantly telling me to focus. Be the bee, stop getting distracted by other things and concentrate on what I was good at. Go deeper within myself, heal, build a structure, an identity and create. It made a lot of sense at the time because when you are on the start of a spiritual awakening and truly searching for who you are, you are often open to suggestion and seeking trusted mentors that are knowledgeable and wise. Learning to work with and see the teacher for who they are, at some stage may also become the lesson. If your mentor has a God complex (believe me there is plenty of them out there) or is not evolving with you it’s likely the student at some point in time will surpass the teacher. It is us who must learn and awaken to the knowledge when it is time to thank them and move on.
When you are in the right flow with Spirit then opportunities will open up. Synchronicity just happens, the right people and situations come across your path so you can achieve your visions and be rewarded with the abundance you so deserve. It’s like driving to a new destination. You still control the vehicle, but you make all the right turns and get a lot of green lights along the way. Its Spirits way of letting you know that when you are aligned to your true pathway even the Stop signs are opportunities for you level up energetically so your light shines brighter, and your purpose becomes clearer. I thought I was in the flow and I would occasionally see small glimpses of the possibilities awaiting me, but they were short lived and never seemed to build momentum. It has pretty much been uphill all the way and I seemed to be getting a lot of red lights! At times it made me question who I am and at what point do I say the path of the Visionary Artist is clearly not the direction that Spirit wants me to take. That time is now.
Stepping back from my Artist identity last year and getting really honest with myself I discovered something. The Stop signs have been necessary for me to understand that life is happening for me, not to me. That everything that I have been through has given me a collection of experiences and such a deep level of understanding that there is absolutely no uncertainly in my heart of who I am and what I came here to do. Hence the change of my business logo and what I identify with in my current reality. In order to become all that we were born to be we must be prepared to evolve and lose the tags that others put on us as well as those we put on ourselves. Know that we should not be the same person we were last year, last month, last week. From the wise words of Muhammad Ali – “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Michelle Potter
Artist – Energy Worker – Wayshower
by Michelle Potter Artist - Energy Worker - Wayshower | May 6, 2019 | Life Lessons
What if we could see our true selves? An unfiltered reflection of this reality. An honest glimpse of our archetypal natures and an opportunity to look past our own ego and see into the maps of our soul. What if we had another physical version of ourselves to show us the way. Someone to hold our hand through hard times, delight in our achievements and encourage us when we need some motivation. A twin compass that can give us guidance and assist us in seeking what it is we have agreed to fulfill in this chapter of our souls’ learning.
On my personal journey using many healing modalities, courses, teachers and self-help books, I have heard time and time again that we already hold the answers to our own questions. That we already possess all the tools to be able to do our own inner work, but what does that mean exactly? Have you ever heard the saying “Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror?” If we really want to grow, then we have to be prepared to embrace all aspects of ourselves and learn from them which means accepting and working with our Shadow.
Our Shadow aspect is one of our greatest learning tools and working with it, rather than against it brings an enormous amount of growth and insight. When life throws uncertainty or unpleasant situations our way it also gives us opportunities for personal growth and development. I am not suggesting you must suffer from adversity to learn, but the Universe certainly has a way of getting our attention if we continue to ignore the lessons.
The truth is confronting and can often show us that we need to implement change. As creatures of habit, often even the thought of consciously moving ourselves into discomfort is enough to stop us from doing so. Because of this we get stuck in a type of patterning loop. This loop of illusion can integrate itself so much into your psyche that it starts to form into your belief patterns. This is working against your Shadow which can lead to destructive and self-sabotaging behavior, stagnation and dis-ease. It can be deceptively subtle, so much so that sometimes nothing short of a major life trauma can shift your perception of reality.
When we ignore or fail to listen to the answers from our Shadow aspect then we are denying access to the part of ourselves that want us to grow. Our inner work starts and stops with how much we are prepared to hear, transform and integrate into our lives. Our Shadow is not something to be suppressed, hidden or to be treated like the enemy. It can be our biggest ally. Our best decisions are made when we have clarity of thought. For this we need to come from a space of love and non-judgement of ourselves. All of ourselves – not just the good bits!
Stand and take an honest look in the mirror. Are you ready to access those tools you already possess? Do you want to dive deep into your inner world to discover the answers that await you? The vessel that stands reflecting back at you, he/she is the one you are looking for.
Michelle Potter
Michelle Potter Visionary Artist
by Michelle Potter Artist - Energy Worker - Wayshower | Feb 5, 2019 | Cancer, Life Lessons, Stomach Cancer
What do you do when the best version of yourself is never enough for someone else?
This belief pattern started when I was eight years old. My mum met and married a man after a whirlwind romance. My father’s replacement would literally put his hand out and hold me at arm’s length when I went to give him a hug. This rejection caused my little heart to cry with despair. After losing my father to cancer a couple of years prior all I was looking for was his unconditional love and affection. I couldn’t change want I wanted, I was just a kid.
I fell in love at twenty and married a man whose attention was anywhere other than the relationship he had committed to. Reinforcing the belief that the best version of me was not worth loving and was never going to be good enough for anyone.
My second husband and I met at work. As like attracts like, we were thrown together by the Universe with our pending divorces and emotional distress. After a few false starts we decided to try and make a go of it. Here’s the irony, I thought he was the one that came with baggage! I had cut ties from my ex and saw myself as a childless, free spirit ready to explore the world of the Thirty somethings. Whereas he came with two young children, parents steeped in tradition and an ex-wife, who for the sake of the children was still very much in the picture.
With the addition of two impressionable girls into my life I did not want to repeat the experiences I had as a child. So, I always went over and above to make them feel comfortable, welcome and loved. You could say at that time I had a Wonder Woman complex. If I wasn’t organized, then I couldn’t control the outcome. If I couldn’t control the outcome, well that thought was terrifying. I was conscious of needing to feel accepted and I was literally stuck in a pattern of old belief systems that were self-destructive. I was on a collision course heading for disaster.
Eleven years into our relationship I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. At the time circumstances would have it that neither of my step daughters wanted a relationship with me. I felt totally and utterly defeated. A crescendo of years’ worth of self-sacrifice and desperation to be loved. The ultra-best version of me was never going to be good enough, ever. So where did this leave me? What lesson was I not learning here? Why did each karmic challenge seem more heart wrenching and harder to pull through? This one contributing to and almost costing me my life.
The original wound of my eight-year-old self was still playing out and cancer was my opportunity to fully awaken and see things very clearly. It was never about the people that rejected me, they were just the mirror of what I didn’t want to see in myself. Being brave enough to confront my old beliefs allowed me to understand that I have purpose and no longer needed to look outside of myself for love, acceptance or validation.
I love my authentic self and thank my teachers in life for helping me find her.
Michelle Potter
Visionary Artist
