Battling the Big C at 20 Something

I touched base with a former schoolmate of mine and was very surprised to learn that she has been battling stage 0 breast cancer. The reality that this disease does not choose age or gender became more real to me. It’s quite upsetting to know that more and more people around have cancer or is related to someone who has/had it. Curious and wanting to learn, I asked her how she fought it. I thought her reply to be inspiring that I asked her if I could share it.

This is what she wrote:

“Since I just finished school a few months before I received the diagnosis, I spent most of the time educating myself about the disease and the ways I can treat it. I took a second, and third opinions from surgeons here in the city, and a fourth one from an integrative oncology doctor, who all agreed that surgery was the best thing to do. While waiting for a schedule for my major surgery, I regularly received high-dose intravenous vitamin C from a naturopathic doctor (ND). 

I also started going to the gym, eliminating processed, fried and grilled foods and meat, eating less store-bought or restaurant food, and reducing/replacing house and personal products that have plenty of toxic/hormone-disrupting chemicals including plastic dishes and containers. Then I underwent my two final surgeries the following year.

Around that time, I had a blood test done by my ND to find out what my food sensitivities were, and found that I had a high sensitivity to sugar, and mild sensitivity to almost all kinds of dairy products (regardless of whether it's from a cow, goat or sheep). Having sensitivity to sugar made sense to me as I used to eat sweets liberally. So I eliminated refined sugars/sweets (and dairy) for a few months not just because of the test but also because I learned that sugars promote faster tumor growth. Then I gradually reintroduced some organic/wild animal products and processed foods while still keeping them to a minimum. I took another food sensitivity test and saw that my body's response to sugar has normalized.

I still have occasional cravings to certain flavors and textures but I always keep healthier alternatives to those at home (e.g. non-dairy milk/ice cream or raw cow/goat products; non-dairy dark chocolate; non-GMO corn chips/popcorn with olive oil and small amount of sea salt). I still shop around for processed foods but I choose the ones with the least number of ingredients. I keep myself updated on what fruits and vegetables have the highest amount of pesticides and, thus, need to be organic. I choose raw/steamed/boiled/stir-fried food. Also for a while I took several pure herbal products known to have anti-cancer properties.

In sum, I made several small gradual changes in my diet, lifestyle (I'm still working on my sleep habits though) and environment (I got rid of the carpet in my room, reduced exposures to electronic devices, etc.), in addition to my bi-annual physical exams, annual mammography, and hormone treatment (I have about 3 more years to go). I also pay attention to virtually any unpleasant signs in my body and adjust my diet/lifestyle (even my attitude) 

accordingly.

Sorry, that was really super long. But those are the factors that played a huge role in my treatment. I'm not sure how effectively I'm addressing the threat of a recurrence but in almost every choice I've been making, I have no regrets. I just know I'm doing my best.

I wish you and your family good health as well. ”

I learned a lot from reading this and thought to share it others. I am so proud of her for changing her lifestyle. It really is not easy. The culprits of the big C are everywhere and there are other diseases that these things result to. These things being convenient, cheap and accessible makes it tougher for people to make changes. This makes it a cruel world.

It’s about time that we go back to basics; we go back to natural, go back to the good things our earth has to offer. It’s so apparent that it is affecting soOOOooo many people already. What have we done!?

I really REALLY hope that there will be more shops like mine to make these things more accessible and affordable to everyone, including me. With this new baby on the way, I want to close shop already. But how can I when it’s so hard to find all these things around? I have to go to markets, different suppliers etc. Hay, but that’s a different story already. I do see more and more awareness, demand and support. I do see it happening slowly and soon. Let’s change our world together.

To my friend, I salute you. You’re strength, will, and bravery is amazing. Keep it up and Thank you for allowing me to share this. Battle that damn big C to the very end!