Chapter 1: My Dx, Rx, and Tx

(diagnoses, prescriptions, treatments)

My journey with breast cancer began with a bleeding nipple in August 2007. After a 6-month roller coaster ride from hell, I thought it was over. But 5 years later, it reared its ugly head with a frightening terminal diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic cancer. It was nearly everywhere… tumors crushed several vertebra and split my hip and I lost full use of my legs and one arm. Told I likely wouldn’t walk again, I was given weeks to live. I had lesions on my liver, lungs, lymph, and every vertebrae. With nothing to lose, I threw everything at healing.

Not daring to hope to survive, I was only aiming for long enough to say good-bye to my son who was overseas. I received chemotherapy and radiation and meditated on healing. I worked hard to rebuild joints and muscles and survive the cancer and toxic medicine with a strict naturopathic regimen,. Thirteen months after diagnosis, most of my tumors were gone and I had regained 99% mobility. Although still considered terminal, I felt I would live forever.

Then, Halloween of 2013, they found a rare and dangerous type of brain metastases with median survival of 2.8 months. The tumors were inoperable, not eligible for targeted radiation, and most chemotherapies couldn’t penetrate the blood-brain barrier (which also kept targeted immunotherapy out). I had to get creative. I’m still alive… for now… and I am NEAD !!!!!

I am indebted to all healers who have helped me on my path… even those who were negative and obstructionist. I learned from them as well. I share my journey in my book, Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Strong, in order to encourage and empower you to take charge of your life and to defeat the obstacles that may face you. In this book, I provide information to help you take charge of your healing. No one will ever care as much as you about saving you.

For inquiring minds, here are my diagnoses and treatments. Western medicine undoubtedly played an important role in my success. However, I far surpassed the expectations and knowledge of western medicine, I believe, because of the complementary things that I did. If nothing else, my naturopathic protocol fortified me and sustained me during chemo and radiation so that I could withstand the brutal, intensive regimen I endured.

Diagnoses, western medicine treatments, & alternative remedies of note:

• October, 2007 – Diagnosis of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ – stage 0)
• March, 2008 – Preventive unilateral (right) mastectomy, MD Anderson. 6 sentinel lymph nodes unremarkable except for slight trace of cytokeratin
• October, 2012 – Diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, HER2+, ER/PR-. Mets to lungs, liver, lymph, throughout spine and pelvis. Prognosis: less than 2 months survival. Lost full use of legs and one arm from tumors crushing 5-7 vertebrae and splitting sacro-iliac joint in hip. Began strict changes to diet and ingestion of naturopathic remedies.
• October, 2012 through January, 2013 – Carboplatin (5x), Taxol (13x), Herceptin (4x), Zometa (4x). Radiation treatments to pelvis (21x), to neck (15x), to T11 mid-spine area (10x). Against doctors’ orders, I joined a fitness club, and began to work out carefully doing aqua-robics, circuit training, and yoga.
• January, 2013 to present – Herceptin & Perjeta (monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy) every 3 weeks (currently every 4 weeks), Zometa every 6 weeks (suspended December, 2016).
• November, 2013 – Diagnosis: 9 metastases/tumors identified in parietal lobe and cerebellum (brain). Leptomeningeal involvement implied weeks to live. 1 dose of intrathecal (directly into spinal fluid) Methotrexate administered. Not expected to do anything but buy time. Tried Tykerb (crosses blood-brain barrier, Herceptin and Perjeta don’t) but liver, pancreas, and heart couldn’t tolerate it and so quit after just a few doses. Quadrupled daily ingestion of Cannabis Oil, removed infected root canal tooth, and focused on intensive daily meditation.
• December, 2013 – Largest tumor (parietal) and 3 cerebellar mets gone without a trace! 1 IT Methotrexate dose administered. Adverse reaction.
• March, 2014 – Of remaining 5 mets, 3 stable but 2 show significant progression. 1 IT Methotrexate dose administered. Adverse reaction.
• May, 2014 – 5 stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments to cerebellum.
• September, 2014 – PET, brain MRI NEAD (no evidence of active disease)
• October, 2019 —  Diagnosis: large tumor in the center of my brain near the thalamus and basal ganglia is found. I had moved to Puerto Rico but doctors there didn’t feel equipped to deal with such a dangerous tumor and insisted I return to the states immediately. I couldn’t and so, once again , I increased my daily dose of cannabis and meditated intently. By the time I got back to the states, 2 months later, my brain MRI showed the tumor to have completely disappeared! So, I’m keeping my NEAD status.
• Present – While periodic brain MRIs occasionally show new suspicious masses, they have thus far turned out to be scar tissue from the radiation or previously existing ‘spots.’ I continue to insist on watching and waiting and have avoided unnecessary radiation treatments. Most recent NEAD scans July 2020.

The person who says it cannot be done should

not interrupt the person doing it. – Chinese Proverb

This post is from Book 2 of my Thrive Tribe Series, What I Did and Do and Why, a naturopathic protocol that helps me to survive and thrive, available from the bookstore, starting at $7. The book will be posted sequentially in its entirety on this blog, once a week. Subscriptions are free.