“Paula, I have breast cancer,” she sobbed into the phone. I had prepared myself for this moment ever since Lynn’s mammogram came back exposing an area of suspicion. “It’s going to be okay,” I said trying to sound confident and not wanting her to hear the despair in my voice. “I don’t want to go through what Mom went through. I’m so scared,” she cried. One thing was for certain: I sure as hell was not going to sit idly by and watch my sister suffer.
I was armed with information on diet and treatments that addressed the root causes of cancer and stopped it in its tracks. My countless hours of reading, watching videos, and listening to seminars was going to pay off. I immediately researched Ductal Carcinoma In Situ stage 0 and educated myself on all aspects of the disease. The cause is unknown. The majority of women diagnosed are cured. This cancer is noninvasive and has not yet made it to the breast tissue outside of the ducts. A needle biopsy and a MRI will determine the size of the tumour and the amount of breast tissue involved. I read tons of medical reports and patient testimonials. Each medical article stressed the importance of treatment to prevent the progression of invasive cancer. But hold on one minute here, was this not DCIS stage 0? Doesn’t having zero of something mean you have nothing? At best, is stage 0 not precancerous cells? Why were these women having mastectomies when there was no tumour present? Why was this sometimes followed up by chemotherapy and radiation? Have women’s breasts become nothing but two pieces of flesh that will eventually develop into malignant tumours? Why should we waste our time scrutinizing the breast tissue looking for anything out of the ordinary and instead just lop them off before they turn on us and attack? There was no way my sister was going to fall prey to their scare tactics and let them cut off her breast. I had all the evidence I needed to show Lynn that there was a way to reverse her cancer, boost her immune system and not mutilate her body.
I printed off lists of foods to avoid and lists of foods that heal. I helped Lynn find a Naturopath who would administer high dose IV Vitamin C treatments and recommend supplements. I was firm with her when I told her no sugar and no alcohol. I talked to her daily for hours on the phone sharing statistics, scientific evidence, alternative treatments and names of clinics where she would find help. I included her daughter Jenna who was onboard with alternative treatments and together we tried diligently to give Lynn the support and encouragement she so desperately needed.
Jenna accompanied Lynn to the first surgical visit where she was told that her breast must be removed. Jenna asked all kinds of questions and received little or no answers. They sought a second opinion and received the exact same analogy: the breast had to come off or she would run the risk of cancer metastasis to other parts of her body. Delaying surgery would increase the chances of the cancer spreading so time was of the essence. I immediately contacted Marcus Freudenmann and asked for help. I emailed him Lynn’s medical records and he forwarded them to Dr. Henning Saupe at the Arcadia Clinic in Kassel, Germany. After reviewing her files, Dr. Saupe concluded that with the proper treatment and lifestyle changes, the breast need not be removed. Marcus also discussed the case with Dr. Garry Gordon from the Truly Heal movie and quoted the doctor as saying, “That to remove a breast at such an early stage of cancer was criminal.”
Although the idea of leaving my nine year old daughter and my business behind and travelling to some far off place in Germany scared the daylights out of me, I promised to go with Lynn so she could get well. She knew that she needed to go to Germany and was in full agreement to go. So you can imagine my utter shock and horror when she told me that she was going to go ahead and have the mastectomy. I begged, pleaded, bargained and argued with her to reconsider but her mind was made up. Afraid that the cancer was spreading and that if she went to Germany she would be ostracized and denied mainstream treatment when she returned home, she made a decision based on fear that most women in her position do everyday given a diagnosis of breast cancer. On New Year’s Eve 2013, Lynn had her left breast and four lymph nodes surgically removed. She arrived at the hospital at 8 a.m. and after a two and a half hour operation, was bandaged and sent home with painkillers and instructions to remove the bandage in the shower in seven days. She had an appointment with the surgeon in two weeks so he could evaluate his handy work. It was a routine operation. Lynn was relieved that the cancer was gone and was eager to see the pathology report.
The day of her surgery I stayed in bed. I did not have the energy to get up. I had nothing to eat or drink all day. I kept the room dark and the door closed. I was in mourning and was not to be disturbed. All the hours I had spent gathering information, finding treatments, tracking down places, people and items and talking to Lynn on the phone was all for nothing. As much as she feared the mainstream treatment, she folded like a wet paper bag when the surgeon spoke. It was only a matter of time before she gave into the chemotherapy and radiation. I felt used and betrayed. Lynn told me how brave she was to be able to make the decision to have her breast removed. I thought she was afraid and weak. I decided that I was out. She was not going to receive anymore support from me. How dare she make a fool out of me! I laid flat on my back, smouldering with anger, as the tears rolled down the side of my face. I was going to lose my sister the same way I had lost my Mother and there was nothing I could do about it. I took a day off from life under the false pre-tense that I was grieving. In reality, I was exhausted and afraid that I had failed. Self pity has a way of zapping the life energy right out of you.
My sister had cancer and I was suffering. I had told her that whatever she needed from me I would do. Actually, what I meant was I will do anything that I think is right. I had a hidden agenda that I had also hidden from myself. Of course, I wanted my sister to get well and I believed that alternative medicine was the answer. I was prepared to accompany her on her journey as long as I was in the driver’s seat. I thought I knew more and therefore should be in charge of all the major decisions. I was no better than the doctors in their white coats, preying on their patient’s fears. The moment Lynn undermined my authority and made the decision to have surgery, I was willing to drop her from my program. In my arrogance, I had tried to oppress her free will and make her a servant to mine. How selfish it was of me to believe that for the greater good, I was entitled to live her life as well as my own. Sure, her neediness had sucked the energy out of me and I had allowed it to happen. I was so attached to the outcome that I felt physical and emotional pain when she veered from the path I had so meticulously laid out before her. Here I thought I was a loving support while in reality I was coming from a place of intense fear. How could I help Lynn with her diagnosis when I had not challenged the feelings that might be contributing to my own cancer?
Only when I believed that I had failed was I able to see what was really going on. How many times in life do we shut people out because they do not live up to our expectations? The need to be right is the cause of war and the cause of broken hearts. We abandon the very ones we claim to love so that we don’t have to do the dirty work and look deeply into ourselves. Do not become the cancer in someone else’s life. Question their decisions and be prepared to be tested. When you are blessed with the opportunity to join in on a cancer patient’s journey, respect your place. Provide them with all the resources you have at your disposal. Guide, educate, support and help them secure the people they need on their team to recover their health. Realize that when you are on a healing journey it does not matter who received the diagnosis, healing is contagious. Accept this gift with grace and for God’s sake do not make it all about you.
It took me a couple of days to recover from my pity party. I might not have agreed with her decision, in fact I still think it was a mistake but it was hers to make. I was wounded and my feelings were hurt and if I would have stayed in this state of “woe is me,” I would have missed out on a golden opportunity. The week after Lynn’s mastectomy, I went to her house and whipped up a batch of Rick Simpson oil and made her a delicious organic meal. I told her point blank to stop draining the energy out of her family and start opening herself up to the healing energy that is all powerful and never ending. We made plans to go to The Arcadia Clinic in Germany in three weeks. Lynn needed me more than ever and I needed her.
Surviving a Diagnosis of Cancer
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