Living my best life
How I'm Beating IV Cervical Cancer
Living my best life
Long Story Short
How it started (May 2022)...
It all started a few days before my 35th birthday on Memorial Day weekend 2022. I was on a high, scuba diving freely in Bonaire for a week when one night after my dinner, my leg swelled up massively. Concerned it could be a blood clot, I went to the ER. They confirmed it wasn't a clot, just an enlarged lymph node near my bikini line probably from an infection, causing inflammation. 'Have fun diving and check it out back home in 6-8 weeks if it persists', they said. I joked that my 'fat leg' probably had a tequila worm still floating around from my stint in Mexico last year. But one thing lead to another back home and by 5th of July, I had confirmed it was stage 3B cervical cancer that had spread into my nearby lymph nodes. Horrified was an understatement. The typical reaction to hearing cancer has spread into someone's lymph system is to think 'oh sh!t, that is bad'.
"But how did this happen?"
Technically, this was a recurrence of stage 1B cervical cancer that I dealt with in 2014, as a result of HPV. I had a cervical biopsy in Miami and my surgeon there recommended a trachelectomy after because they didn't get clear margins. This had only been done on <100 people in the US and I didn't want to be a guinea pig. So, I had a second opinion and cone biopsy at Sloane Kettering, the leaders of gynecological oncology. After that, I was given a clean bill of health with instruction for bi-annual check ups, which I did. I got the HPV vaccine in 2019 and even this April, I had no signs of irregularity on my check-up. Turns out I'm one of the 1% whose cancer cells didn't make a tumor, but managed to spread into multiple lymph nodes in the inguinal (groin) and periaortic areas. Had my leg never swelled up, it would've gone completely undetected spreading around my body.
Freaking the f out
The first 4 days after diagnosis, I could barely eat or sleep - all I could think about and research was cancer. I was terrified, freaking the f out, while at the same time trying to remain calm and positive, because stress causes cancer to spread 30x faster. "Don‘t despair. This is the 21st century." Those words from a random acquaintance stuck with me when my mind turned on itself so many times. I immediately changed my diet and loaded up on supplements. I read tons of books, medical articles, reddit threads - you name it. Both my doctor and new oncologist at UM Sylvester Center had agreed on 6 rounds of chemo (cistplatin and taxol) & immunotherapy (keytruda and avastin). I was shocked at what very little else they offered and flew to the Cancer Center for Healing, an integrated medicine center in Irvine, CA for a third opinion.
Taking action and pushin' on
While I definitely wasn't excited for the toxic effects of chemo and immunotherapy, I knew I needed to do it to nuke this and be done with cancer for good. But I was going to try everything else I possibly could which I'd learned about in that lightening-fast month. I created an in-depth action plan for how to improve every part of my life and cure this 'fat leg', and in doing so, the shock wore off and was replaced with determination. I had a chemo port installed (awful experience but great long-run) and a week later, I had my first round of treatment on 8/8. It took over 10 hours. There is so much doom around the 'C word' but in reality, 50% of the population will deal with it and it doesn't mean an automatic death sentence. This is just as much a mental attack as it is physical. I told myself 'I will be clean by Halloween', and visualized that goal constantly.
4 Months Later
Aside from a bald-ish head and fat leg that is still swollen 4 months and counting, I don't feel like a cancer patient. I have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for. I've never felt luckier! There are 2 paths you can choose: one where you feel depressed, sorry for yourself and accept whats happening with no hope. Or you can decide you're going to be fine and do literally everything you can to ensure that. Find the silver linings in everything. I changed my diet and discovered through research/ testing what I needed to supplement in, so my body is reflecting that with a happier digestive system, stronger immune system, and better physical appearance. Increased mindfulness practice has lead me to be the happiest, most positive, gratuitous version of myself that I can remember. Plus, all of the alternative therapies I've incorporated have helped practically eliminate any potential side effects and boost my energy despite the toxic chemicals I'm injecting every 3 weeks. Literally living my best life despite cancer! I'm excited to report that my midway PET scan on 9/26 showed my lymph nodes are normal, cancer-free, and there was no new growth!
How can I help you?
So why come out and be so open with such a personal part of my life? I could cringe about that, but all I really want to do is help others in any way that I can. I've received help and support from so many people, some I've known forever and others that entered cosmically. I've learned an incredible amount of information not only about cancer, but about health and well-being in general. And it only took a threat on my life to seek it out!
This site is my way of sharing resources and experiences that can help others, whether they're sick or not. I considered myself a 'healthy' person before, but I realize now that there was a lot of room for improvement. I will continue to update here as I learn more. Is this everything? Not even close, but for now it's a jump off to open your eyes and make some changes for the better. A lot of the things you can do to prevent cancer will also prevent other health issues and diseases. While I'm not a trained doctor and can't prescribe medical advice, I will credit my sources accordingly.