My Cancer Journey

After a nasty shock and divorce in 2014, I had to move back to Canada from the Bahamas where my ex and I were building a house together. I had invested everything I had and then he cheated on me and convinced me to leave. The shock and trauma after nearly 20 years together was HUGE.

First my daughter starts have Epilepsy within 6 months of leaving; 3 years later I am diagnosed with Anal Cancer (from an HPV 16 strain) and I KNEW exactly what I was manifesting and why.

Louise Hay came to mind right-a-way. After going to a heartless oncologist who cursed me out about my "silly questions" and telling me I would die in 3 months if I did not do what he recommended, crying about it all, I remember the day I was driving from the Hospital and the thought came "CINDY!! you KNOW how to handle this.

That day I decided to do it MY WAY. No chemo or radiation. Surgery was not possible because the tumor was/is embedded in the sphincter muscle. My internal voice told me I would certainly die from Chemo within 3 months. So i started my new approach and research (I am a HUGE researcher).

In the end I followed advise from a consultation with Brian Clements from the Hippocrates Centre and also from reading and working with the Chris Wark Program.

Adding Vit. C IV (8 series and still doing 1 x per month) etc. I planned all this time (just over two years) to "one day" share my experience and help others. However, my tumor is still active and i am now for the last year working with my team at the Hoxsey Biomedical Centre in Mexico. (love, love, love them), and will continue that route but feel strongly I now have to start sharing my story. Feel free to ask me questions or if you feel strongly, I can coach and help you with YOUR journey.

Yes, so it has been over 3 years since my diagnosis. Today I am grateful for all this journey has taught me. How my faith has becoming so important. Yes, it is still scary but I remind myself to stay in the present and not let fear control me.

The first year I followed Chris Wark and raw diet, as per Hippocrates and Brian Clement. Then the next May flew to San Diego and over the border to Tijuana and the Hoxsey clinic; so this coming May it will be 2 years of following their protocol.

I am grateful also that Radiation stopped my profuse bleeding and am very hopeful. I am grateful for my colostomy bag as it also improved my quality of life. Am I where I want to be yet? No, but TODAY if feel and look good. So I continue with what I feel is the right way for me. It is hard sometime because the Medical System is convinced I am dying. So I cancel those messages best I can. ("Fear Not; for I am with you" is my mantra)

I just did a refresher course with Hoffman Institute which I did 8 days of 12 years ago. It helped me in cancelling some negative thoughts and to focus instead on each day moving forward.

It reminded me to "check in" daily with messages from My Body, My Emotions, My Intellect and best of all my Spiritual self; who reminds me my spirit is healthy; no cancer there. I remind myself my spirit is ME!! and then my amazing Guides. All I have to do is be still and let it come to me.

I worked for 15+ years in Pharmaceutical Clinical Research and then switched to a holistic career. First I took courses on Reflexology and Aromatherapy and then decided to go back to College. I chose Homeopathy and LOVED all of it. Well, maybe not the biochemistry :). I graduated in 2005 with a Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Health Sciences and opened my own clinic in Acton. In 2007 I bought and added A Thermography franchise to my business.

I tell all this in preparation for my topic today: I have worked both in Conventional and Complimentary healthcare fields. It has been a long-time dream of mine to BRIDGE these 2 worlds. Not one over the other but together. I saw this in eg. India where homeopathy is often used alongside medical. I saw amazing integrated systems e.g. in Germany.

Then 3 years ago I was diagnosed with Anal Cancer. The shock! However I have learned SOOO MUCH and got to LIVE the bridging; trying to combine Conventional with Alternative modalities. It's not an easy road as the medical system here in Canada does not support many of my choices. I thank God for early on "running into" the Book RADICAL REMISSION, 'Surviving Cancer against all odds', as it confirmed to me what I already had concluded. The author, Kelly Turner, Ph.D. is a researcher and psychotherapist who specializes in integrative oncology and shares her remarkable research in this book on over a 1,000 cases of radical remission. She wrote about the 9 Key Factors these people used in their healing journeys and guess what.... only 2 of the 9 are physical; the other 7 are all mental emotional: taking control of your health and following your intuition; releasing suppressed emotions and increasing positive emotions. Plus embracing social support , deepening your spiritual connection and having strong reasons for living. YEAH, that sooo resonated with me. I did radically change my diet and used herbs and supplements including starting with Hoxsey Biomedical Centre in Tijuana the 2nd year where they do not reject medical modern medicine but they are implemented in conjunction with a holistic approach. I just love it and am still with them as it takes 2 to 5 years and really is a lifetime process. However, this past December I did also do 5 treatments of what is called here palliative local radiation. My body was in great shape so I came through it with minor side effects and presently am doing well.

So here I am folks, living my own bridging journey and hope by sharing my experiences to help and support others going through cancer. Don't copy me; listen to YOUR intuition and choose what resonates for YOU. Do your research. Don't give in to ugly fears. Read Radical Remission and/or her new book Radical Hope. I hope you feel empowered, like me. The scariest part for most Cancer patients is the diagnosis, but going into remission can also be scary. It's this watch and wait approach.

If you want to chat with me check out my new website www.healthyselfhealthcare.com which has a chat function or just email me or set up a zoom call from my Book Online page.

Yes, so I have a colostomy bag since September 11, 2020. I did not know what it was or that people walked around with them under their shirts and in their pants. As a result of my anal tumor which is embedded in my sphincter muscle I experienced constant incontinence. So I decided to have "a bag". I actually thought the only option I had (as I also had profuse bleeding from the tumor at that point) was to remove my whole rectum but the Surgeon suggested a Diverted Colostomy.

A colostomy is a surgical procedure that brings one end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall. During this procedure, one end of the colon is diverted through an incision in the abdominal wall to create a stoma. A stoma is the opening in the skin where a pouch for collecting feces is attached.

I have been surprised by the number of people in Canada with either colostomies or ileostomies. In 2016 it was estimated there were 90,000 people living with an ostomy – ridding their body of stool or urine by collecting the waste in a removable pouch that's emptied as necessary.

Further more, many feel embarressed about this and try hide it best they can. Many younger people are now more bold and design pretty covers for the pouches so they can just show it or go to the beach in a bikini. It saved many a life so why feel embarressed?

Yes, it was an adjustment learning to deal with the stoma and changing the bags. Even showering was scary but I am learning every day. My daughter is a great help on "change days" which are now 1 x per week. Lol, My bag is drainable and replaceable so that is a daily task but the "wafer" the bag attaches too I change 1 x per week now.

After my 3 days in North York Hospital I recovered for a few days at my sister's. Then on return home I was able to get a home nurse (Steve) to come help me with issues and changes. I had a wound care specialist from Kitchener Hospital who specialized in ostomies come twice and he was amazing in his knowledge and help choose the right products for me. I feel lucky.

The products are not cheap but I get the $975 a year ostomy grant under the "Assistive Devices Program" which covers most supplies for me but for many, who have to change more often, it's not enough.

Another not so great side-effect is that the stoma is not controlled by a sphincter, so "noise" can happen at any moment. Many people feel uncomfortable going out in public or to a restaurant because again the embarressment. I just explain, and especially when I have the bag visible most people understand.

So next time you see someone with a bulge under their shirt think OSTOMY. Help spread awareness. For my fellow ostomates out there and newbies here is a great website.

There is even info about dating and sex life because all those areas are affected of course as well.

I am grateful to still be alive and doing well after my diagnosis over 3 years ago where I was told I had 3 months to live if I did not immediately choose Chemo Radiation. I did CHOOSE some radiation in December and am grateful for the positive effects. My approach has been Integrative using options from both worlds.

If you want to chat with me check out my new website www.healthyselfhealthcare.com which has a chat function or just email me or set up a zoom call from my Book Online page.

So GREAT NEWS. Since I started with Hoxsey Biomedical Centre they started having me take the CEA cancer/tumor marker test which remained steady around 5.2. Every 6 months we review my case and adjust treatment as necessary. This was the week and I did all my bloodwork, plus CEA, Vit. D, Zinc, B12 and all were great!! Just still a bit anaemic so am doubling my daily doses of Floradix. But then the AWESOME news is that my CEA now is 2.8!! I am sooo excited and encouraged. This does not mean I no longer have cancer but indicates the tumor is less active which is great news. Hoxsey is a 2 to 5 year program (and maintenance for life) and this is exactly my 2 year mark (May) and over 3 years since I was diagnosed.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) describes a set of highly related glycoproteins

involved in cell adhesion. CEA is normally produced in gastrointestinal tissue during fetal development, but the production stops before birth. Consequently, CEA is usually present at very low levels in the blood of healthy adults. Wikipedia

The normal range is 0 to 2.5 ng/mL (0 to 2.5 µg/L).

In smokers, slightly higher values may be considered normal (0 to 5 ng/mL, or 0 to 5 µg/L).

My Mexican Doctor is very pleased as well with all my results but specifically with the CEA. For me it tells me I am doing the right thing. So I continue :)

I also take a Herbal formula which include: Curcumin, Red Clover, Chaparral, Pau d'Arco, Cascara Sagrada, Sarsaparrilla

Besides that I take Floradix, Vit D + K2, Vit C + Zinc, and B12 and a herbal capsule for colon cancer. Plus a combo of turmeric, bowelia, black perrer. Its quite a bit daily but I am used to it. Besides all that I eat 80% vegetarian with a bit of organic chicken or sometimes salmon. 90% of what I consume is Organic and I stay away from white sugar and careful of nasty sugar substitutes. I have started to put on some weight which is good too.

The goal in all this is to be considered NED which stands for No Evidence of Disease. It's similar to being in Remission.

The term no evidence of disease (NED) is often used with cancer when there is no physical evidence of the disease on examination or imaging tests after treatment. No evidence of disease means the same thing as complete remission or complete response. It does not, however, mean that a cancer is cured, neither does Remission mean a cancer is cured.

What can I say. :) I feel hopeful and encouraged, it's been a long and sometimes scary road. It's not over. My Mexican treatment is not cheap. This week's re-order is $1700 USD. A few years ago my oldest son started a Go Fund Me and many people were kind and helped out. This was the last of that money so anyone feels so inclined, I will gratefully accept donations as I still have to continue the next few years at about $3000 USD a year. gf.me/u/xfv2q5

So onwards and upwards. I am also a volunteer with HealingStrong. Check out their website at www.healingstrong.org. It's non-for-profit and their mission is to connect, support and educate individuals facing cancer and other diseases with evidence-based non-toxic therapies to help them Heal Strong. I soon will start the first of 12 monthly FREE group meets via Zoom so let me know if YOU are interested to join.