Can you help me beat cancer?

I was officially diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on January 24, 2018. It was a devastating phone call. But immediately after my diagnosis, still in a state of utter shock, I began the search of finding the best possible breast cancer surgeon in the PNW area. It was in the search of care and treatment that it became wildly prevelent that cancer is BIG medicine business. You’re money and not in a good way. And it does, in fact, affect the quality of your care and the treatment you may or may not receive. I have taken a natural/holistic approach as much as possible with my breast cancer case. And the push back from the allopathic community has been BRUTAL! After a failed attempt to achieve a collaborative plan of treatment with the first surgical and medical oncologist, with the added shaming of the plastics doc, I set out on the journey to get a second opinion, it was now March. In between trying the find the right fit of care for myself with the allopathic community, I was having regular IV treatments throughout the week of high dose Vit C, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. Zinc is a cancer killing power house. However it took seeing 2 different Naturopaths to finally even find a fit for myself within the holistic medical community. I am super serious and take me seriously when I say: medicine is a radically, unnerving shit show! WILD! It was through my 2nd Naturopath that I was referred to a second surgical oncologist. But after another round of ultrasounds and our initial visit, this doctor was very skeptical about performing surgery since it was approaching the 2 month mark since my original diagnosis. She would require an MRI first. The results of the MRI as read by the radiologist and oncology surgeon were I had more than just Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, I had results indicating the original cancer had metastasized into other parts of my breast and several abnormal lymph nodes. She would be refusing surgery until I had PTscan in fear that I now possibly had cancer throughout my body. I was a wreck after this news! A TOTAL flipping wreck. However before I left her office, because I was literally having a nervous breakdown, her nurse slipped me Dr. Natalie Johnson’s number and told me to contact her immediately. I saw Dr. Johnson within a few days of the disastrous MRI results. Dr. Johnson instructed me to follow through with the PTscan. The results were that cancer was effecting another area of the same breast and several lymph nodes, but no other areas of my body. Her recommendation after the PTscan was to begin taking Fermara, an aromatase inhibitor to shrink the tumors prior to removal; and this could take months. But apparently, the success rate of this treatment approach was significantly high. My next appointments would be with my new medical oncologist, and after a few lab tests to insure my body was healthy enough, I’d begin taking Fermara. Because the known side effects of this drug are horrendous on the over all body, particularly the joints and bone skeleton, I elected to take only the true brand versus a generic version in hopes of side stepping many of the known side effects. It’s about 10X more expensive to do the drug treatment this way. But it is also safer and presents a far less risk on my over all long term health. After being on Fermara for 4wks (and only having 2 debilitating episodes do to side effects), I was scheduled for a routine ultrasound which turned out to be anything but routine. First of all, I had to throw a fit to get a full breast image done, as well as have imaging done to the affected lymph node area. The fit paid off; kind of. The imaging results indicated I needed to have both areas biopsied immediately. It was awful. Not anticipating I’d be enduring anything other than a routine ultrasound exam, followed by a visit with my doc, I had gone to my appt alone. Needless to say, plenty of tears were shed, and nerves fried to the max. The pathology results were not in my favor. My lymph nodes were confirmed as cancerous; the same as the original discovered mass. But the second mass in my breast was not only malignant, it was also a completely different breast cancer; metastatic breast cancer. As if hearing I had cancer once had not been utterly devastating, to hear it twice and also only treatable but not cure-able, brought me to a whole new level of devastation; one I had not ever known. The recommended treatment for metastatic breast cancer is a drug called Herceptin. ($76,000 per year) It is a targeted cancer therapy drug; but administered like chemotherapy with a horrible list of side effects. The #1, most common side effect is heart disease. No thank you! I am only open to dealing with one disease at a time. And definitely not open to the idea of setting myself up for a new one to tackle. NO WAY! I have elected, with the blessing of my oncology surgeon, to move forward with surgery asap. It’s time! I want this cancer beast removed out of my body like yesterday. My surgery will take place on July 27, 2018 at 1:30pm pacific time. (on a Full Moon/Bubbly Friday; prayers followed by a toast to life and the Full Moon are highly encouraged) I will be enduring a bi-lateral mastectomy and the surgical removal of any affected lymph nodes. I have specifically requested that my left breast tissue and left sentinel lymph node are biopsied as well. And once again, I had to put up a fuss to have the request of these tests done. God Willing, if all goes well, in a couple of months, I will under go reconstruction surgery. Herceptin treatment following both surgeries is not completely off the table. I agreed, at my surgeons request, to keep my mind open. But my main objective is to keep as much chemical drug treatment out of my body as possible. I am, and will continue on with holistic IV treatments of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and zinc before and after surgery. I will be off of work recovering any where from 8 to 12wks. after my first surgery takes place. As soon as my body is healed and recovered enough, a second reconstructive surgery will be scheduled and I will be recovering/healing from surgery #2 for 8 to 12wks. My personal goal is to be healed and healthy and ready for a new normal life by January 2019. I say a new normal life because my life is forever changed from these moments and more, in ways that go way beyond anything my mind could’ve ever fathomed before. I am not a chemo candidate (THANK YOU GOD) do to the fact, in addition to both breast cancers, I also have Pagets disease of the breast. And I am electing to fore go any form of radiation treatment. I am currently a single lady, who is the head of my house hold (don’t tell Layla Grace, she thinks she’s the boss) and solely provide for all the bills, responsibilities, etc. that come along with paying for and caring for a home. I also have a very precious dog to care for whether I have cancer or not; Layla Grace truly is my primary concern. (send bones) She’s been my steadfast rock, companion, and love. All of this has greatly affected her life too. In the first couple of months right after my initial cancer diagnosis I used what very little sick bank I had at work to begin the process of seeing surgical oncologist, medical oncologist,and naturopaths that specialized in the treatments of cancer. In the course of 4 months I saw 7 doctors, 3 Naturopaths, had 4 ultrasounds, 3 biopsies, an MRI, and a PTscan, as well as multiple IV therapy treatments over several weeks at a time and as many acupuncture treatments as I could fit into my healing schedule. And let’s not leave out my wonderful psychotherapist and my energy healer (literally his mysterious work has been my saving grace). There are a multitude of moving parts to a cancer diagnosis. And I am only 1 person literally trying to do it all on my own. As well with the help of a few friends. Several people have come forward to prop me up and help me keep myself going while I do my best to navigate all of this cancer crap. It’s a FULL time job! The biggest hurdles I have had to continuously over come, over and over and over again, is the lack of continuity in my case. A terrifying lack of continuity at times that literally could have cost me my life. And definitely these inconsistencies have proven to be life altering set backs in my case. Most people (men or women) diagnosed with breast cancer would have had surgery by now. My cancer case has not gone smoothly or moved in that direction very quickly. Thank God I have a natural interest in health, healing, food, nutrition, etc. It’s literally what has been keeping this cancer beast contained thus far. Plus I’ve payed extremely close attention during every doctors visit or procedure. I’ve asked so many questions the medical staff is ready to call security and have me escorted out of the building. In between unmanageable anxiety/panic attacks, I’ve read, read, read, and read some more about cancer, the history of cancer, treatments, therapies, surgical procedures, research, drugs, and other people’s stories who are living with cancer. But now, time is literally of the essence; surgery is a must and my best chance of survival. Plus continuing on for the rest of my life, I will be doing my part with all I can to heal. Thank you, to all of you who’ve taken the time to read my story. I’m 1 of hundreds of millions of people being affected by or possibly loosing their lives to the cancer beast daily. It’s a wretched monster! My gratitude for your thoughts, prayers, healing vibes, donations, and well wishes goes far beyond words. Please take radically great care of yourselves. Big HUGS! Infinite LOVE! And THANK YOU with all my heart. ~Johna XO!