MJ's Healing Journey
Donation protected
In January I had a dream where a friend came to me and said, "MJ, there is something that is coming that will be completely unexpected and really challenging and is necessary on your path of succession." That was the whole dream - I woke up and immediately heard the word "cancer". My gynecologist diagnosed Endometrial Cancer a couple of weeks later. In April I had surgery to successfully remove the tumor. The pathology showed that instead of the tumor being the common "garden variety" uterine cancer, it was a much more rare and aggressive form of cancer known as carcinosarcoma. Traditional western medicine therapies are not effective as one would want for such a rare form of cancer.
Therefore, I have moved down to an Airbnb in Decatur, GA for 6 weeks to do intensive treatment at an alternative cancer clinic. The main therapy will be IV Mistletoe. For those of you who want to know more about this kind of treatment, I found this write up to be helpful. (https://www.naturemedclinic.com/services/mistletoe-therapy/ ). I will also be doing a number of other types of alternative therapies (high dose IV vitamin C, hyperthermia, hyperbaric chamber among other treatments) while I am here.
This is where GoFundMe comes in. This has been a difficult decision on many levels including financial. In the midst of this diagnosis, the coronavirus pandemic forced me to stop working with my primarily elderly clients as a self-employed caregiver. Although mistletoe is being investigated in clinical trials here in the US it isn't an approved treatment for cancer yet (as it is in Europe), and therefore not covered by insurance. It also feels scary to leave the comfort and safety of my own home and family (amidst covid-19) and garden and woods and bears (yes mama and babies are frequent visitors to our yard!) And yet, there is a peace I have found in the clarity that this is the right next step for me. I have had the sense that on the other side of this I am going to be the healthiest I have been in my adult life as we address many chronic underlying issues along with the cancer.
One of the many gifts of this time in my life is learning to ask for and allow others to support me. I have set my goal for this campaign at $20,000. This will cover the treatments in GA, the Airbnb, prescription medications and supplements, and multiple doctor appointments and lab tests scheduled for the next month or so.
It feels like its time to share my story with a wider circle, as I need even more support now, on many levels. I encourage you to share this page with friends or family who may know me or will know me through you. I also invite you to join my Caringbridge page to follow updates I post there. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mjhogan
I am deeply grateful for your love and support. If you would like to know more of my story, please continue reading.
Back Story or How I Got Here:
My first thought walking out of the gynecologist’s office that day in January was that this is a healing opportunity and I have been holding it as a gift and as medicine for transformation ever since. My family doctor prescribed peacefulness as the #1 thing I could do to support myself. For the past several months I have focused on nutrition and supplements, daily meditation, prayer, qi gong, and daily walks in nature. I know some people see cancer as a genetic disease and others as a metabolic disease. I see it as both of those AND, perhaps even more so, as a spiritual opportunity.
On the medical side of things, the original diagnosis was this was "the garden variety endometrial cancer," meaning, my oncologist said, it is common and has a more favorable outcome. I had a second opinion/consult at Duke Cancer Center and then scheduled surgery in early April here in Asheville. The surgery went well and I was out of the hospital in 24 hours. I was anticipating all good news from the surgery pathology report, and there was some - having removed the tumor and the uterus, they found no other evidence of cancer in the lymph nodes, the ovaries or the fallopian tubes. However, the pathology showed that instead of the tumor being the common "garden variety" uterine cancer, it was a much more rare and aggressive form of cancer known as carcinosarcoma. And, they found microscopic cancer cells in my abdomen. This news brought me to my knees.
The recommendation from both my Asheville oncologist and the Duke (second opinion) oncologist was for me to start chemotherapy followed by targeted radiation. This would be what they call adjuvant treatment - an attempt to prevent recurrence by blasting all the good and bad cells. Because this particular cancer is so rare though, and there is not a large enough cohort to study, they could not point to clinical numbers that show this protocol is particularly effective in either impacting recurrence or in improving overall survival rate. The lack of scientific evidence, along with my already compromised immune system and, due to genetics, my body's inability to process toxins make chemotherapy a poor choice for me at this point. What makes more sense for now is to work on this from the direction of strengthening and supporting my body to come back into balance and to make the internal environment as inhospitable to cancer cells as possible.
So while I have been working with my traditional oncologists, I have also been exploring alternative options. My medical team now also includes naturopathic oncologists (Dr. Nasha Winters and Dr. Jade Robbins), an anthroposophic GP (Dr. Hancock), and an oncology nutritionist (Alison Gannett). The recommended approach from this broader team is to "start at the bottom rung of the ladder" and look at the terrain of the body and the underlying causes that create an environment for cancer to grow, including genetics. The treatment plan at this point includes making adjustments to my therapeutic keto diet, changing some supplements and prescriptions, doing more regular lab work, and, most significantly, starting alternative treatments in Georgia with Dr. Hancock.
In Quaker faith practice we often say "I will hold you in the Light." I have always thought of it as a way to say I will pray for you. A different understanding came to me while I was meditating a few days after the diagnosis. We are Light, the Light of Love, a spark of the Divine. So, the voice told me, you are really saying "I will hold you in and behold you as the Truth of who you are, in your wholeness and Divine Perfection." I ask each of you to please hold me in the Light.
In deep gratitude for each of you and your LIGHT that shines so brightly,
MJ
Therefore, I have moved down to an Airbnb in Decatur, GA for 6 weeks to do intensive treatment at an alternative cancer clinic. The main therapy will be IV Mistletoe. For those of you who want to know more about this kind of treatment, I found this write up to be helpful. (https://www.naturemedclinic.com/services/mistletoe-therapy/ ). I will also be doing a number of other types of alternative therapies (high dose IV vitamin C, hyperthermia, hyperbaric chamber among other treatments) while I am here.
This is where GoFundMe comes in. This has been a difficult decision on many levels including financial. In the midst of this diagnosis, the coronavirus pandemic forced me to stop working with my primarily elderly clients as a self-employed caregiver. Although mistletoe is being investigated in clinical trials here in the US it isn't an approved treatment for cancer yet (as it is in Europe), and therefore not covered by insurance. It also feels scary to leave the comfort and safety of my own home and family (amidst covid-19) and garden and woods and bears (yes mama and babies are frequent visitors to our yard!) And yet, there is a peace I have found in the clarity that this is the right next step for me. I have had the sense that on the other side of this I am going to be the healthiest I have been in my adult life as we address many chronic underlying issues along with the cancer.
One of the many gifts of this time in my life is learning to ask for and allow others to support me. I have set my goal for this campaign at $20,000. This will cover the treatments in GA, the Airbnb, prescription medications and supplements, and multiple doctor appointments and lab tests scheduled for the next month or so.
It feels like its time to share my story with a wider circle, as I need even more support now, on many levels. I encourage you to share this page with friends or family who may know me or will know me through you. I also invite you to join my Caringbridge page to follow updates I post there. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mjhogan
I am deeply grateful for your love and support. If you would like to know more of my story, please continue reading.
Back Story or How I Got Here:
My first thought walking out of the gynecologist’s office that day in January was that this is a healing opportunity and I have been holding it as a gift and as medicine for transformation ever since. My family doctor prescribed peacefulness as the #1 thing I could do to support myself. For the past several months I have focused on nutrition and supplements, daily meditation, prayer, qi gong, and daily walks in nature. I know some people see cancer as a genetic disease and others as a metabolic disease. I see it as both of those AND, perhaps even more so, as a spiritual opportunity.
On the medical side of things, the original diagnosis was this was "the garden variety endometrial cancer," meaning, my oncologist said, it is common and has a more favorable outcome. I had a second opinion/consult at Duke Cancer Center and then scheduled surgery in early April here in Asheville. The surgery went well and I was out of the hospital in 24 hours. I was anticipating all good news from the surgery pathology report, and there was some - having removed the tumor and the uterus, they found no other evidence of cancer in the lymph nodes, the ovaries or the fallopian tubes. However, the pathology showed that instead of the tumor being the common "garden variety" uterine cancer, it was a much more rare and aggressive form of cancer known as carcinosarcoma. And, they found microscopic cancer cells in my abdomen. This news brought me to my knees.
The recommendation from both my Asheville oncologist and the Duke (second opinion) oncologist was for me to start chemotherapy followed by targeted radiation. This would be what they call adjuvant treatment - an attempt to prevent recurrence by blasting all the good and bad cells. Because this particular cancer is so rare though, and there is not a large enough cohort to study, they could not point to clinical numbers that show this protocol is particularly effective in either impacting recurrence or in improving overall survival rate. The lack of scientific evidence, along with my already compromised immune system and, due to genetics, my body's inability to process toxins make chemotherapy a poor choice for me at this point. What makes more sense for now is to work on this from the direction of strengthening and supporting my body to come back into balance and to make the internal environment as inhospitable to cancer cells as possible.
So while I have been working with my traditional oncologists, I have also been exploring alternative options. My medical team now also includes naturopathic oncologists (Dr. Nasha Winters and Dr. Jade Robbins), an anthroposophic GP (Dr. Hancock), and an oncology nutritionist (Alison Gannett). The recommended approach from this broader team is to "start at the bottom rung of the ladder" and look at the terrain of the body and the underlying causes that create an environment for cancer to grow, including genetics. The treatment plan at this point includes making adjustments to my therapeutic keto diet, changing some supplements and prescriptions, doing more regular lab work, and, most significantly, starting alternative treatments in Georgia with Dr. Hancock.
In Quaker faith practice we often say "I will hold you in the Light." I have always thought of it as a way to say I will pray for you. A different understanding came to me while I was meditating a few days after the diagnosis. We are Light, the Light of Love, a spark of the Divine. So, the voice told me, you are really saying "I will hold you in and behold you as the Truth of who you are, in your wholeness and Divine Perfection." I ask each of you to please hold me in the Light.
In deep gratitude for each of you and your LIGHT that shines so brightly,
MJ
Organizer
Mary Jo Hogan
Organizer
Black Mountain, NC