Surviving Leiomyosarcoma

Hello, I'm 39 yrs old, a mother of two girls ages 7 & 11, originally from NYC and I've lived in Raleigh, NC since 2006. I was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma in May of this year. Leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive rare cancer that begins in the smooth muscle tissue in your body. 4 years ago I had surgery to remove what was thought to be a large fibroid in my uterus. After surgery, I was told they were wrong, it was not a fibroid, but a STUMP tumor (smooth muscle tumor of undetermined malignancy). Mayo clinic stated that I needed a hysterectomy right away. A month later, I had one.

Everything was going great until April of this year when I felt a lump in my abdomen. I had an MRI which showed 3 tumors in my abdominal area. My oncologist said I needed surgery and quickly, so I had a robotic surgery to remove them in May. John Hopkins suggested the biopsies looked like Leiomyosarcoma. My oncologist said let's hold off and do follow up scans in August. This scan showed 8 tumors that had metastasized to my lungs. I went on to consult with 3 oncologists and one was a sarcoma specialist. They all said I had Leiomyosarcoma but could not biopsy the tumors in my lungs to confirm due to their location.

Their plan of action was a barbaric one. I was told that my chemo chances with this type of cancer were 1 in 5 that it could help shrink some of the tumors. It would not be a cure.  After several rounds of chemo, the plan was to remove parts of both lungs where the tumors did not shrink. They also wanted to remove my ovaries as a precaution. After learning the statistics, doing tons of research and many prayers, I made the decision to step away from conventional medicine and do everything possible to strengthen and heal my body, working to find the root cause and cure.

I am seeing specialists when I can, I am taking many supplements, eating a mostly raw diet, juicing and doing detox therapies. I found an Integrative MD in my area who is willing to take me on as a patient and monitor my bloodwork. Unfortunately, she does not accept my insurance and sadly, natural approaches are not covered by any insurance companies.

Doctor visits, surgery costs and consultation/medical costs for this ordeal have been growing, and making  it difficult for us to purchase the things I need to help put me on the road to healing.

There is nothing scarier than hearing the words "You have cancer", especially when the doctors are also telling you the odds aren't good - even with chemo.

I believe strongly in the body's natural ability to heal itself when given the right resources. With my two daughters in mind, I will do everything possible to heal my body. I look forward to the day when they are adults and I can tell them the story of how I was able to beat Leiomyosarcoma and make them proud.