For my first 35 years I was generally healthy; I exercised and ate a strict vegetarian, often organic diet.
Age 36, I’m diagnosed with Stage 3B breast cancer. Scared for my life, I endure half a dozen surgeries, dose-dense and super aggressive chemo regimen, 45+ days of radiation, and medications prescribed for the rest of my life. But every moment of every day is filled with tremendous, torturous pain. I cannot leave the couch. I cannot cook. I cannot help my children with their homework. I am miserable.
After 5 years I quit the toxic and destructive pharmaceutical route, and shift to a more con preventative diet: still vegetarian, now almost entirely organic, also making sure to get the most important cancer prevention foods every single day. I also remove all toxins and known carcinogens from my environment – like polyester and BPA plastics. I’ve stayed cancer-free, and better… started healing!
5 years to the week later, I am now jumping in even deeper. I am now fully vegan, fully organic, educating myself on mind-body techniques to bring even more healing to my body.
I feel like the best way to document this healing and transformation is to start with laying out the baseline – documenting all of the horrible side effects I have been experiencing.
Here’s the list of my side-effects, which I will continue to add to until it is complete. And then one by one, I plan to check them off the list as resolved. I am done with this sickness, it no longer serves me and I am ready to put it behind.