Lisa's Lymphoma Patient Journey

When I was diagnosed with cancer, it felt like I was living a nightmare that didn’t belong apart of my life. All I could do was stare at my little children and wonder if I would raise them. Shock, fear, and disbelief wrapped like tentacles around me.

Q. What type of cancer were you originally diagnosed with?
A. Follicular Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Q. What year were you originally diagnosed?
A. 2013

Q.What is the current status of your health?
A. The Cancer is in Remission!

Q. How did your family respond to the news?
A. My sweet husband was in as much shock, or more than me. My children were all too little to understand except for my oldest who was 5 years old. We kept him close and did a lot of praying on how to talk with him about it. No one in my large family of 8 siblings had ever been diagnosed with cancer and everyone voted me least likely to get it so I would say “shock” was the prevalent emotion for all extended family as they learned about my diagnosis.

Q. What were your doctors telling you?
A. The doctor said it’s an incurable form of cancer, with 75% of people living 5 years for those following their recommendations. This type of cancer was normally found in males who are 20 years older than me. The cure rate from chemotherapy was given at 3%. They said I had “five cards” to play as this diseased progressed and that I should try to space them out in case there was nothing available by the time I used my last card.

Q. Where did you personally look for information about your diagnosis/prognosis and treatment options?
A. My husband and I spent hours and hours scouring the internet. We received two opinions from western medicine from top lymphoma specialists, then went to the natural medicine world (online) for studying all the options available to us outside of conventional medicine.
Q. If you did any cancer treatments before coming to Hope4Cancer, could you explain those treatments and how successful they were for you?
A. My first round of treatment included IV therapies such as high dose vitamin c, Hyperbaric Oxygen, and learning about detoxification at Center for Hope in Irvine, Ca. I learned a lot in my first 3 weeks of the natural cancer care world that would establish a foundation for the years to come. During this time, I was able to continue breastfeeding my five month old baby all the way until he was fourteen months old which I was grateful for! We didn’t have the funds to continue more than the 3 weeks and returned home to continue what we could. A few months later the lymph nodes had grown to the point of nausea and pain. We had looked into more alternative options but didn’t know how to pay for them. From September of 2014 to February of 2015 I did the first line of western medicine treatment for FNHL. This included one immunotherapy drug called Rituximab and one chemo drug called Bendamustine. My Ct scan showed partial improvement. Then in June of 2015, we found out the two bigger nodes were still present. Chemo didn’t do what we all had hoped and we earnestly prayed for a way to pursue natural treatment again.

Q. How did you find Hope4Cancer?
A. At that time in June of 2015, we read about left spin and right spin sugars from Dr. Jimenez on a supplement article we received in my inbox! I went to Hope 4 Cancer’s site and we knew it was the place for us. When we voiced that we weren’t sure how we would pay for it, our 7 year old son said “I will do a lemonade sale Momma!” I told him that was very sweet but how would he sell that many cups of lemonade? His answer is imprinted on my heart forever..”One cup at a time Momma, one cup at a time.” And sell he did. His lemonade brought in over $4,000 on the first day. Someone called the news station and that news clip went worldwide. I was headed to Hope 4 Cancer!

Q.What was your experience like at Hope4Cancer?
A. I would have not done the first line of treatment a year into my journey. I would have stayed on the alternative path. Hope 4 Cancer became my family. I went in fully believing I was in the right place, that Jesus had brought me there. I loved being able to go out walking on the beach and stare out into the ocean. This time was vital to the marathon that it can be to receive 4 weeks of treatment in a row. The patients who were veterans when I arrived, helped answer all of my questions. Steve and I greatly valued the patient to patient and caregiver to caregiver relationships while we were there. I will never forget the first appointment I had with Dr. Tony. I am still in touch with some of my friends that were with me during my time there. The food was delicious and the staff was kind and hardworking. Not every hour was easy, but every day held hope, purpose, and new beginnings. It was beautiful to watch veteran patients help new patients. Everyone has something to offer, and to be needed is to be valued. At H4C, everyone needs everyone else. That’s what it means to be a family, we stick together. I never experienced that camaraderie anywhere else in my 3 1/2 years of various healthcare treatments.

Q. What treatments did you receive at Hope4Cancer?
A. The treatments I received included Sono Photo Dynamic Therapy, PNC 27, Iv laetrile and poly MVA. I also did the daily recommended therapies including PEMF, Local Hyperthermia, Sauan, Ozone, Coffee Enemas, and light/sound therapies.

Q. What were the deciding factors in choosing Hope4Cancer Treatment Centers?
A. Hope 4 Cancer offered more treatments at one place than any other option we researched. They were quick to answer my questions and helpful in our planning process. The biggest reason I chose Hope4Cancer is because Jesus gave me complete peace that I was on the path He chose for me. While it is true we have many options in healthcare, peace in our decisions is vital. Hope4Cancer offered more treatments at one place than any other option we researched. They were quick to answer my questions and helpful in our planning process. The biggest reason I chose Hope4Cancer is because Jesus gave me complete peace that I was on the path He chose for me. While it is true we have many options in healthcare, peace in our decisions is vital.

Q. Describe how your perception of the word “cancer” has changed, if any?
A. Cancer is no longer a synonym for death. Rather than being trapped by fear, discouragement and a self focus, cancer has been used by Jesus to increase my faith, hope, and love. In many ways, cancer has been used for the good in my life.

Q. What perspective in life do you now have that you didn’t have before?
A. Life is a gift. Not just the years, but the minutes. I breathe more deeply and carry less heartache inside. I do not see my days as boxes to be filled on a calendar, but days to keep flexible, to be fully present in each moment whether I am pushing my little ones on the swings at the park, or sitting on the backyard swing at night with my husband. There is much happiness in loving God and others rather than becoming self absorbed by our troubles. These cancer journey years have encouraged me to keep a “margin” in my days that allows for stopping to have conversations at the store, library, or at the parks. Life is not supposed to be lived in a hurry and I’m grateful to Jesus for teaching me that while my kids were so little.

Q. What does the next 3-5 years of your life now look like?
A. For these next 3 to 5 years, I will continue to do my best to be intentional about loving God and loving people. I will continue to pray often on how to live an anti cancer lifestyle, remembering to laugh, breathe, and serve others. I smile when I think of my children in 3 to 5 years! My baby will be turning 7!!!! My oldest will be…gulp…a teenager!!!!! How wonderful to smile when I think of the next 3 to 5 years, instead of shrivel in fear and despair. I have hope…always in front of me, because my hope is a Person and His name is Jesus. He has given me great purpose in my life and I am excited about what these next 3 to 5 years will hold for me and my family.

Q. What would you say to the person coming behind you, who may be experiencing what you went through, for the first time?
A. Take time. Time to be in a quiet place, in nature if possible. Pray. Breathe deep. Fear can grab hold of you and drag you into things you aren’t sure are right for you. I would find someone who has went to any treatment place you are considering and interview them. No place is perfect, the most important thing is that YOU feel called to the path you choose. That held me during my harder moments of treatment and had me fist pumping at the beach during my great days.

If you or someone you love has been struggling with a cancer diagnosis or is feeling pressured to pursue treatment that doesn’t resonate with you, we want you to know there are other options. Reach out to our admissions department and schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help.

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