On May 21st, I’ll be celebrating my 47th birthday. It’ll be a whopping celebration because I also share that day with the anniversary of my breast surgery, 5 years ago. Unless you or someone close to you has had cancer, you may not understand the full range of emotions that are going through me right now. I have survived 5 years after diagnosis from invasive ductile carcinoma of the left breast. That’s pretty cool enough as it is, however, what makes this story even more amazing is what has happened during those 5 years. We all know that we grow stronger through adversity, and if we’re lucky, we begin to understand our true purpose in life. I’m someone who has always been pretty stubborn, and some say I played Russian roulette with my life with the choices I made for treatment. Others say that it’s a miracle I’m still alive, having done things my own way and not following the doctor’s orders. Maybe so, but, hey, I’m still kickin’. And, according to my doctors, blood tests and physical last week, I am cancer free. Hallelujah and happy birthday to me!

I chose to do a lumpectomy, however, I did not choose the recommended conventional treatments of chemotherapy, radiation, and Tamoxifen, due to the size and location of the tumor. After surgery, the alternative things I did to reclaim my health are what has made me the person I am today. So, one might ask, what’s easier and what’s the right choice? With the traditional western treatments of chemotherapy, radiation and drug therapy, I would have dealt with possible side effects and risks, including hair loss, loss of appetite and sex drive, decline of my immune system, nausea and vomiting, possible damage to my heart, lungs, nerves, kidneys, and reproductive organs, fatigue, possible early menopause, excessive weight gain, headaches, allergic reactions, and the possibility of a second cancer diagnosis years later. The alternative approach I took meant eating expensive raw fruits and vegetables, antibiotic and hormone free organic foods, fasting seven days a month every month for an entire year, and then every quarter thereafter, daily enemas and periodic colonics, practicing daily yoga and meditation, utilizing acupuncture, reflexology, iridology, chiropractic and massage therapy, random sessions with psychiatrists, psychics, shamans, reiki and holy divine healers, yogi masters, auryvedic doctors, natural doctors, doctors of Chinese medicine, and herbologists. It also included trying other very unconventional things like rife therapy, laser therapy, apitherapy, urine therapy, and taking more supplements than the law should allow.

Which treatment course is right? Well, to answer that question, I suppose one would have to undergo both routes and then compare them, assuming they’d be alive afterwards. What methods are right? What methods are wrong? I can’t answer that for you. But I can tell you that the route I chose was NOT easy. Maybe it didn’t “hurt” as bad as some of the conventional treatments would have, as far as “physical” pain goes. Perhaps I spent more money doing it my way, because my insurance wouldn’t pay for the types of things I did. Taking control of my health and making my own decisions about the things I tried was mentally draining, and yes, sometimes very scary, for me and for my family. I couldn’t have done this without the support system I have at home. They were the strongest part of my ordeal. They have loved me, encouraged me, and held me up through the whole thing. My husband, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, cousins and friends adopted, if not all, parts of the program I am on, including many of the nutritional regimens I implemented. One of the great things that came out of all of this is that I feel terrific and we are all healthier now than we have ever been. I discovered that my purpose driven life is to educate others on ways to build a healthy body so that hopefully they will never have to deal with the “big C” like we did.
In 2003, I became a certified minister of health, certified by one of the doctors who taught me how to reclaim mine and I started my own business, Pavin’ Ways.

I became so busy and passionate about counseling others that I walked away from a six figure salary and professional career of 20 years and I now run Pavin’ Ways full time. I would never tell anyone that the plan they chose for treatment is wrong. And I would never tell a newly diagnosed cancer patient what to do. I do, however, share my story and what has worked for me and what has not worked so well for me, in an effort to educate them so that they can make their own informed decisions. I stress, too, that what has worked for me may not work for them. Once their decision is made, no matter what route, I’m here to support them, and educate them on ways to reclaim their health. The most important thing I recommend with a diagnosis of any disease is that whatever plan you choose, make it YOUR choice. Embrace that choice 100%. Give it all you have. Keep a positive outlook on life. Believe in yourself, and surround yourself with positive people who believe in you. And as cancer battle plans go, that’s truly more than half the battle.