The tough decisions are the most important ones when fighting cancer

I was asked if I had a difficult conversation with a friend or family member about my cancer experience recently.

The answer is no. I was very lucky to have everyone in my corner who was incredibly understanding and supportive every step of the way.

The most difficult conversation I actually had with myself during my experiential/healing journey.

This decreased after a second recurrence of cancerous nodules in both my lungs in late 2017. This is the fourth recurrence of osteosarcoma since it was diagnosed in 2016. My oncologist then shared that his 5-year survival rate was less than 10%. And I was told that if I didn’t get treatment, I would die. He proposed a clinical trial with extremely painful side effects and his 30% success rate.

I did some research and after some more thought, I felt this wasn’t going to save my life. . Not to mention that the drug causes consistent bouts of extreme pain and quality of life issues.

Despite my concerns, this was literally the only option. All other hospitals echoed the same sentiment, pointing out that my current medical team is the best in the business.

Although literally acting on blind faith, I trusted my intuition and maintained the belief that success was still possible. I started researching other cancer patients who were able to heal themselves.

At one point, I remember discussing my feelings with my family. I half expected them to say I was crazy for not listening to my doctor and even considering embarking on my own healing journey. He looked me in the eye and said he believed in me. If this is the direction my heart says is right, they were totally on board.

On the one hand, this was incredibly reassuring to know that they understood where I was coming from and were supportive. But I also felt a ton of pressure! I was swimming in the dark and hoping for a miracle. Even as I type this today, I’m shivering as I remember how terrifying every day was. amount of pressure. Yet it was exhilarating to follow my instincts and bet on myself.

Over the next few months, I chose to space out hospital appointments and delay scans. For example (the surgery only increases recurrences, they said), injecting more radiation into the body would only accelerate the damage. Intention to find games and sustainable healing approaches. It wasn’t that I didn’t have some surprise moments along the way, but I believed I was doing the best I could.

Every day I continued to research and experiment with different techniques. I met a wide variety of medical professionals (both traditional and alternative), picked their brains, and learned from every angle. And instead of following anyone’s advice, I digested all the information and formed my own path. This was an incredible lesson for me about the value of being an advocate for yourself.

This November, I passed the 5-year survival rate.I have officially rebelled against statistics and now have the luxury of inspiring and helping others fighting cancer. [email protected] I always aim to support the community.

And remember, the toughest decisions can be tough. Because the right answer is the hard road, the dreaded road, the road that can really freak you out and overwhelm you when you actually think about stopping and going down that road… rest assured you don’t have to see the whole stairway to begin with. is. Just act in faith and take one step at a time, carefully adjusting based on what life has to offer you, and the rest of the way will become clear.

If my story doesn’t teach you anything else, it’s that the hardest decisions may just be the most important decisions of your life.So whatever you do, follow your heart. .

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