January 14, 2025 • 46 mins
Jennifer Reiner shares her journey from personal loss and grief to healing and faith. Her experiences, including her nursing career and battles with cancer, reveal the profound link between emotional trauma and physical health, emphasizing holistic healing.
• Exploring Jennifer's background in nursing and EMS
• Impact of 9/11 on her personal and professional life
• The transition to North Carolina and adjusting to change
• Coping with the deaths of her parents
• Shift from conventional cancer treatment to holistic practices
• Discovering her own cancer diagnosis during the pandemic
• Importance of faith and spirituality in the healing process
• Jennifer's desire to support others facing cancer struggles
• Embracing a holistic approach to health and wellness
• The emotional journey of grief and transformation
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So I thought I was doing all the right stuff, right
Like we changed our whole lives.
But that was the most.
Even going through 9-11, whichwas hugely traumatic losing my
dad was more traumatic.
I was heartbroken, just like hewas heartbroken about my mom.
I mean, I was heartbroken aboutmy mom passing, but I think I
(00:21):
couldn't really deal with itbecause he immediately had
cancer.
So I immediately went intonurse mode instead of mourning
you know what I mean because Ididn't really get to fully mourn
my mom.
So then when my dad passed, itwas like my world was crumbled.
You know so, and a lot ofthings that I learned about
cancer is usually it comes aftersome type of major you know
(00:42):
life event or trauma or stressor something, and so I think
that was.
I was heartbroken and I thinkthat's what it was.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast,
a part of the Healing Strongorganization, the number one
network of holistic cancersupport groups in the world.
Each week we bring you storiesof hope, real stories that will
encourage you as you navigateyour way on your own journey to
health.
Now here's your host stage fourcancer thriver, jim Mann.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Today talking with Jennifer Reiner in North
Carolina, just one state upwhere I'm sitting.
How you doing, Jennifer?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I'm great thanks for asking how are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'm all right, no, I'm doing great.
I'm doing great.
I like it because I'm analyzingmyself as I get older, because
I never think about things andI'm like man, I have all this
energy when I first I get uplike at five o'clock, you know
just automatically, because Iused to be in morning radio so
I'd get up two for that.
So I guess it kind of ruined myinternal clock.
(01:50):
But you know, I just I'll wakeup by five at the latest and I
have all this energy all the wayup until 12 or two o'clock.
And then all of a sudden I'mlike gosh, when is bedtime
coming?
Which makes me feel like I'm anold guy, but I don't know
what's going on there.
I have to fix that.
I need energy in the secondpart of the day also.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I'm reversed.
I'm opposite of you.
I start getting my energyaround two o'clock.
I'm dragging all morning andthen I'm like full of energy in
the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
That's my whole family.
I'm like the chihuahua in thehouse and then all of a sudden
the big dogs get up and then I'mdown.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I thought maybe as a nurse you can give me some
advice, but since you're theopposite, as a nurse, I worked
many opposite schedules, so I'mprobably not the best person to
give you getting up early advice.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
So you're messed up too, then yeah pretty much Well,
okay.
Well, we've already touched onthe fact that you are a nurse,
but I was looking at some notesabout your story.
And, first of all, where'd yougrow up?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I actually grew up in New York City.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I was born in Manhattan and then moved to
Queens and pretty much I livedin Queens all through high
school.
I still worked in Manhattan, Iworked in Brooklyn.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, that actually sounds exciting to me.
I love the big city, but then Ialso love the rural country and
all that stuff.
I'm pretty much like anything.
I like to be at least near acity where I can enjoy that and
then go home.
How about that?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, it was great when I was young but it took me
a long time to get used to ruralNorth Carolina Like that was a
little rough.
I wanted to go home every dayfor a long time.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, but how do you feel about it now?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Oh now I love it.
Now I don't even want to likeconsider going to New York.
The couple of times I've gone,you know, the last few times
I've gone, I should say I'm likehow did I live here?
It's so dirty, it's so old,it's not you know it just
doesn't look as attractiveanymore.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And Raleigh's big enough right.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, raleigh's pretty big.
I live outside Raleigh umlittle country town.
But you know it's growing somuch here that even the little
country towns are becoming, youknow, suburbia and crowded, and
so less farms and cows now.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, and we were discussing before we started
this that you actually live inthe listening area where I was
on the radio.
So I changed your life, didn'tI?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You did.
I used to listen to his radio.
I would drive 45 minutes to anhour to commute to work and same
coming home.
And I used to listen to hisradio.
I would drive 45 minutes to anhour to commute to work and same
coming home, and I used tolisten to that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, well, thanks for playing along.
I know I personally didn'tchange your life, but hey,
thanks a lot.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
No, listening to that was definitely um.
It was very impactful.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed being able to saydumb things and people thought
it was great.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed being able to saydumb things and people thought
it was great.
So it was my gift to the worldsaying weird stuff.
But anyway, that's a wholenother story.
You were a paramedic.
Is that what you went to schoolfor?
Is that what you wanted to dowith your life?
Or how'd you stumble acrossthat?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Well, I didn't intend to be a paramedic, it just kind
of happened.
I was in high school, you know,trying to figure out what to do
after high school, and I workedin a bakery all through high
school and all the EMS peoplewould come in the paramedics,
the EMTs, the police andwhatever.
And you know, we were talkingabout, as a senior, like what am
I going to do when I graduate?
And I said, well, you know, Ireally want to become a doctor.
(05:23):
At that time I wanted to go tomedical school.
I was like, but you know, Icame from, you know, a poor
family, poor neighborhood, youknow.
And they were like, you know,so how?
You know, what's your goal?
Like, are you going to be ableto pay for that working here?
It's like, absolutely not, youknow.
So you know I had to talk aboutloans and whatever.
And anyway they kind ofintroduced me to like these
(05:44):
programs where you can work foragencies or hospitals or
whatever and they pay for yourcollege.
Like at that time I never knewthat existed.
And so I went into EMS as a wayto, you know, earn my way, like
pay for college and to go tomedical school.
But then, after I finished fouryears of college, I was like I
(06:05):
don't want to go to medicalschool, so that kind of changed.
Yeah.
So I went out into corporateAmerica after college and I was
like I miss taking care ofpatients, so much you know.
And I was still working EMS.
I always worked EMS.
Even when I was workingcorporate America, they were
like you're going to do what onyour days off?
(06:26):
And I'm like I'm going to gowork in Brooklyn and pick up
gunshot wounds and stuff.
Yeah.
So after I was in corporateAmerica for a while, I missed it
and I went back to be a nurse.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
It's in your heart to help people, right.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, I missed patient care and I still love
taking care of patients.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, but then something kind of drastic
happened in 2001, 9-11.
You were right in the middle ofall that, weren't you?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, I worked down at Ground Zero.
I wasn't there when the towersphysically came down.
I was married at the time andmy husband was an EMS supervisor
and for some reason, I don'tknow why, we must have fell
asleep watching a movie orsomething.
But we woke up to the news andthe like.
You know what was happening.
And he had his radio on and youcould hear the people screaming
(07:18):
like you could hear ourcoworkers, you know like
screaming, calling for help andand it was just heart wrenching
and so obviously both of us werelike we got to go, like we got
to go help.
That was just in our nature,you know.
So we went down to work.
You know we responded to go towork.
They had the city closed at thetime so you needed permission
(07:40):
to get in.
So we eventually, you know likeI went over in an ambulance
from my EMS base, you know, tothe city across the bridge and
and we were stationed, you knowwe went to triage, like stations
for triage, and then we justrotated in and out to help with
the recovery of patients andpeople.
You know, if they found anydeceased people or even the
(08:01):
firemen, you know they were inthe recovery recovery, we would
have to take care of them.
You know, if they were likedehydrated or, you know, injury
or whatever, yeah, wow, thatmust have been devastating it
was.
It's something I I don't.
I mean, I've never seenanything like this in my life.
Like I grew up in the innercity.
You, you, you hear news of warsand that kind of thing, but
(08:25):
like you know, it's not like youdon't know what it's like, you
know.
And then to go to the city thatday and then those days after,
and just it was like being in awar zone.
I mean, that's really the onlyway I could describe it.
I've never been to war, butthat's what it looked like to me
from like movies.
It was, you know, army peoplewith big guns and just a big
(08:45):
cloud of smoke like you couldn'tsee very far and you know we
had to wear these big giantrespirators and we had to carry
medications in case there waslike a biological attack.
So it was really like it wasscary, but like so surreal.
Yeah, wow motivated me to goindoors and work as a nurse.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah, so how much longer did you stay in the New
York area at that time?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
After that, I should say Three more years, and then I
moved to North Carolina in 2004.
My parents retired earlybecause you know, at that time
after it happened, a lot ofpeople in the field like my
parent, my dad worked for thepolice, my mom worked for the
police department, so they wereall being able now to take early
retirement.
They were, I don't know.
There was some kind of thinggoing on.
So we all planned, like myhusband and I said, we were
(09:36):
going to move, my family planned.
So we all just kind of plannedto move to North Carolina.
We all came here together soDid you already have family here
?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
What drew you here?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Well, I had a brother whose wife had family here.
So they kind of moved here likeI don't know 10 years or so
before that, but we would comeand visit you know.
But we were all up there.
But then when my parents werelike we're going to retire early
and we're going to go to NorthCarolina and be around the
grandchildren, my other brotherand I were like, if you go, I'll
(10:06):
go.
So we just kind of all came, sothe whole family's here in
North Carolina.
Well, my parents have sincepassed away, but yeah, but we're
still here, the kids and thegrandkids.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And that was probably culture shock, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I told you I wanted to go home every day for at
least six years.
Like it took me a long time toadjust.
But I did go to nursing schoolhere and you know I started
working and I did one of theselike second degree programs
where you agree to work for thehospital for five years and they
paid for the whole program andso I was kind of stuck here.
I was stuck here for at leastfive years.
(10:44):
You know you had to finish fiveyears, so that was that six
years it took me to get used tobeing here.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, welcome to the South.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Well, I love it now.
I don't think I could ever moveback up north.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's good things about it, of
course, that I'm sure you missevery once in a while, while no,
not really.
That's funny.
I grew up in Baltimore, notthat far from New York, and I
left in 81.
Oh my goodness, that sounds soold and I have great fond
memories and when I watch theOrioles play I just like I need
(11:20):
to go back.
But then it passes.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I've gone back to see some like yankee games and
hockey games and stuff and, um,you know, like broadway shows.
But they have all that now here.
You know, when I first movedhere that stuff wasn't here, but
now they have it here.
You can go watch carolinahurricanes.
You can, um, you know, seebroadway south.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So yeah, you brought it with you.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
No, it's nice you know the cultural stuff.
I missed the food.
You brought it with you.
No, it's nice.
You know the cultural stuff.
I miss the food.
Some of the food is still nothere yet.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, the pizza's better up there, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Pizza's amazing.
I do miss pizza.
We have some good ones now,though, some good New York pizza
.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
All right enough.
Talking about food, I haven'thad lunch yet.
I understand that, like yourparents, your mom was first to
pass away, right?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah, my mom passed.
She was pretty young, but shehad a liver problem.
I don't know that they everkind of figured out all that was
involved.
In that it wasn't cancer.
My dad did pass on cancer.
Yes, in that it wasn't cancer.
Um, my dad did pass on cancer,um, so yeah, so that was my
first introduction to cancer, um, so he was, I mean, he was
(12:31):
young.
Also, both my parents were intheir early 60s, that's pretty
young, that's very young youknow to die um.
So my brother actually crackedjokes like well, we're not gonna
live very long, so you betterenjoy life now like we can
change things that's right umbut yeah, so my, my dad did have
cancer and he was um I mean, mymom was already gone was his
(12:56):
best friend, so he really didn't, he, he didn't care about
really staying alive, like Iknow that sounds, but like his
best friend and his like otherlimb to his body like that's how
close they were, you know wasgone.
So he really just wanted to seehow he could make things better
without doing chemo, radiationand all that stuff.
(13:16):
So that was my firstintroduction to like natural
healing, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, did.
Did you like healing, if thatmakes sense?
Speaker 1 (13:28):
yeah, did did you like, uh, encourage him to do
chemo, or I'm sure the doctorsdid so?
I mean, like I said so I was inems learning all this stuff
from, like, the medical you knoweverything.
And then, then, as a nurse, youknow, and I took care of tons
of cancer patients and we haveto tell them to do their chemo,
and you know and have toadminister certain types of
chemo type drugs.
I mean, I worked in theemergency room but we still had,
(13:49):
you know, that kind of care youknow, it wasn't like every
single patient, but it was there.
So for me it was like, of courseyou're going to do chemo
radiation.
It was like a no brainer, likelike why would you not do that,
you know?
So that was a big, a bigparadigm shift for me, you know.
But he asked me and he said youknow, I really I'm asking you
(14:11):
if you'll support me.
Everyone told him he was crazy,you know, and I am daddy's girl,
was so tight, like I mean Istill miss my dad and cry like
you know, we were so, so tight,so of course'm going to say yes,
I'll support you.
You know I couldn't understand,but then he taught me Well here
.
I thought I knew so much, buthe taught me so much that I
(14:32):
didn't know and just opened myeyes to like, wow, medicine does
wonderful things.
I worked in the emergency room.
I think emergency medicine isfabulous.
In this country we have thebest emergency medicine but I
think when it comes to chronicillness, there's a lot that
still needs to be addressed orlearned, or however you want to
(14:52):
say it.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
How did your dad?
Well, how was he introduced tothe natural world, I should say.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So my dad loved the Bible let's start with that.
So he was very much inrelationship with God and so he
loved his Bible.
But in that he also liked todebate the Bible with a lot of
people.
So he would have these meetingswith all different types of
religious people and he had metwith the Seventh-day Adventists
(15:24):
for a long time.
Like he never converted, but hewould, you know, listen and
learn a lot from them.
And he learned a lot abouttheir diet and I think that was
the first introduction to likehealthy lifestyle stuff was when
he was reading the Seventh-dayAdventists stuff about the way
they live.
So I mean, I'm not aSeventh-day Adventist but what I
(15:45):
know about them is they live apretty healthy life, so they
have like the longest lifeexpectancy.
I think it's the only blue zoneright in this country is where
the seven-day Adventists live.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, wow, okay.
Yeah, I was just wonderingabout that and you, being in the
medical field, like you said,you said I mean, and that's how
most people's mindset is, that'show we were all raised well,
chemo, cancer, they go together,so you got to do that and it's
hard to talk people out of thatif that is their mindset.
(16:18):
But then when you just stop andthink about it, especially if
you know the Bible, I mean thereare diets in there.
That's like God created allthese herbs, these plants for a
purpose.
And there's so many nutrients,nutrient-dense, a lot of
cancer-fighting nutrients inthese things which I knew
(16:40):
nothing about until I got mydiagnosis.
And now there's so much aboutit it's almost overwhelming.
It's like, oh, it's just toomuch information, you know, give
me something simple to startwith.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Right, and that can be kind of stressful too.
I think is too much information, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
So what did your dad do?
I mean, what kind of did hejust do?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
one like a long night .
So he didn't do a specific likeI.
I mean, he didn't know ChrisWark, we didn't know the Chris
Wark stuff, but we did.
I watched the Truth AboutCancer with him.
He found that and we watched itlike over and over and over
again and took notes andinstituted a lot of the things
(17:23):
that they said in there and thenresearched other things and it
completely blew my mind.
I mean, I'm being honest, I waslike, wait a minute, why don't
they say this?
Like in the hospital?
You know, like, why don't wetalk about these things?
It just completely blew my mind.
And then, you know, like,telling him he should do chemo
radiation.
I started being more mindful nowwhen I took care of cancer
(17:46):
patients and I was like, well,this is why he doesn't want to
do it.
You know what I mean?
Like I would see them and theywould be so sick and so like,
and they're doing all thetreatments the doctor's telling
them to do, but they look awfuland they're super sick or they
would get all these otheropportunistic illnesses because
they had no immune system.
So it just made me, I don'tknow, I guess it opened up my
(18:08):
eyes more.
So when I saw them, I was ableto register.
Like wait a minute, thisdoesn't look like this is how it
should be.
But before that I thoughtthat's just how it was.
I didn't question it, I justthought that's how it was.
So you pulled in common sense iswhat you're saying, pretty much
I opened my eyes from thetunnel vision, you know because
(18:31):
I only learned.
I only learned you know theallopathic medicine way of
things Because they don't teachyou.
You know, I guess I have twobachelor's degrees I didn't
learn anything about.
I had one class on nutritionand it was never about how to
eat healthy, it was about thefood pyramid, which is a joke.
(18:52):
I mean, really, it's stuff likethat and these rare diseases
that you get, other than anemia.
You know what I'm saying, Likescurvy and that kind of stuff.
I mean, when am I going to usethat?
You know?
but it would be nice to learnhow to eat a good, well-balanced
right and how important herbsand vitamins and vegetables and
(19:14):
fruits and all that stuff is,but they don't teach that in
school.
That at least then they didn't.
I don't know if they do now.
I mean, I think maybe, thinkmaybe more nowadays.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, like I was telling you earlier, my
daughter's studying to be anurse and I forgot how it came
up.
But she was telling me that herprofessor is saying that the
coffee enemas, that's crazy,that stuff doesn't work.
And of course my daughter knowsbetter.
Fortunately she's an introvert,otherwise her hand will be up a
(19:43):
lot when that came up.
Just get through it and becomea nurse.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, that's the difference between the first
time I went to college andcollege now.
It was the first time I went tocollege.
Now this is like 30 years ago.
They really encouraged criticalthinking and debate.
In fact, I even wrote thispaper that no one in the class
agreed with and they made meread it to the class because it
was like wonderful discussion,right.
(20:09):
But the second time I went tocollege was like no, you just
need to stay quiet and followthe agenda.
Very different experience.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
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So your dad's I understand yourdad's cancer got better, but
he's pretty much had a brokenheart he did.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
He's pretty much had a broken heart.
He did.
I really believe he died of abroken heart.
Yeah, because he really.
I mean, he didn't know how tolive without my mom, like he
really didn't.
They were so old school Like hedidn't even know how to cook
anything.
You know, he lived for himselfvery briefly after she passed
and he was going to die becausehe was like not nutritious, like
(21:21):
not eating.
You know, going to die becausehe was like, not nutritious,
like not eating, you know.
And then, um, when he found outhe had cancer, he was like so
can you know, can you help me?
I'd like to live together.
And so we moved in together andone of the first things we did
when we moved in together was wetossed all of our food and we
started fresh, and we startedwith we filled the pantry from
scratch, all organic, non-gmoyou know, tried to eat as much
(21:44):
like live food and so.
So it was a switch for both ofus, and I'm not a big cook.
I'm nothing like my mom.
My mom loved to cook, and soyou know it was a big learning
curve for both of us.
We got his cancer to go.
I mean his PSA was I have allthe records to you.
Still His PSA was up to 984 andwe got it back down to four,
(22:09):
which is normal.
Yeah, and he had skin cancerlesions and they were gone.
He had like a big tumorstarting on his back here, like
by the neck, and that was gone.
Like a big tumor starting onhis back here, like by the neck,
and that was gone.
But he still lost tons ofweight because he wouldn't eat.
He was heartbroken.
(22:30):
I really believe he died of abroken heart.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Yeah, yeah, that's true, that's how my dad went,
but he was 96, so he was wearingout anyway.
My mom died later but she haddementia so she didn't realize,
realize he had died.
But they got separated becausehe had to go into physical
therapy because he fell too manytimes in their assistant living
and I thought he's 96, you'renot going to get him back to
(22:54):
health for crying out loud.
they have him, you know, liftingthese little pink weights yeah
like, yeah, yeah, get him backto where he's doing push-ups and
then he can go back.
Just let him be together forcrying out loud.
But he died because he wasseparated from her.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
They've been married 60 some years, so then you
yourself get a diagnosis, rightso I thought I was doing all the
right stuff, right, like wechanged our whole lives.
But that was the most.
Even going through 9-11, whichwas hugely traumatic, losing my
dad was more traumatic.
That that was.
(23:29):
I was heartbroken, just like hewas heartbroken about my mom.
I mean, I was heartbroken aboutmy mom passing, but I think I
couldn't really deal with itbecause he immediately had
cancer, right so I immediatelywent into nurse mode instead of
mourning.
You know what I mean.
So, I didn't really get tofully mourn my mom.
So then when my dad passed, itwas like my world was crumbled.
(23:53):
You know so and a lot of thingsthat I learned about cancer is
usually it comes after some typeof major, you know, life event
or trauma or stress or something, and so I think that was.
You know, I was heartbroken andI think that's what it was.
So it wasn't it wasn't longafter it was actually during
COVID that I found that I hadcancer.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Which that was scary to me because it was like it was
like, well, wait a minute,cause I, I knew my dad didn't
want to do chemo radiation and Iwas like, okay, I don't't want
to do chemo radiation.
And I was like, okay, I don'treally want to do chemo
radiation, but I still want theoption, if it's right.
You know what I mean.
Like I wanted to talk toprofessionals but and then it
was during COVID and if youdidn't get shots and you didn't
(24:35):
do whatever, no one was going totalk to you about anything yeah
so, so that's even more crazyit's just complicated things,
isn't it?
Yeah.
So I found a little tiny lump.
It was like the size of a peaand, like I said, everybody was
pushing you have to getvaccinated and I didn't want to
(24:55):
get the vaccine.
I really didn't want to get thevaccine because I didn't see
any proof that it worked.
You know, it's not that I'manti-vax, you know, I'm not an
anti-vaxxer, I just don't putthat out there.
I do think that there should bea little bit of a change in the
schedule, but I don't thinkthat they're all, like you know,
evil and you should never dothem.
But COVID was a brand newvaccine and I was not
(25:19):
comfortable just going, you knowwill nilly and getting it
without any proof that it worked, you know.
So I was really hesitant aboutthat, but I did go do it.
I cried my whole way there andI cried my whole way back home
after getting it because Ididn't want to do it, but I was
going to lose my job.
I was losing.
I started losing my nursinglicenses.
(25:41):
At the time I was working athome because I had just been
taking care of my dad.
So I was working at home for abit and my employer said you
know, you have to get the shot.
I'm like I work at home, why doI need the shot?
But the states were going totake away our nursing licenses
for not getting the shots, so Ihad to get the shot.
(26:02):
Missing licenses for notgetting the shots, so I had to
get the shot.
But I don't know, I don't haveany proof or whatever.
But it's funny because mylittle tiny P tumor was gigantic
within three years.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
So what did you end up doing?
Uh, to take care of that.
I mean, I'm assuming you'rebetter now.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yes, I'm better.
I don't have cancer anymore,Praise God, I do not have cancer
anymore.
My margins were clear in mysurgery.
It wasn't in my lymph nodes,but when I first went to the
doctor, I knew I had cancerbecause I had a lump and my skin
was a different color.
You just know that, like inhealthcare.
(26:43):
But when I went to the doctor,I was like, I'm pretty sure this
is what it is.
And she was like, well, wedon't know unless you do all
these tests.
And I was like, well, I don'twant to do all those tests.
Because the one thing I didlearn with my dad was, you know,
you know biopsies, the researchabout biopsies, and then
mammograms.
And I was like, hold up, butthey try to rush you.
(27:04):
You know, like you have to dothis right now.
This is urgent.
I'm like well, hold on a second, I'm not going to die tomorrow.
I have a little time, let melook into this.
You know.
And and they were not happy withme the doctor was not happy
with me.
So at the time I also had somestuff going on with my back.
So she this was a breastsurgeon, a specific breast
(27:26):
surgeon and she said well, youprobably have it in your back as
well.
It's already in your lymphnodes.
This is just from a physicalexam, not like an ultrasound,
nothing else, just physical exam.
I can feel it in your lymphnodes, you have it in your
breast and from your story thatyou're telling me, it sounds
like it's in your spine too,because I was having some spinal
(27:48):
symptoms and I was like, well,how do we know, what kind of
tests do we do?
And she insisted on a biopsyand insisted on a mammogram and
I said I'm not going to doeither one of those, I'm going
to start with something lessinvasive.
And she adamantly refused.
I said, well, before you sayit's in my spine, can we get
(28:08):
like a CT scan of my spine,cause that's not really invasive
, you know?
And she refused to do the CTscan unless I did the mammogram
and the the biopsy.
I was like that's, that's wrong.
So I exchanged words with herthat I was very disappointed in
her behavior and I thought itwas really unprofessional and I
(28:33):
said you know what?
I'll find another doctor.
I don't know where, but I'llfind another doctor.
So I left and I went on thisjourney.
It took me a long time to findanother doctor that wouldn't
force me to do all those thingsjust to like give me options or
whatever.
And that was really hard.
I had a lot of people tellingme that I was crazy.
(28:55):
Like why would you not do it?
You're so young, you can dochemo and radiation.
And because that was hersuggestion right off the bat,
you need to do chemo, radiationand probably need to do a
mastectomy.
Like.
And I was like, well, hold on, Igot a little pea-sized lump.
Like can't you just take outthe lump?
Like why do we got to do allthis other stuff?
And there was never adiscussion of just taking out
(29:15):
the lump, it was just a huge.
We're doing all of this stuffright away.
And I was like this is this iscrazy.
Like this didn't make sense tome.
I was like, wait, hold on,shouldn't we like have more
details?
Maybe start slow, you know?
At that point I just had myeyes open and was like no, this
is a little crazy.
(29:36):
And people told me that I wascrazy because you know you're
young and in America breastcancer is cured so easy and so
fast with all of these things.
But then again, like with my dad, I started paying attention to
cancer patients at work.
I started paying attention tomy breast cancer patients and
(29:57):
they were not doing well, theywere not doing great, they were
doing chemo, radiation and theywere dying and they were awful
and they were unhappy and theywere having all kinds of
complications and I was like, no, I can't do that.
So I just prayed.
(30:17):
Just pray, I'm just saying likefor me.
I was looking for answers.
So I went to God.
I mean, that's what I did.
I said I don't know what to do.
I'm young.
Surely you know, if I do thesethings I probably have good odds
.
But you know, what do I do?
So I went to God and I justprayed.
And I prayed and I came across.
(30:40):
You know, I watched all theTruth About Cancer series again
and I came across Chris Warkwith Square One.
And then in Chris Wark SquareOne he talks about Healing
Strong, and so I got involvedwith Healing Strong and I just
started following the Chris Warkstuff.
So I first started doing likehis Square One coaching program.
(31:03):
I paid for the coaching programand I did all the modules and
Right.
And then, after I started doingall those and I got all that
down to a science, I startedimplementing his advanced
protocols.
Um, so I was doing, you knowthe big salad, the juicing, the
um, you know the supplements.
Uh, then I started doing soda,the soda products, like PMF
(31:29):
therapy hallucinated water.
I bought a sauna, I was doingsauna, I was doing all of these
things.
The truth is, I was gettingbetter but I was getting worse.
That sounds like an oxymoron.
But the cancer was no longer.
It wasn't in my back anymore.
I wasn't having problems, itwasn't in my axilla anymore, it
(31:52):
was just in the breast.
But it was getting bigger.
It was getting much larger inthe breast and you know, I just
kept going to God like, whatelse do I need to do?
I mean, I'm doing all the things, you know, and it was hard to
do all the things.
It's not easy implementing allthat stuff and I just had to
spend more time with God.
That's what it came down to.
(32:12):
The long short of it is, it waslike that spiritual tap on the
shoulder and I, I, god, I justhad to have a relationship with
God because I the final part ofmy treatment plan was time with
God.
Honestly, I mean it was allalong, but it was like was time
with God.
Honestly, I mean it was allalong, but it was like intense
(32:34):
time with God.
So I took my sauna time as mydaily devotional with God every
day, 45 minutes every day in thesauna, and then you know, I
would talk to him all day long.
But that was time where I wouldgo in there and I would cry and
I would pray and I would talkto God, just pour out my heart
and soul and pray fordiscernment.
(32:55):
I mean, I've been praying fordiscernment my whole life, but I
mean this time like seriousdiscernment, because I have all
these different things coming atme options, and what should I
do and not do, and all thesedifferent protocols that people
are doing and and doctors anddoctors I work with telling me
you know you're crazy, like whywould you risk your life?
(33:16):
You know just all of this.
You know different informationfrom all these directions and
and in my sauna I got my answersand they were from God.
And you know, I I never wantedto have surgery.
I tried to avoid the surgery atall costs.
I did all of the things to tryto avoid surgery, to try to
(33:38):
shrink the tumor but, like Isaid, it was.
Every part of my body washealed, but it was in the breast
and it was getting bigger andso I just got on my face and I
prayed and I talked to God andyou know, I never thought I
could hear God talking to me, orlike like I never thought I
could feel an answer from God.
(33:59):
But I finally was able to feelan answer.
I don't know if that makes sense, like I don't hear a voice
talking to me, I don't you know,but I could feel an answer when
I pray.
I don't you know, but I couldfeel an answer when I pray, even
now, when I pray, like now, Idon't make decisions, like I
used to make decisions.
You know, now if I want to dosomething, the first thing I do
(34:20):
is I go to pray and I ask God,and now I can physically feel
what I think he's telling me.
Does that make sense?
Yeah, people think that I'mcrazy.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah, you probably are crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
I think I just love God.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
I think you're telling us that God knows stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Yes, but we need to go to God.
Well, for me, I needed to go toGod.
I really, you know, I don'tlook at the cancer as it was
this horrible thing in my life.
It was the greatest blessing ofmy life, which is the craziest
thing to say right, it was thegreatest blessing, because I
never had this relationship thatI have now with my Heavenly
(35:01):
Father.
I went to church, I always wasa Christian, but I was always
lukewarm.
You know what I mean.
I wasn't living the living, thelife.
You know I was.
I was sinful, I had lots of sinin my life and it was during
that, that journey, where I waslike truly repenting for my sins
(35:22):
, if that makes sense, you knowand I said you know, if I've got
to put my boobs on the altar,god, then I'm gonna put my boobs
on the I know God, then I'mgoing to put my boobs on the.
I know that sounds wacky, butbut that's where I was, was like
, is that what I need to do?
Like you know, I'm a new womanat this point and so I knew I
needed to have surgery, and so Iprayed on a surgeon and I
called up.
(35:43):
there's a big health institutionhere which was not the one that
I had gone to with the firstlady.
I called up this otherinstitution and I said I'm
looking for a breast cancersurgeon, but this is what I want
.
And I was very specific.
I said I want a woman or a man,whoever.
I want a person who is going torespect my wishes, who is going
(36:06):
to do what I asked them to do,not what they demand that I do,
like.
Do what I asked them to do, notwhat they demand that I do,
like.
I really need them to appreciatemy input in this and and do as
little or as much as I want.
You know, if I want to do itall, I want someone who's
willing to do that.
If I don't want to do any, thenI want someone who's going to
respect that.
And they said, well, we'll havea meeting and we'll call you
(36:28):
back.
And there was like several daysand they called me back and
they had a recommendation for meand she was amazing and she did
exactly that.
I went in to see her.
I told her everything.
She didn't argue with me.
She didn't say well, I wouldlove to like the snarky first
one.
I want to see the research thatyou're reading.
I was like well, I'd love toshare it with you.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I was like, wow, I'd love to share it with you.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
She didn't say anything.
She said I'll do as much or aslittle as you want.
It's your body and it's yourdecision, you know.
And she asked me what were mygoals?
And I told her you know, I havea very young son.
He doesn't have any family butme.
I have to live Like.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
I have to live long enough to take care of him.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
She's like well, you need bigger goals than that.
So I mean, she was a reallywonderful lady.
So she did the surgery and sheeven was surprised.
She said before the surgery I'mgoing to have to tell you, you
know, we recommendchemoradiation, that's, you know
always what we recommend after.
(37:27):
And then we always recommendestrogen blockers if it's an
estrogen positive cancer, blah,blah, blah.
You know the whole spiel.
And then afterwards she saidyour margins are clear.
I would recommend, because Ihave to, that you talk with the
medical oncologist and just hearwhat they have to say.
But I didn't have to do it, youknow.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Right.
So yeah, yeah, I mean, ofcourse their hands are tied,
they have to, you know.
So, yeah, yeah, I mean ofcourse their hands are tied,
they have to, you know, do therecommendations, but it's yeah
to find one that will go withyour wishes.
That's a it's kind of a rarething.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
That was huge, yeah, yeah, and I prayed for her the
whole time.
I prayed for her and I'mtelling you god was involved the
whole way because, um, you know, even even up to that point,
she was like the tumor's so bigwe'll probably have to put a
vacuum on your chest like awound back.
(38:19):
And I was like I don't want awound like I freaked out, I
freaked, I cried and prayedabout the wound back um, and
then you know she didn't have todo it and it was such an
emotional experience and I thinkeveryone around me saw this
emotional experience, like Icried the whole way down the
hall to the surgery and I prayedout loud and heard me.
(38:41):
And as soon as they woke me upand told me there was no vacuum,
I cried and prayed right therein front of everyone.
So it's like you know, justhappy prayers like thank you,
god for listening, you knowanswering my happy prayers.
Like thank you, god forlistening, you know for
answering my prayers.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
And yeah, wow, that's a great story.
I like that one.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
That's good.
It's all about, I mean, fromwhere I'm taking from it now.
So I'm healthy, I don't havecancer, but I have the best
relationship with my HeavenlyFather than I've ever had.
And I wasn't in church, Iactually stepped away from
church.
I didn't go to church, likelike for months.
You know, I was just with God,no influence from anyone else,
(39:20):
just God and the Bible.
And I read the Bible every daytoo.
You know like, and you know hadall these like new things that
I learned from the same thatI've read before that I like
didn't understand.
You know like yeah it's a livingword, right?
So like I just got all this newinsight and knowledge all of a
sudden, and it was, it was so,it was life-changing.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I mean, it really was yeah, and now you're a group
leader, right?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
yeah, so our group is on a break.
We had a really large group andI think it became really
stressful because it got so bigand one of the things we're
trying to do now in our healingjourney is not be stressed.
So, after the cancer is gone,it's like what do you do now?
Now we try to live a healthylife, free of the things that
(40:09):
cause the cancers.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
right to live a healthy life, you know, free of
the things that cause thecancers, right?
Speaker 1 (40:14):
So I think, personally, I would rather, I
think, do an in-person next time.
So I think when I restart thegroup it'll be like local,
in-person, because I think wejust get better connection that
way?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Oh yeah, yeah, that's mine's totally in person.
I can't stand Zoom myself, eventhough it's, you know, it's
been a godsend during COVIDespecially, but still I just it
drives me crazy the group got sobig that it was really just
(40:49):
doing like a lecture, which isnot really what people need.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
You can watch lectures.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Or get into relationships, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Right.
We need those relationships andthose bonds with each other.
And I think that's what startedgoing away, and so people were
not as happy with it.
you know, so I think if I startback, it'll be in person, more
intimate, and you know you canreally support each other in
person.
You know, is that something Ineeded?
Like I never juiced in my life,I needed to learn everything
(41:19):
from scratch, like how do youcut these carrots, how do you
get them in the juicer, like youknow stuff like that, and
that's the practical stuff thatI think we need to learn.
You know, hands-on, in person.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Wow.
Well, jennifer, that's a greatstory and I know the fact that
you were involved with the 9-11things I'm sure you were saying
before that.
Sure that had something to dowith the cancer down the road,
because there's so many peoplethat were there and that
situation where they developedcancer and so many stories where
people passed away from thattime.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Yeah, most of the people that I worked with passed
away from cancer, like mypartners you know the ones who
didn't die in the actual thing,friends, you know, yeah, a lot
of them have passed away from, Ithink, the ones that I knew and
were close to at that time havepassed away from cancer.
So I actually just filed withthe victims um thing for the
(42:12):
world trade center health plan.
Um, because they, they I havean attorney that thinks that it
was from, yeah, 9-11.
You know the cancer because Ihave, I had genetic testing so I
did the little swabby thingthat they make and I have no
genes for breast cancer.
Um, I have no family that hasbreast cancer like zero women in
the family on either side withbreast cancer.
I have no family that hasbreast cancer like zero women in
the family on either side withbreast cancer, ovarian cancer,
(42:34):
any of those cancers.
So it's really odd that I'm soyoung and got breast cancer.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Well, good, well, I hope that goes well, and how's
your son doing?
Speaker 1 (42:48):
He's great, he is an amazing kid.
He's 13 and he can tell you howto juice, how to grow stuff.
He never knew any of that either.
He would help me, you know,wash the veggies and stuff.
So he's a great kid.
I'm truly blessed.
I'm a single mom, so it's justhim and I.
(43:09):
So it was hard for him, youknow, at first to hear what's
going on, but he was encouraged,you know, and he would pray
with me.
We would spend lots of time,you know just.
You know, just tell him we haveto believe that God is going to
make this happen, you know,yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
And that's of course that speaks volumes to him to
see his mom figure things outand be a fighter and overcome
this, and so, yeah, that'sexcellent.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Yeah, so it's funny because he did.
I did bring him to church oneday.
I forgot why, but we went tochurch one day.
I think they were having anevent or something.
So we went and he went to hislittle boys group and the
teacher came to me later on andwas like he said the most
amazing prayer I've ever heard achild say, like, like it blew
(43:56):
my mind and it just, you know,it just made my heart melt,
because he's obviously listeningand learning, right, you know.
So I want him to have that too.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Yeah.
You know, well, jennifer, itwas.
It was great to meet you andyour.
Your story is fantastic.
I like happy endings.
They're always better.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Me too yes.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
How can people get a hold of you if they want to find
out more about your story?
Or do you not want people toget a hold of you?
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Yeah, no, they could call me.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Or is emailing better ?
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Email is good too.
They could email me in thehealing strong email okay, and
what is that?
I don't remember what it isit's hscentral okay right
healing strongcentralnc okay andc at gmailcom.
That's it.
So it's healing strongcentralncat gmailcom okay oh, the other
(44:50):
good thing is I also don't havea thyroid condition anymore, so
all those things also fixed mythyroid.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
I went back to the doctor and.
I said I need a refill on mythyroid medicine.
She said, well, we haven't doneyour labs, let's check your
labs.
And she did my exam and she'slike your thyroid's fine.
What do you mean?
So it fixed my thyroid in theprocess too, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Wow, that's excellent .
A little side benefit there,yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
All right, Well, Jennifer thank you so much for
sharing your story.
Oh, thanks for wanting to hearit.
You've been listening to the IAm Healing Strong podcast, a
part of the Healing Strongorganization.
We hope you found encouragementin this episode, as well as the
confidence to take control ofyour healing journey, knowing
that God will guide you on thispath.
Healing Strong is a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to
(45:43):
connect, support and educateindividuals facing cancer and
other diseases throughstrategies that help to rebuild
the body, renew the soul andrefresh the spirit.
It costs nothing to be a partof a local or online group.
You can do that by going to ourwebsite at healingstrongorg and
(46:06):
finding a group near you or anonline group, or start your own,
your choice.
While you're there, take a lookaround at all the free
resources.
Though the resources and groupsare free, we encourage you to
join our membership program at25 or $75 a month.
This helps us to be able toreach more people with hope and
(46:29):
encouragement, and that alsocomes with some extra perks as
well.
So check it out.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please give us a five-star
rating, leave an encouragingcomment and help us spread the
word.
We'll see you next week withanother story on the I Am
Healing Strong podcast.
So I thought I was doing all the right stuff, right
Like we changed our whole lives.
But that was the most.
Even going through 9-11, whichwas hugely traumatic losing my
dad was more traumatic.
I was heartbroken, just like hewas heartbroken about my mom.
I mean, I was heartbroken aboutmy mom passing, but I think I
(00:21):
couldn't really deal with itbecause he immediately had
cancer.
So I immediately went intonurse mode instead of mourning
you know what I mean because Ididn't really get to fully mourn
my mom.
So then when my dad passed, itwas like my world was crumbled.
You know so, and a lot ofthings that I learned about
cancer is usually it comes aftersome type of major you know
(00:42):
life event or trauma or stressor something, and so I think
that was.
I was heartbroken and I thinkthat's what it was.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast,
a part of the Healing Strongorganization, the number one
network of holistic cancersupport groups in the world.
Each week we bring you storiesof hope, real stories that will
encourage you as you navigateyour way on your own journey to
health.
Now here's your host stage fourcancer thriver, jim Mann.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Today talking with Jennifer Reiner in North
Carolina, just one state upwhere I'm sitting.
How you doing, Jennifer?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I'm great thanks for asking how are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'm all right, no, I'm doing great.
I'm doing great.
I like it because I'm analyzingmyself as I get older, because
I never think about things andI'm like man, I have all this
energy when I first I get uplike at five o'clock, you know
just automatically, because Iused to be in morning radio so
I'd get up two for that.
So I guess it kind of ruined myinternal clock.
(01:50):
But you know, I just I'll wakeup by five at the latest and I
have all this energy all the wayup until 12 or two o'clock.
And then all of a sudden I'mlike gosh, when is bedtime
coming?
Which makes me feel like I'm anold guy, but I don't know
what's going on there.
I have to fix that.
I need energy in the secondpart of the day also.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I'm reversed.
I'm opposite of you.
I start getting my energyaround two o'clock.
I'm dragging all morning andthen I'm like full of energy in
the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
That's my whole family.
I'm like the chihuahua in thehouse and then all of a sudden
the big dogs get up and then I'mdown.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I thought maybe as a nurse you can give me some
advice, but since you're theopposite, as a nurse, I worked
many opposite schedules, so I'mprobably not the best person to
give you getting up early advice.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
So you're messed up too, then yeah pretty much Well,
okay.
Well, we've already touched onthe fact that you are a nurse,
but I was looking at some notesabout your story.
And, first of all, where'd yougrow up?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I actually grew up in New York City.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I was born in Manhattan and then moved to
Queens and pretty much I livedin Queens all through high
school.
I still worked in Manhattan, Iworked in Brooklyn.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, that actually sounds exciting to me.
I love the big city, but then Ialso love the rural country and
all that stuff.
I'm pretty much like anything.
I like to be at least near acity where I can enjoy that and
then go home.
How about that?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, it was great when I was young but it took me
a long time to get used to ruralNorth Carolina Like that was a
little rough.
I wanted to go home every dayfor a long time.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, but how do you feel about it now?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Oh now I love it.
Now I don't even want to likeconsider going to New York.
The couple of times I've gone,you know, the last few times
I've gone, I should say I'm likehow did I live here?
It's so dirty, it's so old,it's not you know it just
doesn't look as attractiveanymore.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And Raleigh's big enough right.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, raleigh's pretty big.
I live outside Raleigh umlittle country town.
But you know it's growing somuch here that even the little
country towns are becoming, youknow, suburbia and crowded, and
so less farms and cows now.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, and we were discussing before we started
this that you actually live inthe listening area where I was
on the radio.
So I changed your life, didn'tI?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You did.
I used to listen to his radio.
I would drive 45 minutes to anhour to commute to work and same
coming home.
And I used to listen to hisradio.
I would drive 45 minutes to anhour to commute to work and same
coming home, and I used tolisten to that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, well, thanks for playing along.
I know I personally didn'tchange your life, but hey,
thanks a lot.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
No, listening to that was definitely um.
It was very impactful.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed being able to saydumb things and people thought
it was great.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed being able to saydumb things and people thought
it was great.
So it was my gift to the worldsaying weird stuff.
But anyway, that's a wholenother story.
You were a paramedic.
Is that what you went to schoolfor?
Is that what you wanted to dowith your life?
Or how'd you stumble acrossthat?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Well, I didn't intend to be a paramedic, it just kind
of happened.
I was in high school, you know,trying to figure out what to do
after high school, and I workedin a bakery all through high
school and all the EMS peoplewould come in the paramedics,
the EMTs, the police andwhatever.
And you know, we were talkingabout, as a senior, like what am
I going to do when I graduate?
And I said, well, you know, Ireally want to become a doctor.
(05:23):
At that time I wanted to go tomedical school.
I was like, but you know, Icame from, you know, a poor
family, poor neighborhood, youknow.
And they were like, you know,so how?
You know, what's your goal?
Like, are you going to be ableto pay for that working here?
It's like, absolutely not, youknow.
So you know I had to talk aboutloans and whatever.
And anyway they kind ofintroduced me to like these
(05:44):
programs where you can work foragencies or hospitals or
whatever and they pay for yourcollege.
Like at that time I never knewthat existed.
And so I went into EMS as a wayto, you know, earn my way, like
pay for college and to go tomedical school.
But then, after I finished fouryears of college, I was like I
(06:05):
don't want to go to medicalschool, so that kind of changed.
Yeah.
So I went out into corporateAmerica after college and I was
like I miss taking care ofpatients, so much you know.
And I was still working EMS.
I always worked EMS.
Even when I was workingcorporate America, they were
like you're going to do what onyour days off?
(06:26):
And I'm like I'm going to gowork in Brooklyn and pick up
gunshot wounds and stuff.
Yeah.
So after I was in corporateAmerica for a while, I missed it
and I went back to be a nurse.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
It's in your heart to help people, right.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, I missed patient care and I still love
taking care of patients.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, but then something kind of drastic
happened in 2001, 9-11.
You were right in the middle ofall that, weren't you?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, I worked down at Ground Zero.
I wasn't there when the towersphysically came down.
I was married at the time andmy husband was an EMS supervisor
and for some reason, I don'tknow why, we must have fell
asleep watching a movie orsomething.
But we woke up to the news andthe like.
You know what was happening.
And he had his radio on and youcould hear the people screaming
(07:18):
like you could hear ourcoworkers, you know like
screaming, calling for help andand it was just heart wrenching
and so obviously both of us werelike we got to go, like we got
to go help.
That was just in our nature,you know.
So we went down to work.
You know we responded to go towork.
They had the city closed at thetime so you needed permission
(07:40):
to get in.
So we eventually, you know likeI went over in an ambulance
from my EMS base, you know, tothe city across the bridge and
and we were stationed, you knowwe went to triage, like stations
for triage, and then we justrotated in and out to help with
the recovery of patients andpeople.
You know, if they found anydeceased people or even the
(08:01):
firemen, you know they were inthe recovery recovery, we would
have to take care of them.
You know, if they were likedehydrated or, you know, injury
or whatever, yeah, wow, thatmust have been devastating it
was.
It's something I I don't.
I mean, I've never seenanything like this in my life.
Like I grew up in the innercity.
You, you, you hear news of warsand that kind of thing, but
(08:25):
like you know, it's not like youdon't know what it's like, you
know.
And then to go to the city thatday and then those days after,
and just it was like being in awar zone.
I mean, that's really the onlyway I could describe it.
I've never been to war, butthat's what it looked like to me
from like movies.
It was, you know, army peoplewith big guns and just a big
(08:45):
cloud of smoke like you couldn'tsee very far and you know we
had to wear these big giantrespirators and we had to carry
medications in case there waslike a biological attack.
So it was really like it wasscary, but like so surreal.
Yeah, wow motivated me to goindoors and work as a nurse.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah, so how much longer did you stay in the New
York area at that time?
Speaker 1 (09:15):
After that, I should say Three more years, and then I
moved to North Carolina in 2004.
My parents retired earlybecause you know, at that time
after it happened, a lot ofpeople in the field like my
parent, my dad worked for thepolice, my mom worked for the
police department, so they wereall being able now to take early
retirement.
They were, I don't know.
There was some kind of thinggoing on.
So we all planned, like myhusband and I said, we were
(09:36):
going to move, my family planned.
So we all just kind of plannedto move to North Carolina.
We all came here together soDid you already have family here
?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
What drew you here?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Well, I had a brother whose wife had family here.
So they kind of moved here likeI don't know 10 years or so
before that, but we would comeand visit you know.
But we were all up there.
But then when my parents werelike we're going to retire early
and we're going to go to NorthCarolina and be around the
grandchildren, my other brotherand I were like, if you go, I'll
(10:06):
go.
So we just kind of all came, sothe whole family's here in
North Carolina.
Well, my parents have sincepassed away, but yeah, but we're
still here, the kids and thegrandkids.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And that was probably culture shock, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I told you I wanted to go home every day for at
least six years.
Like it took me a long time toadjust.
But I did go to nursing schoolhere and you know I started
working and I did one of theselike second degree programs
where you agree to work for thehospital for five years and they
paid for the whole program andso I was kind of stuck here.
I was stuck here for at leastfive years.
(10:44):
You know you had to finish fiveyears, so that was that six
years it took me to get used tobeing here.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, welcome to the South.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Well, I love it now.
I don't think I could ever moveback up north.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's good things about it, of
course, that I'm sure you missevery once in a while, while no,
not really.
That's funny.
I grew up in Baltimore, notthat far from New York, and I
left in 81.
Oh my goodness, that sounds soold and I have great fond
memories and when I watch theOrioles play I just like I need
(11:20):
to go back.
But then it passes.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I've gone back to see some like yankee games and
hockey games and stuff and, um,you know, like broadway shows.
But they have all that now here.
You know, when I first movedhere that stuff wasn't here, but
now they have it here.
You can go watch carolinahurricanes.
You can, um, you know, seebroadway south.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So yeah, you brought it with you.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
No, it's nice you know the cultural stuff.
I missed the food.
You brought it with you.
No, it's nice.
You know the cultural stuff.
I miss the food.
Some of the food is still nothere yet.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, the pizza's better up there, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Pizza's amazing.
I do miss pizza.
We have some good ones now,though, some good New York pizza
.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
All right enough.
Talking about food, I haven'thad lunch yet.
I understand that, like yourparents, your mom was first to
pass away, right?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah, my mom passed.
She was pretty young, but shehad a liver problem.
I don't know that they everkind of figured out all that was
involved.
In that it wasn't cancer.
My dad did pass on cancer.
Yes, in that it wasn't cancer.
Um, my dad did pass on cancer,um, so yeah, so that was my
first introduction to cancer, um, so he was, I mean, he was
(12:31):
young.
Also, both my parents were intheir early 60s, that's pretty
young, that's very young youknow to die um.
So my brother actually crackedjokes like well, we're not gonna
live very long, so you betterenjoy life now like we can
change things that's right umbut yeah, so my, my dad did have
cancer and he was um I mean, mymom was already gone was his
(12:56):
best friend, so he really didn't, he, he didn't care about
really staying alive, like Iknow that sounds, but like his
best friend and his like otherlimb to his body like that's how
close they were, you know wasgone.
So he really just wanted to seehow he could make things better
without doing chemo, radiationand all that stuff.
(13:16):
So that was my firstintroduction to like natural
healing, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, did.
Did you like healing, if thatmakes sense?
Speaker 1 (13:28):
yeah, did did you like, uh, encourage him to do
chemo, or I'm sure the doctorsdid so?
I mean, like I said so I was inems learning all this stuff
from, like, the medical you knoweverything.
And then, then, as a nurse, youknow, and I took care of tons
of cancer patients and we haveto tell them to do their chemo,
and you know and have toadminister certain types of
chemo type drugs.
I mean, I worked in theemergency room but we still had,
(13:49):
you know, that kind of care youknow, it wasn't like every
single patient, but it was there.
So for me it was like, of courseyou're going to do chemo
radiation.
It was like a no brainer, likelike why would you not do that,
you know?
So that was a big, a bigparadigm shift for me, you know.
But he asked me and he said youknow, I really I'm asking you
(14:11):
if you'll support me.
Everyone told him he was crazy,you know, and I am daddy's girl,
was so tight, like I mean Istill miss my dad and cry like
you know, we were so, so tight,so of course'm going to say yes,
I'll support you.
You know I couldn't understand,but then he taught me Well here
.
I thought I knew so much, buthe taught me so much that I
(14:32):
didn't know and just opened myeyes to like, wow, medicine does
wonderful things.
I worked in the emergency room.
I think emergency medicine isfabulous.
In this country we have thebest emergency medicine but I
think when it comes to chronicillness, there's a lot that
still needs to be addressed orlearned, or however you want to
(14:52):
say it.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
How did your dad?
Well, how was he introduced tothe natural world, I should say.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So my dad loved the Bible let's start with that.
So he was very much inrelationship with God and so he
loved his Bible.
But in that he also liked todebate the Bible with a lot of
people.
So he would have these meetingswith all different types of
religious people and he had metwith the Seventh-day Adventists
(15:24):
for a long time.
Like he never converted, but hewould, you know, listen and
learn a lot from them.
And he learned a lot abouttheir diet and I think that was
the first introduction to likehealthy lifestyle stuff was when
he was reading the Seventh-dayAdventists stuff about the way
they live.
So I mean, I'm not aSeventh-day Adventist but what I
(15:45):
know about them is they live apretty healthy life, so they
have like the longest lifeexpectancy.
I think it's the only blue zoneright in this country is where
the seven-day Adventists live.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, wow, okay.
Yeah, I was just wonderingabout that and you, being in the
medical field, like you said,you said I mean, and that's how
most people's mindset is, that'show we were all raised well,
chemo, cancer, they go together,so you got to do that and it's
hard to talk people out of thatif that is their mindset.
(16:18):
But then when you just stop andthink about it, especially if
you know the Bible, I mean thereare diets in there.
That's like God created allthese herbs, these plants for a
purpose.
And there's so many nutrients,nutrient-dense, a lot of
cancer-fighting nutrients inthese things which I knew
(16:40):
nothing about until I got mydiagnosis.
And now there's so much aboutit it's almost overwhelming.
It's like, oh, it's just toomuch information, you know, give
me something simple to startwith.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Right, and that can be kind of stressful too.
I think is too much information, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
So what did your dad do?
I mean, what kind of did hejust do?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
one like a long night .
So he didn't do a specific likeI.
I mean, he didn't know ChrisWark, we didn't know the Chris
Wark stuff, but we did.
I watched the Truth AboutCancer with him.
He found that and we watched itlike over and over and over
again and took notes andinstituted a lot of the things
(17:23):
that they said in there and thenresearched other things and it
completely blew my mind.
I mean, I'm being honest, I waslike, wait a minute, why don't
they say this?
Like in the hospital?
You know, like, why don't wetalk about these things?
It just completely blew my mind.
And then, you know, like,telling him he should do chemo
radiation.
I started being more mindful nowwhen I took care of cancer
(17:46):
patients and I was like, well,this is why he doesn't want to
do it.
You know what I mean?
Like I would see them and theywould be so sick and so like,
and they're doing all thetreatments the doctor's telling
them to do, but they look awfuland they're super sick or they
would get all these otheropportunistic illnesses because
they had no immune system.
So it just made me, I don'tknow, I guess it opened up my
(18:08):
eyes more.
So when I saw them, I was ableto register.
Like wait a minute, thisdoesn't look like this is how it
should be.
But before that I thoughtthat's just how it was.
I didn't question it, I justthought that's how it was.
So you pulled in common sense iswhat you're saying, pretty much
I opened my eyes from thetunnel vision, you know because
(18:31):
I only learned.
I only learned you know theallopathic medicine way of
things Because they don't teachyou.
You know, I guess I have twobachelor's degrees I didn't
learn anything about.
I had one class on nutritionand it was never about how to
eat healthy, it was about thefood pyramid, which is a joke.
(18:52):
I mean, really, it's stuff likethat and these rare diseases
that you get, other than anemia.
You know what I'm saying, Likescurvy and that kind of stuff.
I mean, when am I going to usethat?
You know?
but it would be nice to learnhow to eat a good, well-balanced
right and how important herbsand vitamins and vegetables and
(19:14):
fruits and all that stuff is,but they don't teach that in
school.
That at least then they didn't.
I don't know if they do now.
I mean, I think maybe, thinkmaybe more nowadays.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, like I was telling you earlier, my
daughter's studying to be anurse and I forgot how it came
up.
But she was telling me that herprofessor is saying that the
coffee enemas, that's crazy,that stuff doesn't work.
And of course my daughter knowsbetter.
Fortunately she's an introvert,otherwise her hand will be up a
(19:43):
lot when that came up.
Just get through it and becomea nurse.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, that's the difference between the first
time I went to college andcollege now.
It was the first time I went tocollege.
Now this is like 30 years ago.
They really encouraged criticalthinking and debate.
In fact, I even wrote thispaper that no one in the class
agreed with and they made meread it to the class because it
was like wonderful discussion,right.
(20:09):
But the second time I went tocollege was like no, you just
need to stay quiet and followthe agenda.
Very different experience.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
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(20:40):
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That's Hope, the number fourCancercom.
So your dad's I understand yourdad's cancer got better, but
he's pretty much had a brokenheart he did.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
He's pretty much had a broken heart.
He did.
I really believe he died of abroken heart.
Yeah, because he really.
I mean, he didn't know how tolive without my mom, like he
really didn't.
They were so old school Like hedidn't even know how to cook
anything.
You know, he lived for himselfvery briefly after she passed
and he was going to die becausehe was like not nutritious, like
(21:21):
not eating.
You know, going to die becausehe was like, not nutritious,
like not eating, you know.
And then, um, when he found outhe had cancer, he was like so
can you know, can you help me?
I'd like to live together.
And so we moved in together andone of the first things we did
when we moved in together was wetossed all of our food and we
started fresh, and we startedwith we filled the pantry from
scratch, all organic, non-gmoyou know, tried to eat as much
(21:44):
like live food and so.
So it was a switch for both ofus, and I'm not a big cook.
I'm nothing like my mom.
My mom loved to cook, and soyou know it was a big learning
curve for both of us.
We got his cancer to go.
I mean his PSA was I have allthe records to you.
Still His PSA was up to 984 andwe got it back down to four,
(22:09):
which is normal.
Yeah, and he had skin cancerlesions and they were gone.
He had like a big tumorstarting on his back here, like
by the neck, and that was gone.
Like a big tumor starting onhis back here, like by the neck,
and that was gone.
But he still lost tons ofweight because he wouldn't eat.
He was heartbroken.
(22:30):
I really believe he died of abroken heart.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Yeah, yeah, that's true, that's how my dad went,
but he was 96, so he was wearingout anyway.
My mom died later but she haddementia so she didn't realize,
realize he had died.
But they got separated becausehe had to go into physical
therapy because he fell too manytimes in their assistant living
and I thought he's 96, you'renot going to get him back to
(22:54):
health for crying out loud.
they have him, you know, liftingthese little pink weights yeah
like, yeah, yeah, get him backto where he's doing push-ups and
then he can go back.
Just let him be together forcrying out loud.
But he died because he wasseparated from her.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
They've been married 60 some years, so then you
yourself get a diagnosis, rightso I thought I was doing all the
right stuff, right, like wechanged our whole lives.
But that was the most.
Even going through 9-11, whichwas hugely traumatic, losing my
dad was more traumatic.
That that was.
(23:29):
I was heartbroken, just like hewas heartbroken about my mom.
I mean, I was heartbroken aboutmy mom passing, but I think I
couldn't really deal with itbecause he immediately had
cancer, right so I immediatelywent into nurse mode instead of
mourning.
You know what I mean.
So, I didn't really get tofully mourn my mom.
So then when my dad passed, itwas like my world was crumbled.
(23:53):
You know so and a lot of thingsthat I learned about cancer is
usually it comes after some typeof major, you know, life event
or trauma or stress or something, and so I think that was.
You know, I was heartbroken andI think that's what it was.
So it wasn't it wasn't longafter it was actually during
COVID that I found that I hadcancer.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Which that was scary to me because it was like it was
like, well, wait a minute,cause I, I knew my dad didn't
want to do chemo radiation and Iwas like, okay, I don't't want
to do chemo radiation.
And I was like, okay, I don'treally want to do chemo
radiation, but I still want theoption, if it's right.
You know what I mean.
Like I wanted to talk toprofessionals but and then it
was during COVID and if youdidn't get shots and you didn't
(24:35):
do whatever, no one was going totalk to you about anything yeah
so, so that's even more crazyit's just complicated things,
isn't it?
Yeah.
So I found a little tiny lump.
It was like the size of a peaand, like I said, everybody was
pushing you have to getvaccinated and I didn't want to
(24:55):
get the vaccine.
I really didn't want to get thevaccine because I didn't see
any proof that it worked.
You know, it's not that I'manti-vax, you know, I'm not an
anti-vaxxer, I just don't putthat out there.
I do think that there should bea little bit of a change in the
schedule, but I don't thinkthat they're all, like you know,
evil and you should never dothem.
But COVID was a brand newvaccine and I was not
(25:19):
comfortable just going, you knowwill nilly and getting it
without any proof that it worked, you know.
So I was really hesitant aboutthat, but I did go do it.
I cried my whole way there andI cried my whole way back home
after getting it because Ididn't want to do it, but I was
going to lose my job.
I was losing.
I started losing my nursinglicenses.
(25:41):
At the time I was working athome because I had just been
taking care of my dad.
So I was working at home for abit and my employer said you
know, you have to get the shot.
I'm like I work at home, why doI need the shot?
But the states were going totake away our nursing licenses
for not getting the shots, so Ihad to get the shot.
(26:02):
Missing licenses for notgetting the shots, so I had to
get the shot.
But I don't know, I don't haveany proof or whatever.
But it's funny because mylittle tiny P tumor was gigantic
within three years.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
So what did you end up doing?
Uh, to take care of that.
I mean, I'm assuming you'rebetter now.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yes, I'm better.
I don't have cancer anymore,Praise God, I do not have cancer
anymore.
My margins were clear in mysurgery.
It wasn't in my lymph nodes,but when I first went to the
doctor, I knew I had cancerbecause I had a lump and my skin
was a different color.
You just know that, like inhealthcare.
(26:43):
But when I went to the doctor,I was like, I'm pretty sure this
is what it is.
And she was like, well, wedon't know unless you do all
these tests.
And I was like, well, I don'twant to do all those tests.
Because the one thing I didlearn with my dad was, you know,
you know biopsies, the researchabout biopsies, and then
mammograms.
And I was like, hold up, butthey try to rush you.
(27:04):
You know, like you have to dothis right now.
This is urgent.
I'm like well, hold on a second, I'm not going to die tomorrow.
I have a little time, let melook into this.
You know.
And and they were not happy withme the doctor was not happy
with me.
So at the time I also had somestuff going on with my back.
So she this was a breastsurgeon, a specific breast
(27:26):
surgeon and she said well, youprobably have it in your back as
well.
It's already in your lymphnodes.
This is just from a physicalexam, not like an ultrasound,
nothing else, just physical exam.
I can feel it in your lymphnodes, you have it in your
breast and from your story thatyou're telling me, it sounds
like it's in your spine too,because I was having some spinal
(27:48):
symptoms and I was like, well,how do we know, what kind of
tests do we do?
And she insisted on a biopsyand insisted on a mammogram and
I said I'm not going to doeither one of those, I'm going
to start with something lessinvasive.
And she adamantly refused.
I said, well, before you sayit's in my spine, can we get
(28:08):
like a CT scan of my spine,cause that's not really invasive
, you know?
And she refused to do the CTscan unless I did the mammogram
and the the biopsy.
I was like that's, that's wrong.
So I exchanged words with herthat I was very disappointed in
her behavior and I thought itwas really unprofessional and I
(28:33):
said you know what?
I'll find another doctor.
I don't know where, but I'llfind another doctor.
So I left and I went on thisjourney.
It took me a long time to findanother doctor that wouldn't
force me to do all those thingsjust to like give me options or
whatever.
And that was really hard.
I had a lot of people tellingme that I was crazy.
(28:55):
Like why would you not do it?
You're so young, you can dochemo and radiation.
And because that was hersuggestion right off the bat,
you need to do chemo, radiationand probably need to do a
mastectomy.
Like.
And I was like, well, hold on, Igot a little pea-sized lump.
Like can't you just take outthe lump?
Like why do we got to do allthis other stuff?
And there was never adiscussion of just taking out
(29:15):
the lump, it was just a huge.
We're doing all of this stuffright away.
And I was like this is this iscrazy.
Like this didn't make sense tome.
I was like, wait, hold on,shouldn't we like have more
details?
Maybe start slow, you know?
At that point I just had myeyes open and was like no, this
is a little crazy.
(29:36):
And people told me that I wascrazy because you know you're
young and in America breastcancer is cured so easy and so
fast with all of these things.
But then again, like with my dad, I started paying attention to
cancer patients at work.
I started paying attention tomy breast cancer patients and
(29:57):
they were not doing well, theywere not doing great, they were
doing chemo, radiation and theywere dying and they were awful
and they were unhappy and theywere having all kinds of
complications and I was like, no, I can't do that.
So I just prayed.
(30:17):
Just pray, I'm just saying likefor me.
I was looking for answers.
So I went to God.
I mean, that's what I did.
I said I don't know what to do.
I'm young.
Surely you know, if I do thesethings I probably have good odds
.
But you know, what do I do?
So I went to God and I justprayed.
And I prayed and I came across.
(30:40):
You know, I watched all theTruth About Cancer series again
and I came across Chris Warkwith Square One.
And then in Chris Wark SquareOne he talks about Healing
Strong, and so I got involvedwith Healing Strong and I just
started following the Chris Warkstuff.
So I first started doing likehis Square One coaching program.
(31:03):
I paid for the coaching programand I did all the modules and
Right.
And then, after I started doingall those and I got all that
down to a science, I startedimplementing his advanced
protocols.
Um, so I was doing, you knowthe big salad, the juicing, the
um, you know the supplements.
Uh, then I started doing soda,the soda products, like PMF
(31:29):
therapy hallucinated water.
I bought a sauna, I was doingsauna, I was doing all of these
things.
The truth is, I was gettingbetter but I was getting worse.
That sounds like an oxymoron.
But the cancer was no longer.
It wasn't in my back anymore.
I wasn't having problems, itwasn't in my axilla anymore, it
(31:52):
was just in the breast.
But it was getting bigger.
It was getting much larger inthe breast and you know, I just
kept going to God like, whatelse do I need to do?
I mean, I'm doing all the things, you know, and it was hard to
do all the things.
It's not easy implementing allthat stuff and I just had to
spend more time with God.
That's what it came down to.
(32:12):
The long short of it is, it waslike that spiritual tap on the
shoulder and I, I, god, I justhad to have a relationship with
God because I the final part ofmy treatment plan was time with
God.
Honestly, I mean it was allalong, but it was like was time
with God.
Honestly, I mean it was allalong, but it was like intense
(32:34):
time with God.
So I took my sauna time as mydaily devotional with God every
day, 45 minutes every day in thesauna, and then you know, I
would talk to him all day long.
But that was time where I wouldgo in there and I would cry and
I would pray and I would talkto God, just pour out my heart
and soul and pray fordiscernment.
(32:55):
I mean, I've been praying fordiscernment my whole life, but I
mean this time like seriousdiscernment, because I have all
these different things coming atme options, and what should I
do and not do, and all thesedifferent protocols that people
are doing and and doctors anddoctors I work with telling me
you know you're crazy, like whywould you risk your life?
(33:16):
You know just all of this.
You know different informationfrom all these directions and
and in my sauna I got my answersand they were from God.
And you know, I I never wantedto have surgery.
I tried to avoid the surgery atall costs.
I did all of the things to tryto avoid surgery, to try to
(33:38):
shrink the tumor but, like Isaid, it was.
Every part of my body washealed, but it was in the breast
and it was getting bigger andso I just got on my face and I
prayed and I talked to God andyou know, I never thought I
could hear God talking to me, orlike like I never thought I
could feel an answer from God.
(33:59):
But I finally was able to feelan answer.
I don't know if that makes sense, like I don't hear a voice
talking to me, I don't you know,but I could feel an answer when
I pray.
I don't you know, but I couldfeel an answer when I pray, even
now, when I pray, like now, Idon't make decisions, like I
used to make decisions.
You know, now if I want to dosomething, the first thing I do
(34:20):
is I go to pray and I ask God,and now I can physically feel
what I think he's telling me.
Does that make sense?
Yeah, people think that I'mcrazy.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah, you probably are crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
I think I just love God.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
I think you're telling us that God knows stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Yes, but we need to go to God.
Well, for me, I needed to go toGod.
I really, you know, I don'tlook at the cancer as it was
this horrible thing in my life.
It was the greatest blessing ofmy life, which is the craziest
thing to say right, it was thegreatest blessing, because I
never had this relationship thatI have now with my Heavenly
(35:01):
Father.
I went to church, I always wasa Christian, but I was always
lukewarm.
You know what I mean.
I wasn't living the living, thelife.
You know I was.
I was sinful, I had lots of sinin my life and it was during
that, that journey, where I waslike truly repenting for my sins
(35:22):
, if that makes sense, you knowand I said you know, if I've got
to put my boobs on the altar,god, then I'm gonna put my boobs
on the I know God, then I'mgoing to put my boobs on the.
I know that sounds wacky, butbut that's where I was, was like
, is that what I need to do?
Like you know, I'm a new womanat this point and so I knew I
needed to have surgery, and so Iprayed on a surgeon and I
called up.
(35:43):
there's a big health institutionhere which was not the one that
I had gone to with the firstlady.
I called up this otherinstitution and I said I'm
looking for a breast cancersurgeon, but this is what I want
.
And I was very specific.
I said I want a woman or a man,whoever.
I want a person who is going torespect my wishes, who is going
(36:06):
to do what I asked them to do,not what they demand that I do,
like.
Do what I asked them to do, notwhat they demand that I do,
like.
I really need them to appreciatemy input in this and and do as
little or as much as I want.
You know, if I want to do itall, I want someone who's
willing to do that.
If I don't want to do any, thenI want someone who's going to
respect that.
And they said, well, we'll havea meeting and we'll call you
(36:28):
back.
And there was like several daysand they called me back and
they had a recommendation for meand she was amazing and she did
exactly that.
I went in to see her.
I told her everything.
She didn't argue with me.
She didn't say well, I wouldlove to like the snarky first
one.
I want to see the research thatyou're reading.
I was like well, I'd love toshare it with you.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I was like, wow, I'd love to share it with you.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
She didn't say anything.
She said I'll do as much or aslittle as you want.
It's your body and it's yourdecision, you know.
And she asked me what were mygoals?
And I told her you know, I havea very young son.
He doesn't have any family butme.
I have to live Like.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
I have to live long enough to take care of him.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
She's like well, you need bigger goals than that.
So I mean, she was a reallywonderful lady.
So she did the surgery and sheeven was surprised.
She said before the surgery I'mgoing to have to tell you, you
know, we recommendchemoradiation, that's, you know
always what we recommend after.
(37:27):
And then we always recommendestrogen blockers if it's an
estrogen positive cancer, blah,blah, blah.
You know the whole spiel.
And then afterwards she saidyour margins are clear.
I would recommend, because Ihave to, that you talk with the
medical oncologist and just hearwhat they have to say.
But I didn't have to do it, youknow.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Right.
So yeah, yeah, I mean, ofcourse their hands are tied,
they have to, you know.
So, yeah, yeah, I mean ofcourse their hands are tied,
they have to, you know, do therecommendations, but it's yeah
to find one that will go withyour wishes.
That's a it's kind of a rarething.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
That was huge, yeah, yeah, and I prayed for her the
whole time.
I prayed for her and I'mtelling you god was involved the
whole way because, um, you know, even even up to that point,
she was like the tumor's so bigwe'll probably have to put a
vacuum on your chest like awound back.
(38:19):
And I was like I don't want awound like I freaked out, I
freaked, I cried and prayedabout the wound back um, and
then you know she didn't have todo it and it was such an
emotional experience and I thinkeveryone around me saw this
emotional experience, like Icried the whole way down the
hall to the surgery and I prayedout loud and heard me.
(38:41):
And as soon as they woke me upand told me there was no vacuum,
I cried and prayed right therein front of everyone.
So it's like you know, justhappy prayers like thank you,
god for listening, you knowanswering my happy prayers.
Like thank you, god forlistening, you know for
answering my prayers.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
And yeah, wow, that's a great story.
I like that one.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
That's good.
It's all about, I mean, fromwhere I'm taking from it now.
So I'm healthy, I don't havecancer, but I have the best
relationship with my HeavenlyFather than I've ever had.
And I wasn't in church, Iactually stepped away from
church.
I didn't go to church, likelike for months.
You know, I was just with God,no influence from anyone else,
(39:20):
just God and the Bible.
And I read the Bible every daytoo.
You know like, and you know hadall these like new things that
I learned from the same thatI've read before that I like
didn't understand.
You know like yeah it's a livingword, right?
So like I just got all this newinsight and knowledge all of a
sudden, and it was, it was so,it was life-changing.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I mean, it really was yeah, and now you're a group
leader, right?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
yeah, so our group is on a break.
We had a really large group andI think it became really
stressful because it got so bigand one of the things we're
trying to do now in our healingjourney is not be stressed.
So, after the cancer is gone,it's like what do you do now?
Now we try to live a healthylife, free of the things that
(40:09):
cause the cancers.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
right to live a healthy life, you know, free of
the things that cause thecancers, right?
Speaker 1 (40:14):
So I think, personally, I would rather, I
think, do an in-person next time.
So I think when I restart thegroup it'll be like local,
in-person, because I think wejust get better connection that
way?
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Oh yeah, yeah, that's mine's totally in person.
I can't stand Zoom myself, eventhough it's, you know, it's
been a godsend during COVIDespecially, but still I just it
drives me crazy the group got sobig that it was really just
(40:49):
doing like a lecture, which isnot really what people need.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
You can watch lectures.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Or get into relationships, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Right.
We need those relationships andthose bonds with each other.
And I think that's what startedgoing away, and so people were
not as happy with it.
you know, so I think if I startback, it'll be in person, more
intimate, and you know you canreally support each other in
person.
You know, is that something Ineeded?
Like I never juiced in my life,I needed to learn everything
(41:19):
from scratch, like how do youcut these carrots, how do you
get them in the juicer, like youknow stuff like that, and
that's the practical stuff thatI think we need to learn.
You know, hands-on, in person.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Wow.
Well, jennifer, that's a greatstory and I know the fact that
you were involved with the 9-11things I'm sure you were saying
before that.
Sure that had something to dowith the cancer down the road,
because there's so many peoplethat were there and that
situation where they developedcancer and so many stories where
people passed away from thattime.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Yeah, most of the people that I worked with passed
away from cancer, like mypartners you know the ones who
didn't die in the actual thing,friends, you know, yeah, a lot
of them have passed away from, Ithink, the ones that I knew and
were close to at that time havepassed away from cancer.
So I actually just filed withthe victims um thing for the
(42:12):
world trade center health plan.
Um, because they, they I havean attorney that thinks that it
was from, yeah, 9-11.
You know the cancer because Ihave, I had genetic testing so I
did the little swabby thingthat they make and I have no
genes for breast cancer.
Um, I have no family that hasbreast cancer like zero women in
the family on either side withbreast cancer.
I have no family that hasbreast cancer like zero women in
the family on either side withbreast cancer, ovarian cancer,
(42:34):
any of those cancers.
So it's really odd that I'm soyoung and got breast cancer.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Well, good, well, I hope that goes well, and how's
your son doing?
Speaker 1 (42:48):
He's great, he is an amazing kid.
He's 13 and he can tell you howto juice, how to grow stuff.
He never knew any of that either.
He would help me, you know,wash the veggies and stuff.
So he's a great kid.
I'm truly blessed.
I'm a single mom, so it's justhim and I.
(43:09):
So it was hard for him, youknow, at first to hear what's
going on, but he was encouraged,you know, and he would pray
with me.
We would spend lots of time,you know just.
You know, just tell him we haveto believe that God is going to
make this happen, you know,yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
And that's of course that speaks volumes to him to
see his mom figure things outand be a fighter and overcome
this, and so, yeah, that'sexcellent.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Yeah, so it's funny because he did.
I did bring him to church oneday.
I forgot why, but we went tochurch one day.
I think they were having anevent or something.
So we went and he went to hislittle boys group and the
teacher came to me later on andwas like he said the most
amazing prayer I've ever heard achild say, like, like it blew
(43:56):
my mind and it just, you know,it just made my heart melt,
because he's obviously listeningand learning, right, you know.
So I want him to have that too.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Yeah.
You know, well, jennifer, itwas.
It was great to meet you andyour.
Your story is fantastic.
I like happy endings.
They're always better.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Me too yes.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
How can people get a hold of you if they want to find
out more about your story?
Or do you not want people toget a hold of you?
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Yeah, no, they could call me.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Or is emailing better ?
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Email is good too.
They could email me in thehealing strong email okay, and
what is that?
I don't remember what it isit's hscentral okay right
healing strongcentralnc okay andc at gmailcom.
That's it.
So it's healing strongcentralncat gmailcom okay oh, the other
(44:50):
good thing is I also don't havea thyroid condition anymore, so
all those things also fixed mythyroid.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
I went back to the doctor and.
I said I need a refill on mythyroid medicine.
She said, well, we haven't doneyour labs, let's check your
labs.
And she did my exam and she'slike your thyroid's fine.
What do you mean?
So it fixed my thyroid in theprocess too, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Wow, that's excellent .
A little side benefit there,yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
All right, Well, Jennifer thank you so much for
sharing your story.
Oh, thanks for wanting to hearit.
You've been listening to the IAm Healing Strong podcast, a
part of the Healing Strongorganization.
We hope you found encouragementin this episode, as well as the
confidence to take control ofyour healing journey, knowing
that God will guide you on thispath.
Healing Strong is a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to
(45:43):
connect, support and educateindividuals facing cancer and
other diseases throughstrategies that help to rebuild
the body, renew the soul andrefresh the spirit.
It costs nothing to be a partof a local or online group.
You can do that by going to ourwebsite at healingstrongorg and
(46:06):
finding a group near you or anonline group, or start your own,
your choice.
While you're there, take a lookaround at all the free
resources.
Though the resources and groupsare free, we encourage you to
join our membership program at25 or $75 a month.
This helps us to be able toreach more people with hope and
(46:29):
encouragement, and that alsocomes with some extra perks as
well.
So check it out.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please give us a five-star
rating, leave an encouragingcomment and help us spread the
word.
We'll see you next week withanother story on the I Am
Healing Strong podcast.
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