September 2012
During the week, I have a look at the Kelly’s Clinic website. I read her story of being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 38, undergoing surgery and chemo that wasn’t working, and then heading to Germany for alternative options. So interesting. It had never occurred to me to even look outside what The Agency was offering me or to try to determine if the protocol was actually working along the way.
I start to see Dr. Sanjay twice a week for a combination of therapies, including Vitamin C and Mistletoe. One of the first tests that we order is a Circulating Tumour Cell (CTC) test. Dr. Sanjay takes a blood sample and sends it off to a lab in Germany for analysis. This test will measure the risk of tumour cells circulating in the blood and potentially metastasizing elsewhere in the body. A decreasing value over time is a good indication of response to treatment. Once the primary tumour is removed, it is unlikely that all of your cancer is gone. Interesting to know. Why did The Agency tell me that I was cancer free? The test also helps to determine if your treatments are working properly or if there is a problem brewing. The results of my first test is 31 million CTCs. This number is on the higher side, but not alarming considering all of the treatment that I have just undergone. Not all results are good news, but they are always good information. For more information on the CTC testing, check out Maintrac CTC Testing.
At this point, I am still living in fear of the unknown. I am on my own, trying to figure this cancer thing out, and there are a million things to know. I head into Dr. Sanjay’s office for my IV on a Saturday morning and find that I am sharing the room with another lady. She immediately introduces herself to me as Kelly. I ask, “You mean, THE Kelly?” She laughs easily and her eyes sparkle as I tell her that I read her story online. We spend the next two hours talking about cancer in such a way that we could have been talking about something as simple as the weather.
Kelly is a ray of sunshine. She is so open and honest about her story, and at the same time, she is removing the fear in talking about cancer. She shares her experience in Germany, but most importantly, she shares her philosophy on living with cancer. She tells me that cancer is like a chronic disease that needs to be managed. She has had her ups and downs over the years and has always managed to stay ahead of it. She says that fear will only escalate the problem. It's better to love your cancer and take care of it rather than feeding it with negative energy. Kelly explains that the tools at The Agency are only a very small percentage of the tools available to us. So if the cancer does come back, we have so many other options available to keep managing it. Nothing that she has done is extreme. She simply uses all of the diagnostic tools available to her to keep one pace in front of cancer. Kelly was in a precarious position when she was first diagnosed, and here she is, eleven years later, looking healthy and vibrant.
Ok, Kim, breathe … control for the Type A is returning. Cancer doesn’t mean you either live or die. There is a huge grey area where people actually live with cancer for a very long time. If you are a smart cookie, you will find your way through it. Kelly advises me to “stay away from the edge”…do not let the dark side take control. Once you head down that path, you are in trouble. The mind is such a powerful healer. Allow it to do what it does best.
Meeting Kelly is one of the best things that could have happened to me. I have learned more about cancer in two hours than collectively in the past nine months. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Sanjay, whom I know orchestrated this meeting. He knew that she would help me as, I learn later, she has helped so many women before me, sitting in a recliner having an IV.
For the first time in almost a year, I am excited. I tell everyone who will listen about Kelly and her story. I am at ease now. No need for crazy fear. I got this!
- Kim
photo:Krista McKeachie