Life has the habit of sending you curve balls when you least expect it. While on DeCouracy island I became ill and my friends took me to Nanimo hospital.    " You have metasized cancer.  Prognosis  three weeks!"  the doctor told me.  You can imagine the shock, horror and desperation I felt upon hearing this news.  When my 19 year-old son arrived and I carefully explained what I had been told.  He  crawled in bed with me, put his arms around me and said, "Well Mom, then we have to have as much fun as possible"  That was three years, 7 months ago.

My oncologist informed me I had Leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer that hits four people in a million. I would rather have won the lottery. Since the primary source of the cancer was in the uterus, a hysterectomy was performed.  They were unable to get all the cancer from the walls, so then it spread to my pelvis and both lungs. I was given the clinical trial drug Veg F Trap, but it did not work for me. Radiation shrunk the pelvis and uterine wall tumours but they were unable to get rid of it.

Although I was willing to try traditional cancer treatment, I knew I needed more. For me, I was lucky to try naturopathic medicine and acupuncture in the first three weeks of my diagnosis – and continue to this day. My naturopath and acupuncturist gave me the power to help myself and the confidence to believe that I had choices. I believe I would not be here today without their intervention.   I think the key for me was that I started alternate treatments almost immediately after diagnosis.

I am thrilled that the Thrive Alive Foundation has been established. Alternate treatment is so expensive and prohibits many (and many friends of mine) from seeking out  these  treatments.  Congratulations to the organizers for helping provide life-saving treatments to all.