Diagnosis & Treatment

CANCER TYPE
Glioblastoma
AGE DIAGNOSED
36 years old
Medical Center
UCLA Medical Center - Los Angeles, CA
Surgeon
Dr. Linda Liau - UCLA Medical Center - Los Angeles, CA
Oncologist
Dr. Timothy Cloughesy - UCLA Medical Center - Los Angeles, CA
Clinical Trials
Medical Treatment
Radiation
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Details of Treatment
6 months of chemotherapy, 42 days of radiation
Medication During Treatment
Temodar
Alternative Therapies During Treatment
Meditation
Yoga
Ayurvedic medicine
Massage
Cannabis
Naturopath
No alcohol
Sound healing / frequency
IV Therapy
No sugar
Acupuncture
Exercise
Therapy (saw a traditional therapist)
Reiki
Supplements
Hypnotherapy
WHAT CANCER TAUGHT ME
The greatest gift cancer gave me was the opportunity to transform into the strongest and best version of myself. Cancer taught me that we need to give pain the space to breathe, in order to heal. Every painful, heart wrenching situation gives us perspective, and reminds us how we only have this one life to live. It gives us an opportunity to grow and become stronger.
Supplements
WHAt helped me during treatment
Favorite Quote
Once you choose HOPE, anything is possible.
Advice for Others
Always get a second opinion, and preferably at a cancer research hospital. I am alive today because of a second opinion and it almost didn't happen.

My Story

In early 2019, my world flipped upside down and my life changed forever. One moment I am a healthy, active, 36-year-old mom of two beautiful children living a normal life. The next, I'm staring at an image of a mass in my brain, being told I need brain surgery because I may have one of the deadliest forms of cancer: glioblastoma.

Time stopped at that moment. My breath was ripped away from me. I was in absolute shock, with so many questions racing through my mind.

How could this happen?

Why me?

What am I going to do?

Then fear immediately took over and tears poured down my face.

I don't want to die! How will my children grow up without a mother?

Still recovering from the agony and swelling of brain surgery, my oncologist recommended I immediately begin 42 days of combined radiation and chemotherapy treatment. Those 42 days were the hardest and darkest days of my life, and I am so thankful for the love and support I received from my family, friends, integrative healers, and doctors.

Even after the medical treatment, I was only given a 6% chance at living 12 months. I had to do more.

I was determined to fight and do whatever it took to heal. This was not only a physical fight—I knew I had to begin a mental, emotional, and spiritual healing journey.

I began listening to my body, using food as medicine by eating all organic and eliminating refined sugar and grains. I did weekly hypnotherapy, acupuncture, reiki, cranial sacral massages, daily meditation, walks on the beach, and Epsom salt baths. Basically anything and everything I could do to help my mind, body and spirit heal.

I could not have made it through conventional cancer treatment without doing every single one of these practices to support my fragile physical state. It helped keep me afloat when I was drowning in fear and constant pain. I made the choice to fight, the choice to live, the choice to be positive and trust that my body has the power to heal. I worked through stored negative trauma and emotions and let go of anything that felt heavy or stressful.

I fed every cell of my body with positive, loving thoughts and visualized a time when I would grow old and one day hold my grandchild—a moment that I would fight to live for.

Everyday I told myself these healing affirmations: I am healthy, I am strong, I am HEALED.

That was the truth I wanted my mind, body, and soul to hear if it was to become my reality. The truth wasn't the frail, broken reflection I saw in the mirror, but a resilient warrior who would rise stronger and healthier than ever.

I was determined to heal, because cancer was not going to take me away from my family. I believe everything happens for a reason, and there are valuable lessons and growth when we are faced with hardship and pain. I know I am alive today to help others going through this horrible health crisis. I was given the most lethal form of cancer, with the highest mortality rate, because God knew I would one day turn my curse into a blessing—a blessing not only for myself, but for others.

I am alive today to help give others the hope that better days are ahead and that they can find their inner strength and power to heal. For the first time in my life, I am truly awake, living a meaningful, fulfilled life. Every part of me is conscious and present. It has become a gift that I treasure every day—a gift that I hope to spread to others.

Why wait until you're sick to get healthy and live your best life? None of us know how many days we are given to live, so why don't we treat every day as a gift?

Choosing daily gratitude, joy, and positivity is what has given me perspective and helped me stay stable. It's my daily multivitamin, as important as drinking water and eating. It's medicine for my entire being, my mind, body, and spirit.

And although there is no cure for brain cancer, I hope to share my journey and lessons learned, and support my cancer community through Do Cancer.

I helped create this platform to provide a place of hope, support, and positivity when you hear those dreadful words: "You have cancer."

Do Cancer is a resource to help those in need of finding HOPE, INSPIRATION &STRENGTH to never stop believing in miracles, because I am one.

Together, we can do this, we can do anything, we can Do Cancer! HOPE IS THE GREATEST MEDICINE OF ALL.

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