A Breath Of Fresh Air And A Chance To Avoid Chemo

My health started to decline about two years ago with no diagnosis except for my existing diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). After losing a lot of weight and suffering from shortness of breath for an extended period of time, they finally decided to take my concerns seriously. They biopsied a large lymph node on my neck and diagnosed me with large B-cell lymphoma this past October 2018.

Although I was petrified, I started chemotherapy at the end of November. My first pet scan showed I was filled with cancer throughout my torso. I told Monica about the diagnosis and I started seeing her more consistently. I had chemo every three weeks and got pneumonia twice, which allowed me to get a break from chemo while Monica continued to work on me with Tong Ren, massage, and the laser and whatever other gadget she could try to assist in my healing.

My second pet scan showed that the cancer was decreasing in size. I had a third scan about four weeks after my last treatment. The cancer appeared to be gone except for one spot on the kidney. They biopsied my kidney and it turned out it was cancer again, but now it was in my kidney.

I was really frustrated with the news. They sent me to Dana Farber due to the complexity of the current situation. My husband and I were devastated. I met with an MD at Dana Farber and they decided that I needed a more aggressive
treatment regime. We felt like we had been kicked in the stomach.

They wanted me to start chemo ASAP and to prepare for a stem cell transplant shortly after. I told them that I needed to take a breath and think about everything before starting treatment. At that point, the doctor understood my reservation and agreed to do another pet scan to get a baseline before starting treatment.

I immediately contacted Monica to tell her and she treated me prior to this scan. The doctor and I decided that we would make a decision after this scan (July 05). The doctor told me it probably would not change treatment, but it will confirm the new plan.

After the scan, I met with the doctor and she told me that something unusual had occurred. This aggressive growing cell had reduced in size, which was not indicative of this type of cancer cell. She told us that we were putting the plan on hold and would get another pet scan in four weeks and then make a decision.

I continued to get treatment from Monica up until my last scan. I really put my life in her healing hands. I did tuina, Tong Ren, the laser, and whatever else Monica Calvo recommended. My last scan was on August 16, 2019 and my doctor told me that it was an aggressive growing type of cancer that should have increased in size but now she was happy to tell me that the cancer is gone. She apologized to me for the original plan to start chemo right away, scaring me that I could die eventually if I refused treatment.

I am so happy that I paused and took a breathe. Monica provided me with the calmness and healing I needed in order to stay strong and make a clear decision on my health My doctor could not explain why the cancer was gone, but at that point, I didn’t care. I am cancer free!

Thank you, Monica!
All my love, Robin W.