My Story

My interest in science and food began in childhood. Being born to scientist parents who grew many of our fruits and vegetables and prepared home-cooked meals, you might say it was encoded in my genes.  Unfortunately, the other trait encoded in my genes was a predisposition to food sensitivities, poor detoxification, and related health problems. My childhood was littered with seemingly unrelated health concerns like unrelenting digestive problems, eczema, clumsiness and balance issues, menstrual complaints, and migraines, for which doctors could give no explanation. Still suffering, but possessing the determination typical of a firstborn, I earned a B.S. in biochemistry and spent my early career working in publishing and communications for scientific research organizations.

I've always been a great problem solver. Even though I struggled for years with endometriosis and infertility, I found the solution to my infertility through in-vitro fertilization and gave birth to my second child in 1999. We had moved to Berkeley, California, where I embraced yoga, a gluten-free diet, and what I thought was healthy eating. Over the next 14 years, I managed my family's two cross-country moves and overcame health crises that followed each move, including extreme vertigo and debilitating fatigue. Yet I failed to recognize that my body was trying to tell me something.

Because I was ready for a career change that shifted my focus to working with people rather than words on a page, I decided to pursue a nutrition consultant certification at Bauman College. During that time, I delved further into my health concerns with a functional medicine practitioner.

I started to work on correcting major hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and toxicities that dramatically increased my risk of breast cancer, but it was too late. Four months later, at age 50, I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and a second primary tumor wrapped around my spinal cord that required a debilitating surgery. 

This was followed by chemotherapy for the breast cancer that caused painful and permanent neuropathy. integrative oncologist.  The next three years were filled with visits to one specialist after the next, one drug after the next, trying to get relief from the pain. I even tried some very out of the box treatments, spending thousands of dollars. I developed extreme tingling in my left hand that seemed to be related to scar tissue from the port or delayed effects from the damage to my CNS from chemo.  I was angry and in pain. It was a dark time. 

My life and my family's lives had changed dramatically, and my daughter began to suffer emotional stress because of my illness. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and food sensitivities in 2015. Then I learned my breast cancer returned, this time Stage 4 in my liver and bones.

This is when my true healing began. I chose an integrative approach to treatment and I also focused on the emotional aspects underlying my recurrence. I also renewed my focus on discovering the underlying issues that led to my breast cancer, which had developed over years of relying on conventional medicine to “fix” my problems rather than discovering the root cause. At that time, full response to treatment and remission from Stage 4 breast cancer was rare in conventional oncology. Combining the recommendations of integrative cancer practitioners and doing my own my research on the cancer pathways important for HER2+ breast cancer,  I put together a comprehensive protocol to support my continued remission. 

My daughter and I are both on a healthier path today — my breast cancer and her autoimmune disease have been in remission since 2015.

Since 2019, I’ve been an active participant in several integrative cancer Facebook groups and started my own group for HER2+ breast cancer.    About a year after we met, I joined with fellow thriver Abbey Mitchell to create an interactive spreadsheet that summarizes the research we’ve found on off-label drugs and natural  substances that block pathways that drive breast cancer.  We offer this spreadsheet freely to our community. 

In 2023, I launched a new group for HER2+ breast cancer as part of the Radiant Healing Together Circle platform after deciding I wanted a more community-oriented platform for my group, free of Facebook ad targeting, as well as a space I could customize for my followers’ needs.

Even though neuropathy and Stage 4 breast cancer are chronic health conditions that can never be "cured," my overall health is better than it has been in years. I credit this to the advanced nutrition training I've completed along the way, as well as to my commitment to stress management practices. I approach health conditions from a functional perspective, helping the body heal itself rather than simply placing Band-Aids in the form of drugs or supplements. 

As a functional nutritionist by profession, I know that diet and lifestyle are powerful tools.  I choose to combine the best of allopathic and evidence-based herbal medicine and nutrition in my personal protocol.  Lots of lifestyle changes too. Daily meditation, gratitude, and physical exercise are my “non-negotiables.”

I live in Northern California about an hour and a half north of San Francisco on a beautiful property with views of vineyards, redwood trees, and mountains. I realize I’m incredibly fortunate and practice gratitude as part of my healing. I firmly believe if I had relied only on the advice of my oncologist without seeking out other experts and taking an active role in my healing, I likely would have had another recurrence by now. I have maintained remission from Stage 4 breast cancer for 8 years as of 2023.