How I Chose Integrative Care for My Cancer Journey
Written by Jenny Bradley, MA, CHCC, CNE
With my chest still burning from the biopsy a few days prior, the phone ringing stopped me in my tracks. I had been waiting for the official news… one way or another. I stood at the patio door looking for hope in the grey winter sky as the doctor read the results to me.
“It IS a carcinoma as I suspected. It’s been sent out for further pathology testing. We’ll contact you again when we have further information that will inform the treatment recommendations.”
A few remarks between us, we ended the call, and my whole world abruptly changed.
My brain zipped around its memory bank. Trying to recall anything I had learned about cancer care, I suddenly remembered years earlier I had seen an “anticancer” docu-series on PBS. The presentation by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, was about a variety of ways we could support our healing beyond the standard of care.
Aha! Signal number one that there was something I could do!
Next, my mind sparked with the recall of “there’s something about vitamin C and cancer”. That’s about all I could remember. So, I set out to search the phrase “vitamin C + cancer” online, and right there in front of me was a vast set of evidence-based information about integrative cancer therapies from Riordan Clinic.
Without even knowing the detailed pathology of the cancer diagnosis, I started calling Riordan. It was a few days before Christmas. While a cheery holiday spirit was all around, I was instantly focused on finding support for this new life-changing diagnosis.
It was going to be difficult to get a consultation during the holiday season, but within 19 days of that initial “it’s cancer” call, I was sitting across from my first doctor at Riordan Clinic.
Before I could even get in to see the conventional oncologist, I had my first round of extensive testing and a plan moving forward with my licensed Naturopath at Riordan. I was serious about starting integrative care. I started high-dose IV Vitamin C that very same day after a quick blood test proved it was safe for my body.
During that new patient consult, my husband and I had 90 minutes of deeply personalized discussion with my doctor in Dome 5. One of our top priorities in taking an integrative approach to cancer was to have “checks and balances”. We had the standard of care to give us the appropriate monitoring and surgeries. We had naturopathic care to support me through all of it and give me a good quality of life.
In my particular case, conventional care only recommended one particular drug and major surgery, to which the initial surgeon said she “wouldn’t do for at least six months”. With my family’s medical history, that one drug got ruled out after serious evaluation. All of that gave me a considerable need to intensely dive into an anticancer lifestyle and naturopathic support.
That first round of testing at Riordan revealed I had a significant hormone imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, and a sluggish liver. My body’s terrain could not keep up with proper immune function.
If my body was going to heal, I would need to address all of these critical issues…something my conventional physicians were not interested in as they solely focused on their one specialty.
I’m so grateful my Naturopathic doctor at Riordan never told me to avoid conventional care. I’m also thankful she said in our very first conversation, “We are here to treat the whole Jenny, not just a spot”. All these years later, that comment has stayed with me and stayed true to all my practitioners at Riordan Clinic.
While my care team at Riordan has changed through the years, all of my providers have played an important role in supporting the “whole Jenny and not just a spot”. Through the variety of helpful recommendations and referrals they have given, I’ve more than thrived through my cancer journey.
Now with years of “no evidence of disease”, I continue my wellness care through the guidance of my Naturopathic Oncologist at Riordan Clinic in Wichita, Kansas. We monitor and assess lab work, real-life factors, and my environmental needs to support my body overall. It’s all a part of an evidence-based, hopeful anticancer strategy.
The hope I needed on that gray winter day back in 2017 came all throughout the years, and with the compassionate care of my team at Riordan.
Jenny Bradley
Certified Holistic Cancer Coach & Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert
Jenny Bradley has been thriving through cancer since her diagnosis in 2017. She is passionate about guiding fellow cancer patients into more peace and less overwhelm during the cancer journey through her 1-on-1 coaching and online courses. She is a Certified Holistic Cancer Coach, a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, and a Licensed Pastor who’s been featured as a guest on many podcasts and projects. Jenny especially loves helping fellow breast cancer thrivers understand integrative options and how to be prepared for and recover from breast cancer surgeries. She also enjoys serving as an Ambassador for the Annie Appleseed Project where she helps lead educational initiatives about integrative cancer care. Jenny lives in the middle of the USA with her husband, Mike, and their cute little dog named Poppy.
Learn more about Jenny at:
shrinkthemutantschool.com
Instagram: @shrinkthemutant
