Jeannette's story

My Story.

Danish, living in the Hague, The Netherlands, since 2005, working with IT in a big transport company. Age 51. Single. One Son 23, living in Copenhagen.

Just arriving back from summer holidays last year I got the letter next morning from the clinic that photos of my breasts looked worrying and I urgently needed to go and see my GP. Same afternoon I got the message: 75 % sure that you have a cancer tumor in left breast. After the first chock sitting with the GP - it was my first consultation with her - I asked to proceed asap with next steps. One week later confirmed: Yes, you have indeed a tumor, 2.3 cm, and we found cancer cells in one of your lymp clants as well. Operation 12 days later mid July 2007, all lymp clants gone (22 all in all) and 2 clants found positive with cancer cells, but luckily the ones closest to the breast and all other clants around clean. Not too good, but could be worse. Prognose: 85% chance of survival over the coming 10 years, if you take all the treatments, which were: radiation end of August until start of October. 4 chemo treatments (AC) until end of December and afterwards 12 weeks Taxol-Herceptine until end of March 2008 with the Herceptine to be continued until end of this year.

The emotional confrontation felt massive - but after the first dive I felt a strong, strong need for structure in my life. Not certainties, because they were already gone, but at least structure and the feeling that I also could do more than just receiving all these treatments. At the same time I just started a carrier here in the Netherlands, and I really felt that this was not the time to leave yourself home on the couch in a passive role. A good friend of my having a brother also with cancer said to me: you can do a lot yourself. Look at alternatives on the Internet, food, vitamins, what ever will work for you is important. Which I did, and I bumped into your web-site and saw the stories about people achieving remarkable results - like yourself - by sticking to the advice you created for yourself. I could hardly believe, that all the facts you presented was not communicated much more in common, and decided immediately to follow the cure. Got the your books in few days, organised and planned everything for myself, encouraged by the stories I saw on the Internet on your homepage.

I went to my manager and our HR director and asked for their support to work the whole way through my coming sickness period. They looked a bit surprised, but got extra help for me via our company doctor. We planned everything and my manager allowed my the responsibility to get some help from colleagues and to recruit extra help if needed. He was my true supporter saying: do not worry in one years time you will be fine again. The company doctor was a bit more like, ok, but you must foresee periods where you will run into delays etc....but he also accepted my planning I had sat up with my oncologist in the hospital. Goals: to work 25-30 hours a week during radiation, app. 20 hours a week during the AC treatments, and then more again during the taxol treatments.

During the whole period I have been following the main principles in your books. Not completely. But sticked to the principles of no milk at all, no meet at all during the radiation and chemo treatments, and inspired from your fantastic recepies I developed my own habits of how to eat by your principles. My favourite cafe makes my omelet without milk and adjust all the dishes to the principles. Great place called: Leuk (pleasure) here in the Hague.

The results have been remarkable. Our HR director sponsored my transport with taxi during the AC treatments so I could go to our office and work every day. Colleagues helped out picking me up at hospital after treatments. Neighbourghs and other friends like-wise. I hardly used extra medicine for side effects during the AC treatments and no extra medicine for side effects at all during the Taxol treatments. I did loose my hair, had still problems with my nails. But the main results was still that I have been able to work every each day (except for the days with treatments). On the company doctors advise I went home on my couch every afternoon, but not until after a good days work. Yes, I was of course tired underway, but not that tired. I ordered my groceries via Internet, got them brought home. Was on a little Christmas vacation 2 days with my son not far away, but still a lot of fun. And I could not walk for hours, but still we had a good time together.

In end of April I was back to work full time and the last 3 months I have been working 50 hours a week setting up a new competence centre for IT training in my company. Every 3rd week I go to the hospital and get my Herceptine, and yes, I am worried about my heart condition, get a scan every 3rd month, until now without complications.

I have some side effects and still a lot of concerns about my future, I think like all other people with cancer, but I strive every day to convince my body that survival is all that matters, and I see your latest book now coming out, that will be my next one to read.

Once again thanks. I found my strength via your clear messages, in a moment, where there were not so many really clear facts about alternatives together with traditional treatments. What makes your initiatives very special to me, is your approach saying: stay with good research, use your own brain and common sense to look at what you dare to believe in yourself, and take action and responsibility. Your arguments are strong and with quite some odds against me, I still strive to achieve the same as you. A cancer free life against high odds.

I only wish that more politicians would listen - how on earth could it hurt to let all cancer patients to get all the good information and advise you have provided?

... Other success stories

See also some reviews of Jane Plant's books !