Hello Dawn’s Tribe!
My name is Gaye Abbott and I have known Dawn for about 4 years now. We met in Austin after a mutual friend introduced us via email when Dawn and her husband Richard moved to Austin for his work. She likes to say it was “love at first sight” which translated means we felt like we had known each other for lifetimes and were just picking up where we left off the last time.
Our friendship has deepened over this time as life unfolded a recent divorce for her and then just 3 weeks ago a diagnosis of cancer. As synchronicity would have it a few months ago she and Lulu moved into the same house I live in here in Grass Valley with a separate unit right across the hallway from me as it became available just as she was looking for a new place to live.
She has asked me to start this CaringBridge for her so that you, her beloved tribe, can be kept updated on how she is doing and what she may need along the way. This will serve as a means to communicate with her and for her to do the same with you as she focuses on her healing journey.
The week of June 11th our beloved Dawn found a lump in her left breast and on 6/14/18 through a diagnostic mammogram and needle biopsy found out she had infiltrating ductal carcinoma (Stage 2, Grade B, ER+, PR-, HER2 -).
Since then it has been an on going journey of blood tests, CT’s, MRI’s, ultrasounds and appointments with Oncologists, Surgeons and Radiation Oncologists to determine how extensive this cancer is. It has been an emotional roller coaster off and on, but also one filled with breakthroughs in awareness and major shifts releasing patterns or thoughts that compromise her well being and overall health.
From these diagnostics it was learned that she has multiple cancerous lesions in one quadrant of the left breast and one lymph node that is involved. This more aggressive infiltrating tumor is only slightly estrogen positive. At this point no metastatic lesions have been found, however she still has a bone scan and MRI of the brain to undergo to rule this out.
This week she spent all day at Anatara Medicine Clinic with Dr. Ahvie Hershkowitz and his colleagues moving towards a more holistic approach to treatment and healing:
https://www.anataramedicine.com/about-us/our-team/ She has decided to move her care to this clinic and will undergo extensive therapies including: insulin-potentiation low dose chemotherapy (IPT). Little or no nausea, hair loss or compromising of immune system as this chemotherapy is low dose and targeted to use only the chemo agents her body responded to positively. Because of the insulin potentiation (cancer cells love sugar and must have it to keep growing and multiplying) before the chemo delivery only the cancer cells are targeted as they have opened up their cell walls to receive the sugar. (this is how PET scans show up cancerous lesions in the body) Normal cells will not do this. If you are interested you may read more about this innovative book on the subject called “A Kinder, Gentler Cancer Treatment”
https://www.amazon.com/Kinder-Gentler-Cancer-Treatment-Potentiation/dp/143925852X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530835659&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=a+kinder+gentle+chemotherapy Also included in her treatments will be nutritional analysis; high dose Vitamin C and oxidation IV therapy; lab testing including a blood test sent to Germany that will tell them exactly what chemo therapeutic agents will best treat the cancer tumor cells; nutritional analysis; ozone sauna therapy; pulsed electromagnetic field treatment; detoxification; lymphatic massage; Chinese medicine including acupuncture; infrared sauna treatments; botanical medicine; and possibly immunotherapy.
For this treatment plan she has been asked to go down to the clinic twice a week for the next 2 weeks for I.V. therapies and ozone transfusions then when all testing is back, including the blood tests from Germany, if it’s all a go she will spend 3-4 weeks in San Francisco 5-days a week for I.V. insulin-potentiation low dose chemotherapy treatments. Her sons Brendan and Devin are in the Bay area and are there to lovingly and logistically support her in this process.
She will not make a decision on surgery until she receives the genetic testing and bone scan results, but may be looking at a lumpectomy or mastectomy with the surgeon here in Grass Valley whom she likes a lot. She has decided against traditional chemotherapy at this point as well as radiation therapy.
We welcome your prayers, positive thoughts, encouragement, support of her decision on the treatment plan she is embarking upon, and willingness to offer assistance when we put out to everyone what she may need on an on going or one-time basis.
We will post updates each week as this all unfolds. Just so you know Dawn’s attitude and strong belief, with beloved Lulu right by her side, is that this journey with cancer is a gift. Her mantra is “I’ve got this!”, which in other words means I am going to thrive and live many more health filled years!!
She is already receiving and acknowledging each of you with tons of gratitude!
