September 2009 was a life changing month for me. I remember every detail like it was yesterday. It was the first day of school for our daughters and a day I always looked forward to hearing all about. Instead, I received a phone call from my surgeon asking for my husband, Donald, and I to come to her office. I knew why she wanted to see us. Quite honestly, I could not even bear the thought of driving over there. My biopsy results had come in. I did, in fact, have breast cancer –ugh! Since I already knew why she wanted to see us, I asked if we could please schedule for another day. I needed this day to cleave to my family and assemble my prayer warriors! For those of you who have experienced a cancer diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, you know that it is a crazy roller coaster ride. Thus, my ride began! Fortunately for me, I had been working with a functional medicine doctor from the day I first felt the lump. She was preparing my body for the worst while we were all prayerfully hoping for the best. To this day, I believe my positive outcome had much to do with this! What I was not prepared for, however, was all the crazy emotions I went through. I remember waking up each morning in a cold sweat, heart palpitations that mimicked a bad dream. I had always been a student of learning and I especially loved learning what functional/integrative/holistic doctors were doing to cure many health issues, including cancer. From there I established an army, and off we went to battle. I ordered a gazillion books on healing cancer naturally, pulled out years and years of newsletters I had saved and for an entire week my husband and I hunkered down to read anything that pertained to cancer. I finally felt prepared for the challenges ahead. I had a mastectomy later that month. From there we sought doctors and facilities to fit the model of healing I was seeking. I decided to forego chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, I embarked on an all-natural journey to healing. My routine consisted of MANY things such as high-dose Vitamin C infusions, diet change, lots of supplements and mistletoe treatment. I do want to add that my doctor was not a “mistletoe doctor” but had studied the amazing benefits of it. Ironically, the supplier of my mistletoe had stopped shipping their product and that is when God led me to Believe Big. I am so thankful for their support and guidance to point me in the right direction. I feel so blessed to have come across Believe Big, and truly believe they are game changers in the cancer arena. Oh, and by the way, could they not be any kinder? While they are doing amazing things in the field of cancer treatment, their work on the forefront with patients is unparalleled. Never have I met an entire group of people filled with so much compassion and kindness as the Believe Big Team! Donald and I are honored to support Believe Big financially so that more individuals like myself can be helped. I am celebrating my 11th year of being NED (No Evidence of Disease)! Today I watch my hormone levels, try to eat a consistent, organic diet and take supplements for cancer prevention. I also proactively had my breast implants removed when I began to experience arthritis in both hands along with other symptoms. Reconstruction was an expected part of “my team’s” protocol at that time, and I never questioned things until years later. My advice to anyone finding themselves on this cancer journey is • Assemble a prayer team, regardless of your faith. • Do your research before committing to any treatment. • Reach out to organizations like Believe Big for research and support. • Make yourself a priority. It’s not selfish to take good care of yourself! In His Love, Lori Falk (and the entire Falk Family)