We’re thrilled to bring you this inspirational story and message from Jeannette Bajalia, founder of Woman’s Worth® and Growing Bolder’s financial expert.
Jeannette Bajalia was just 36 when she felt a lump in her breast. She ignored it, thinking it would go away, but later called her doctor — just in case. Because she was healthy and had no family history of cancer at all, she assumed that she would get the all clear but after a mammogram and a biopsy, doctors gave her the devastating diagnosis: cancer, with the recommendation for aggressive treatment, including a mastectomy.
At the time, Jeannette was working in an intense career field where she spent 60 hours a week in the office, serving as a caregiver to two family members and studying for her graduate degree at night. She had a lot of life left ahead of her.
The doctors told her that even with chemotherapy, radiation and other medical treatments, she might have a 45-55% chance of recurrence. She decided to research and ultimately choose a more holistic route, which might cure the cancer rather than just put it into remission.
Jeannette says:
I consider myself to have been diagnosed in the “dark ages of breast cancer treatment” and what I did was pioneer something 29 years ago that was not even accepted by any audience, nor even easily available for consideration. Because of my choice to reject traditional cancer treatment, I signed my life away in a medical system that was convinced I was going to die if I didn’t accept the recommended treatment protocol and opt for an alternative treatment plan from who they considered a ‘quack.’
So, I signed to release them of any liability and went on to pursue my metabolic treatment program under a fully licensed and credentialed Cornell University trained MD who treated cancer with a clinically developed diet specific to my DNA, a program of nutritional supplements consisting of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, glandulars and pancreatic enzymes, and detox protocols.
I knew this was right for me because I had to rebuild my DNA to heal the immune system. Is this right for everyone? Absolutely not, but it was right for me. Women deserve choices and there are enormous choices today which were not available 29 years ago — both traditional orthodox choices as well as alternative and complementary choices. How should you decide? Based on your personal health style, your health personality, how disciplined you are, and what you want to get out of a treatment program.
Jeannette still gets re-evaluated by her doctor in New York City once a year to determine whether she needs any adjustment to her lifestyle, and she has stuck with these protocols for the last 29 years. She says that she’s human and sometimes falls off the wagon, but does consider herself to be cured from cancer.
From Jeannette, in her own words:
Eleanor Roosevelt once said “you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Twenty-nine years ago, that was me when I got the breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 36.
I experienced every emotion known to mankind, and many of you reading this who have experienced the breast cancer diagnosis or know someone who has know what I mean. As I reflect on the 29 years of facing the cancer fear, I am reminded of the strength, courage, and confidence that this journey has rewarded me with. I believe in the depths of my spirit that I would not be who I am today had I not experienced the fear and confronted it with my faith in God, my determination and conviction, and my support group of holistic physicians and precious family and friends. Thank you to all who played a role in my journey.
When life throws you a curve ball, you can choose to fight, or you can choose to allow it to stop you in your tracks. Thank God my choice was to fight, and fight I did to get through the journey in a way that would influence many other lives and reach out to men and women who are impacted by this disease. We’ve come a long way ladies!!
That’s the good news; the bad news is that we have a way to go because we are still losing precious lives – our sisters, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, friends who lost their battle. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. We have to keep fighting to stomp it out.
To all of you who have been impacted by breast cancer, you are in my thoughts and prayers as we recognize National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let us be mindful for a few moments and lift up prayers for the lives that have been lost prematurely due to this disease, the careers that have been impacted, the relationships broken, financial lives ruined, and most importantly the work we have yet to do to stomp out this disease.
Bottom line is that the first thing you need to know is what your options are , then research the options, analyze the options, talk to other women who experienced the treatment plans, make a choice based on the facts, not emotion, and take on the treatment plan with a positive attitude, relentless determination and conviction and faith in God.