[Update: I wrote this in October of 2014. It’s been 3 years, and I’m still doing great. Thanks to all of you who continue to check up on me and wish me well!]
It was February 5th, my mother’s birthday and a month before the 20th anniversary of my becoming vegan. I was sitting in a breast surgeon’s office in a paper gown, cradling my biopsied breast and waiting. After about an hour and a half, my surgeon finally appeared, apologizing for keeping me waiting because the results had only just come in. He took a deep breath and said, “You don’t have cancer.” I thought, “I didn’t think I did.” Unfortunately, as I would later find out, we both were wrong.
He went on to explain that the biopsy found abnormal cells, officially called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), but often referred to as Stage 0 or pre-cancer. While I was still reeling from the word “carcinoma,” he explained that these cells might become cancer, so they had to be treated like cancer. My options were a lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy. I asked whether there was any chance that the pathology report could be wrong, and my doctor said no.
I was stunned. I left in a daze and went over to my husband’s office nearby to give him the news.
Three months before, a routine mammogram had spotted a place that looked different from my last mammogram. I was sent to the Breast Health Center for another mam and then an ultrasound to get a closer look. The spot was so small and deep inside the breast that the ultrasound technician couldn’t find it at all, so I was given an appointment to return in three months. At that three month mammogram, the “spot” was clearly visible even to me as a glowing white circle in a sea of black and gray. A ultrasound-guided biopsy was scheduled for early the next week.
I’d had one of these biopsies four years ago, and that spot had turned out to be nothing but a harmless cyst, so I had been expecting the same results this time. Like most women, I didn’t think “The Big C” could happen to me. But because I was a vegan, I think I was even more positive that I couldn’t have cancer. After all, wasn’t I doing everything the vegan doctors tell us to do to protect ourselves from heart disease and cancer? Low-fat, lots of green and cruciferous vegetables and brightly colored fruit? No animal products? Moreover, no one in my family had ever had cancer. I naively thought I was immune.
So I didn’t really believe the pathology report, and I became even more skeptical when I read an article that said that DCIS is sometimes misdiagnosed. I decided to get a second opinion from one of the doctors mentioned in that article, a pathologist specializing in breast cancer in San Francisco. I had the hospital send him my biopsy slides, and a week later, I had a consultation with him on the phone. He was unable to confirm DCIS or rule out actual cancer because the radiologist who had performed the biopsy had noted that he had actually missed the “mass.” The biopsy needle had gone in front of the suspected tumor and gathered cells from there, just a few that looked abnormal. But until the actual mass was tested, the pathology specialist couldn’t rule out either DCIS or invasive cancer. He suggested I get another, more accurate, biopsy called a stereotactic biopsy, and I asked my doctor to schedule it.
I had high hopes that this second biopsy would show no DCIS and no cancer. Those hopes were shot down when my new medical oncologist called to give me the results: I had a small invasive cancer, Stage 1, that showed signs of being aggressive. She recommended surgery within the next 3-4 weeks. Just to be sure, I had the slides sent to the pathologist in San Francisco, who agreed with her diagnosis.
Snowball Fight with Daughter E at Oberlin College
So I did what any logical person would do: I took a vacation. It was Spring Break, and my husband and I had planned a 5-day trip to take our high school junior (now senior) to visit 6 colleges in the Midwest. We wanted to do it while we could because we knew that after the surgery, I would need 6 ½ weeks of daily radiation treatments and might not be able to get away during the summer. The trip was a great distraction, but as soon as we got home, I made an appointment with the surgeon and scheduled my lumpectomy for the following week.
The surgery went perfectly. The surgeon removed the tumor and the area around it, as well as three lymph nodes which tested negative: the cancer had not spread to them. A week later, I returned to the surgeon’s office for more good news: The final pathology report showed that the “margins” or edges of the material he had removed were clean, meaning that all of the targeted cancer cells had probably been removed. The only worrisome thing to my husband and me were some figures in the report that seemed a little scary, particularly a “grade” of 3, meaning the cancer was aggressive. My surgeon was unconcerned, and my oncologist said that she would order a genetic test called Oncotype DX to more conclusively determine my chances of having the cancer recur.
A few weeks went by as I recovered from the surgery and waited for the results of the Oncotype test. I was expecting to start radiation soon when my medical oncologist called with the test results. They indicated that I was at a moderately high risk of recurrence. She was recommending that I have chemo.
This was the first time the other Big C word had been mentioned, and for some reason, “chemotherapy” scared me more than “cancer.” The oncologist explained that the type of chemo she was recommending was “well-tolerated” and without all of the serious long-term consequences of other treatments. I wasn’t convinced, and I began frantically researching the chemo itself and alternatives to it.
Walking and thinking in a cypress swamp
I was in a panic. On the one hand, I’ve always believed in fighting disease with nutrition and had always been opposed to taking any medication if it could be avoided. On the other hand, hadn’t I been doing just that for the past 20 years? My oncologist was telling me that chemo could reduce my risk of having the cancer recur and spread, that preventing it now would be much easier than trying to stop if it spread to my other organs. I went back and forth, one day deciding that chemo was just too dangerous and the next deciding that I didn’t want to take the risk of the cancer coming back. I was, frankly, a mess. I couldn’t sleep or eat for worrying about the chemo. I finally decided to get a second opinion from a highly recommended breast cancer oncologist at the University Medical Center.
My second opinion doctor came back with the same recommendation as the first: Have the chemo. She assured me that I was young (me!) and healthy and I could handle it. And it would cut my chance of recurrence in half.
My husband was very careful to stand back and let me make the decision for myself, but I knew that he hoped that I would have the chemo. And I was afraid that if I didn’t have it, I would be anxious for the rest of my life, afraid that I hadn’t done everything I possibly could to prevent a recurrence. I’d read the stories of people who had fought their cancer with diet and lifestyle choices, but those people weren’t already eating a whole foods, plant-based diet like I was.
So I decided to do the chemo, four rounds, three weeks apart. I read everything I could find about the treatments and armed myself with supplements that could help prevent side effects. And I found out my oncologist was right: the treatments, though no fun, we’re not as bad as I’d feared. My side effects were minimal, the most annoying being a bad taste in my mouth that would come and go and made it difficult to create new recipes.
Just after my initial diagnosis, I’d begun getting up at 5:30 every morning and walking with my husband and our dog. During chemo, and later radiation, I considered it a point of honor that I never missed a walk. On the weekends, my family and I tried to get out of the house and do a little hiking or local sightseeing so that I wouldn’t feel like the treatment was making me isolated. I ate lots of fruits and vegetables to support my immune system and was careful to avoid coming into contact with people who were sick, and I sailed through my summer of chemo without so much as a sniffle.
A Visit to “My” Lake at Montreat, NC
When chemo ended, I was determined to take a family vacation before I had to start radiation therapy, so at the beginning of August, we spent a week in the mountains of North Carolina and a few days in Nashville, seeing my newest niece for the first time (and, of course, my brother and sister-in-law).
I got back home and jumped right into daily radiation treatments–33 of them. Again, the treatments weren’t nearly as bad as I expected, but I was thrilled when they ended last week. I couldn’t wait to put all of this cancer stuff behind me.
I didn’t write about this while it was going on mainly because I was afraid that people would offer suggestions and criticisms of my decision to go through with chemo and radiation, and I just couldn’t risk the additional stress that would have put on me. So why am I telling you now? Even though this blog is recipe-oriented and not usually very personal, I wasn’t sure if I could go on writing it if I had to pretend like something this big hadn’t happened to me, something that has consumed the last eight months of my life and has changed the way I see myself and the way I think about diet, veganism, and health.
My first month post-diagnosis, before I had the specter of chemo to worry me, all I could think about was “why” and “how”: Why did I, a vegan who tries to eat healthy, get cancer when no one else in my Standard American Diet-eating family has ever had cancer? What had I done wrong? Had I eaten too few nuts? Too little cilantro? Not enough flax seeds? BPA? Soy?! I worried that I had caused my cancer by never being able to get to my goal weight and stay there, that I didn’t exercise consistently, that I had had only one child late in life and that I hadn’t breastfed her long enough.
I was blaming myself, and I had a lot of help from the Internet. I couldn’t visit Facebook without seeing posts about how eating X (broccoli, nuts, soy, orange) would help prevent cancer. Or people posting about their frustration that a friend or family member had breast cancer and refused to treat it by adopting a plant-based diet. If I, someone who had been eating all the right things (and not eating all the wrong ones), got the message that I was to blame for my cancer, how must other cancer patients feel, the ones who hadn’t been stuffing themselves with kale and mushrooms? Is there a way to promote a plant-based diet that doesn’t point the finger of blame, that doesn’t make grand promises of health, and that doesn’t make people like me feel so confident in the invincibility of our diets that we put off mammograms or other screening tests?
I don’t know. But for me, it’s been helpful to think of the vegan diet as promoting health, but not providing a “Get out of Disease Free” card. My friend Maria made me see that even if my diet didn’t prevent me from getting cancer, perhaps the cancer would have grown much more quickly if I hadn’t been vegan. Perhaps I wouldn’t have sailed through chemo without ever needing nausea meds if I hadn’t been nourishing my body with fruits and vegetables. Perhaps my immune system wouldn’t have stayed as strong as it did or my energy as high if I had been consuming animal products.
It’s also been helpful to me to remember my real reason for being vegan. Though I’ve followed a McDougall-type diet ever since I became vegan, my ultimate reason for becoming vegan was not to improve my own health but to decrease the suffering of animals. So if you’re reading this and worrying that I’m going to be another vegan blogger who goes back to eating animals for her own health, don’t. No diagnosis in the world could convince me to eat another animal or animal product.
As for my current health, I feel great, and I’m confident that I caught this cancer early and have done and am doing everything medically and nutritionally possible to make sure I never have to worry about it again. I’ve tweaked my diet to reduce or eliminate foods I don’t need (sugar, soy, wine, and coffee) and to increase those I wasn’t eating enough of before (broccoli sprouts, flax seeds, organics). I walk at least once and sometimes twice a day, and soon I’ll be starting a workout routine at the gym. I plan to lose the extra weight I’ve been carrying around, which is the biggest threat to my health.
I think the hardest struggle I’ve faced isn’t physical but emotional. My image of myself as a healthy person who never took pills and was confident her vegan diet would protect her from anything–that image took a pretty big hit. I’ve been worried about “coming out” as a vegan with cancer for fear that non-vegans would see it as proof that a vegan diet “doesn’t work” and that some vegans would skewer me for resorting to traditional medicine. In the end, I decided that I had to put my truth out there so that I can get past it and get back to blogging as usual. Next post, you can expect a recipe. Cancer isn’t on the menu.
Loki has become an excellent therapy cat–when he isn’t destroying the house.
Thank you to all my family, friends, and friends of friends who offered love and support. And to my church, the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Jackson, and my parents’ church, The First Presbyterian Church of Hammond, LA (love the shawl and cap, y’all!) And to Maria Maggi, Nava Atlas, Dreena Burton, and Stephanie Weaver–wise women all, whose words of advice and offers of support helped me more than they probably know.
Linda
I am so sorry that you had to travel this road. But I want to thank you for writing this column because I have been fighting some of the same issues and keeping it all to myself because I didn’t want others to know that my lifestyle did not protect me. You gave me another way to look at my problems and when I get down I will reread your column and undoubtedly feel better. Thank you again, and good health to you.
Julie
I am so glad to hear that you are doing better, and I wanted to thank you for this post. The issues you raised are so important, about others possibly criticizing your treatment decisions, about wondering “why me?” when you’re already eating in a healthy way, etc. I, too, have been a vegan for a long time, and I have health issues – the two are not mutually exclusive. I get tired of hearing people say that they are. So thank you so much for this.
Amy Aukema
Thank you for your great post. I am so sorry that you have had to go through all this stuff, but am really happy that you are feeling better. Your attitude is great. Thank you for sharing your most person life moments, as well as your great recipes! I wish you and your family the BEST!
Sheelah Katz
What a great post Susan. Thank you for your willingness to share openly and without reserve to your readers and fans. Truth is always the best path. I agree with your friend Maria. Following a Plant Based Diet is a pathway to better health but you are right about that “get out of Disease free card”. I am a nurse and have lost 3 close friends to cancer, one of whom turned to macrobiotics and chose to forego any chemo until the last months. I railed against her decision and to this day think that her choice shortened her life. But our choices are ours alone to make and I applaud both of yours….pursuing treatments and maintaining your plant based lifestyle. Thankfully, I also have many friends who have been dealt the breast cancer card who are doing very well. Some are plant based, some not. I think we have made so much progress with this disease that women are often able to lead long and satisfying lives after their diagnosis. So my heart is full of admiration for your courage and hope for your future. Resist the harsh judgments of those who write you who are not on your path. You are you and you’re doing a great job. Smiles to you across the miles. Hugs to you and your family.
Jacki
I am so appreciative of your testimony and the subsequent outcome. I, too am plant based and this may I had open heart surgery. I can tell you that the only reason that I am alive is because of plant based and my relationship and belief in God. My doctors could not believe with the amount of damage, how I was living and working and talking and moving. I am just grateful!
Loraine Mazzolini
Susan, I read your post this morning and was stunned to hear about your breast cancer diagnosis and couldn’t read your post fast enough to find out that you have done everything possible to beat it! I am so happy for you, your hubby and daughter that you did whatever necessary to live and you didn’t let outside influences of what people might think about you using radiation or chemo keep you from doing what you felt was best for you and your family. No one knows what they would do until they are faced with that decision. I understand how you must have felt that this couldn’t happen to you. I did become vegan to maintain my health and I have felt a little invincible because I eat so healthy but you have opened my eyes that anything can happen no matter how hard we try to be our best. I agree with your family and friends that had you not been so healthy the cancer may have grown faster and you may not have been able to catch it and stop it in its tracks. I will now think of healthy eating and living like wearing a seatbelt… you can’t avoid the crash but you can still save your life by being prepared and doing everything you can to protect yourself. I have been eating clean for 8 years and been vegan for about 1 1/2 years. I am 45 years old and want to stay healthy for my husband and my children. You helped me realize that I can’t avoid all disease but I have my “seatbelt” on to prepare myself in case there is a “crash” someday. God bless you and I’m looking forward to telling my husband at dinner time this is another one of Susan’s great recipes, for years to come. Thank you for sharing with us. You are now an inspirational blogger in addition to a food blogger.
Loraine, Cleveland OH
Cheryl
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I think you’ve proved the benefit of a healthy vegan diet by how well you did with the treatments and how much good energy you seem to have. I’m glad to hear you are doing well and look forward to many more years of great recipes.
Jeri
Thank you so much for sharing this very personal story. I am sorry to hear that you have had to go through such a harrowing experience and wish you all the best as you continue to recover. I hope that the loving and supportive comments are giving back to you some of the love and nurturing that you have given all of us for so long through your blog. I have been vegan for many years and even though I, too, know that vegans are not immune from diseases and other health problems, sometimes I get lulled into thinking that we are. Your story is a reminder of this fact. I am overdue for a mammogram and am going to call today for an appointment.
Rev. Russell Elleven
Many thanks for your story. I’m a two time cancer survivor and UU minister:-)
Wishing you well,
Russell
Rose-Marie Miller
I just purchased a book where you took the pictures, I am thrilled to read your blog and your recipes are the BEST. Thank you for this candid personal account of your cancer, it is so important to all because so many vegans that I read, they write about how infallible one becomes while vegan. Nothing could be further from the truth. So many things can affect us: stress, environment, genetics, being vegan can be protective to a degree but we have to face our own mortality at times. Sometimes, stuff just happens without cause. This was well written and moving I am thrilled that you are recovering, thank you for sharing your struggle.
Carey
Thank you for sharing your truth. As humans, and especially humans who can write as well as you do, it’s the only thing that can connect us all together. We are all balancing on this little planet, hopefully, trying our best to do what’s right. And you did exactly that. What is right for you. You have a courageous spirit! I am looking forward to more recipes, but they will be even more appreciated now that I know who you really are! And, did I say THANK YOU?
Kathleen North
Susan, thanks for sharing this. Took some guts. So so glad you are ok and send you healing thoughts.
I’ve been using your recipes for years. I had no idea you were a UU. I am too…in New Orleans. Hope to cross your path sometime and give you a gigantic hug for all the assistance and joy you’ve given me w/ your recipes. I’ll have to tell Ann M that I’m jealous….I just bet she’s eaten your food!
Rita Rosengrant
Wow what a courageous story! You made the right decision! I am sorry you had to go through that , but thank God you had family and friends that stood by you!
It doesn’t matter what people think ! You are a wonderful person and this was not your fault. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what we eat or how we live , things happen , and the most important thing is to keep the faith and keep moving forward. There is a reason for everything in this life.
Terri Cole
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so happy to hear that your outcome was good and your prognosis so positive! NO ONE can know what you have been through and no one has the right to judge you for the decisions you made as regards to your treatment. You did what was right for you!
Mary
I too am a cancer survivor, although mine was uterine cancer, not breast. I agree that the word “chemotherapy” was scarier even than the word “cancer.” I think that was because the doctors all said it had been caught very early, that I’d have surgery, and be done with it. However, some cells showed up in the lymph nodes.
I am the poster child for routine testing and a good doctor. My cancer was caught through my pap smear. A stray abnormal cell showed up and my doctor didn’t pass it off as nothing, but investigated further. So, everyone, please do those routine tests, including the dreaded colonoscopy. If they find even one polyp and take care of it, you have saved your own life.
Good luck to you. Thank you for all the great recipes, and rejoice in the fact that you have taken the steps to make sure you have lots of time to develop more.
Sandy
So glad you’re doing well and the treatments are in the past. My friend survived breast and ovarian cancer about 20 yrs ago and is totally fine now. I think our good diets definitely help to keep us healthy and fight disease but we are exposed to so many things we have no control over in our environment.
Thanks for sharing.
Sandy
Ann
Thank you so much for sharing your story. Unfortunately, you are going to run into negative comments. Such is the nature of the internet. Ignore those people. You did and are doing what is best for you and your family.
Do you wear a seatbelt? I bet you do. Why? There isn’t a 100% guarantee that if you get into a crash while wearing your seatbelt you won’t be seriously injured or die. Yet, most of us strap on that seatbelt each and every time. We do it because it is the wisest, safest way to travel in a vehicle. Like you, I choose to nourish my body with the healthiest food I can. Does it guarantee me a life free of illness? Nope! But I feel it offers the best protection and is the most humane way to live on this planet. I have no doubt that you made it through this horrible ordeal because of your strength, love and support from your family, and the healthy nutrition you continually pump into your body.
So happy you are doing well now and thank you for sharing your story. Stay strong….plant strong, too!
Beth
I love everything about this post! I love your attitude and how you handled everything! You are an ispiration!
Liliana
Very brave and honest of you to share this with the rest of the unknown (personally) world. My modest opinion is that, no matter what, we just cannot have the ultimate control over our life. I wish I were religious…but I am not, therefore like with everything else I can only do my best and then it might not work at all.
Anybody who would dare throwing anything back at you at such a time, either pro or against vegan, would be a waste of energy on you. It is our individual journey and nobody can tell us anything different.
Well, warm italian hugs from cold but beautiful UK. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay positive. Keep kissing animals! It works! 🙂 xxxx
Liliana
Lyn
Thanks for sharing your experience. As a long time vegan I have been so torn about getting traditional medical care for DCIS. After a raw vegan residential intensive last year I was advised by the alternative health experts to avoid further mammograms. Much of the medical research shows no difference in 10 yr survival with or without intervention. Reading your post is making me rethink my decision re avoiding traditional care. There are so many that make fun of me for being vegan to start with, I know I will get a lot of flack if they find out about my diagnosis.
Ivy
Susan, I am so sorry! And so happy that you are okay! Thank you for this boost because I haven’t gotten a mammo in YEARS because I’m just so confident because of my veganism–even though I see other vegans getting diagnosed with cancer. And they are so uncomfortable–mammos! But thank you. I am going to make an appointment for one 🙂
melody
Susan,
Thank you for sharing your journey thus far. You are an inspiration! My best to you and I look forward to reading about your full recovery, good health and many more wonderful vegan recipes!
Lou
Quite a journey. Thank you for sharing your story, it’s a good reminder for me. Also, according to Zoobuiquity (really excellent book), they have found that cancer in dinosaurs! Continued good luck in your recovery!
Pat Meadows
Hi Susan, You’d mentioned a health problem at least once. I’m glad you’re fine now! I’m glad you had the chemo also. I was concerned about you.
It’s really just a matter of luck – you drew the short straw. No matter how healthy your diet, exercise, life, etc. are, disease (whether cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, etc.) can happen to any of us .
Cheers,
Pat Meadows
Beverley Sutton
I am so very sorry that you had to go through this scare … and thank you for being so brave and sharing your experience. You are right that being vegan is not a “get out of disease free” card and I do agree with everyone who has commented that your situation would have been much more dire if you had not been a fat-free vegan.
Thanks also for the kick in the pants to lose the extra weight, get out there walking, and also to focus on the foods that are especially helpful. Hats off to you and your family and thank you again for all the wonderful recipes.
Carolyn
I found your site via another site that I found while researching vegan recipes. I enjoyed reading your blog because I DO understand that living a clean and healthy lifestyle does not exempt you from cancer, heart attack, strokes, MS, or any other illness, but I think it does help diminish your chances of getting it, as well as possibly slow it down. Further, I think if you are healthy going into an illness you will have a better chance of fighting it. I would not be surprised that your cancer was held at bay because you were eating right.
Thank you for sharing your story and your recipes, and I wish you many healthy and happy years ahead.
mimi
I am really sorry to hear that. please, please check out Dr. Robert Morse on youtube, his method is truly holistic, with the aim to clean the body thoroughly by eating raw vegan and taking herbs if needed. if you decide to give it a try, here’s a list of practitioners that can help you: http://grapegate.com/list-of-isod-practitioners all the best!
Erin
I enjoy reading your blog so much, and I’m thankful that you’ve shared your story with us. Someone close to me was recently diagnosed with cancer, and though I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling, I know what a shock it is to have to deal with. I wish you only the best! You’re amazingly strong and I know you’ll be just fine.
Sandy
Hi Susan,
I, also, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. At the time I also was vegan. Please don’t second guess yourself about anything. It is too destructive. You have to do what is right for you, not anyone else. And above all have faith that everything you are doing will have positive results. Try to stay away from negativity. Especially some sites on the internet. Make sure you keep your vitamin D levels in the normal range. I wish you all the best.
Many hugs,
Sandy Grant
Anne's Kitchen
Congratulations on being a survivor and may your good health now continue x
May A
Hi Susan,
I have been following your website and Facebook page for nice vegan recipes for over a year now, so I was bit taken aback to see this post. I am glad you are completely out of it, and I wish you a healthy life ahead.
I just wanted to add my titbit. Please get your Vitamin D levels tested (25-(OH)-D test), if none of the doctors ever recommended this to you until now. Vitamin D deficiency can cause anything and everything from hairloss to cancer. And North American residents are highly likely to be vitamin D deficient due to limited sun exposure, usage of SPF loaded creams, and especially if one is a strict vegan! This is a nice book that I have read, and I recommend you too http://www.amazon.com/The-Vitamin-Solution-Strategy-Problems/dp/0452296889/
Best wishes.
May
Nancy Lindenmayer
Thank you for your email. You will be in my prayers always. Keep on Vegan!!!
Nancy Lindenmayer
Seattle WA area.
Stephanie
Susan, I’m so sorry you had to go through this! Please don’t worry yourself about about a vegan who “caught” cancer; the thing about cancer is that it doesn’t discriminate. Keeping yourself in good health was definitely a positive factor in your recovery and I too hope it stays away!
Susan
I have to commend you for being so open and honest. I was always glad that I signed up for your emails, but I am honored now too. I applaud you and look forward to receiving recipes from you again. I would like to see updates from you on your health and college search, but understand if all you would like to post are your delicious recipes. I am glad you are a vegan as I am and will pray for your strength and good health.
SpE
Susan, wishing you continued recovery and strength. That was a very brave and heartfelt post, I’m so grateful for your blog and your amazing recipes. Thank you for sharing and for your honesty. Like you say, I think this is a subject that does not get much attention in the vegan / plant-based communities. We often say to others that there’s no such thing as a “silver bullet” or magical pill you can take to achieve to optimal health, yet we tell ourselves that a WFPBD is like magic armor. There is no doubt that a WFPB lifestyle does tremendous good for our personal health, the health of the planet and animal welfare, but it does not make us immune nor perfect. I think it is comforting to know that we can control what we consume — one reason I think WFPBD are so empowering — but we can’t always control our environment…and indeed our environment has become quite toxic. By sharing your experience, you are helping others and shining positive energy into a world with a lot of darkness.
Joanne
Susan, I have followed your blog and work for years. Thank you so much for sharing your courageous story. None of us who eat whole foods, plant based know how our earlier years of eating may one day affect us. We don’t know how our environment, toxic in so many different ways, may one day impact our health. But what we know is that whole foods, plant based – vegan lifestyle – protects. And it certainly sounds like it protected you by encapsulating the tumor and preventing spread. Your sharing is appreciated. I have, no doubt, it will continue to inspire others to examine what and how they’re eating, and to consume more whole foods, plant based. We are all human and illness can knock on our doors at any time, no matter what we do. But it’s how we deal with it that makes a difference. And your choices, to gather second opinions, to ask questions, be your own advocate, and continually embrace those healing foods, have sustained you and healed. Keep up your fabulous work. You are making a difference in more ways than you realize!!
Silvia
Thank you for telling your story.
Your message is so important.
I had breast cancer at age 34 (I am 54 now) and I know a lot about the guilt issue.
I wish you continued health and happiness.
Greetings from Silvia in Germany
Jo-Ellen
Susan, Thank you for this blog. It just hit home with me in a big way. I had decided not to have any more mammograms because I eat so healthy. I am due for one this month. After reading your story, I will schedule it soon. Thank you so much for sharing! I am pretty sure I am not the only vegan that decided that I would not get breast cancer because of my diet. I am so glad that you made the decisions that were right for you and that you shared them with us.
Jen P.
Thank you for sharing. I am one of “those” people who post about diet being so important to health (sharing and posting things like the Orange is the new Pink poster from PCRM), so this was a humbling piece that was so important for me to read. Health was not even the first or primary reason for me choosing this way of eating, so it is a good reminder that there are other benefits to this way of living. You are so brave to share and I so appreciate your honesty about your fears of being shamed. I hope and pray that the vegan and WFPB community will continue to show you love and grace.
Deborah Jackson
Bless you, bless you, bless you. Bless us all. <3