Heather Achieved Remission: Vulvar Cancer, Lichen Sclerosus, Hashimotos

My personal case was my very first case study and introduction to the concept of terrain-based care. I had no idea how much control over my own health I held in my hands until I embarked on this journey. I achieved remission and I honestly believe anyone can do the same.

Heather put lichen sclerosus, hashimotos, and vuvlar cancer into remission.

My Main Complaint

I was diagnosed with vulvar cancer (stage 1b infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma, moderately well differentiated of the vulva) in August 2017. Keratinizing (developed from a tear that would not heal from Lichen Sclerosis (an autoimmune skin disorder diagnosed at that same time), not HPV). I had been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis years prior.

I was an absolute mess, I felt like shit and kind of didn't realize how bad things had gotten. After a while, you get used to driving with a dirty windshield and you don't realize how dirty it is until you clean it. At the height of my disease process, I was dealing with the following signs and symptoms:

Extreme Fatigue
Insomnia
Waking Up In the Middle of the Night to Pee
Racing and Ruminating Thoughts
Anxiety
Lethargy
Hypohidrosis (absent sweating)
Body Odor (when I did sweat)
Apathy and Loss Of Purpose
Joint Pain and Stiffness
Muscle Fatigue
Muscle loss
Poor Recovery
Headaches and Migraines
Bloating
Heartburn
Loose Stools
Hemorrhoids
Anal Fissures
Anal Itch
White and Shiny Vulvar Skin
Raised Red Irritation on Vulvar Skin
Vulvar Cuts and Open Sores
Vulvar Bruising
Vulvar Varicosities
Vulvar Lichenification (thickened skin)
Vulvar Scaring
Vulvar Burning
Vulvar Blood Blisters
Painful Intercourse
Vaginal Dryness
Seasonal Allergies
Urinary Urgency
Post Nasal Drip
Sinus Congestion
Lichenification (thickening) of Skin Over Elbows and Ankle Bones
Itchy Vulvar Skin
Nail Ridges
Excessively Dry Skin
Full Body Hair Loss
Weight Gain
Low Libido
Heavy Menstrual Flow
Menstrual Cramps
Hard Time Calming Down
Startle Easily
PMS
Suspected Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Facial Acne
Scalp Acne
Cystic Acne
Body Odor
Halitosis
Melasma
Labial Fusing
Vulvar Burning
Dyspareunia
Loss of Smell (Anosmia)
Brain Fog
Lack of Focus
Irritability
Racing Heart
Heart Palpitations
Indigestion
Gas
Vaginal Odor (cancer smells bad)
Sugar Cravings
Salt Cravings
Fatigue After Meals
Hangry Between Meals
Skin Tags
Dark Under Eye Circles
Lost Eyebrow Tails
Memory Loss
Vision Loss
Excess and Compacted Ear Wax
Acanthosis Nigricans (darkened skin on the back of my neck)
Junk Food Cravings
Extreme Hunger
Bleeding Gums
Milia
Brittle and Peeling Nails
Nasal Sores
Itchy Ears
Itchy Pallet
Moon Face
Frequent Urination
Blurred Vision
Moodiness
Slow Wound Healing
Sun Sensitivity (easy burned)
Heat Intolerance
Cold Intolerance
Boils and abscesses on pubis mons, inner thighs, and buttocks (What I now know to have been undiagnosed Hidradenitis Suppurativa)

My Approach

I had to take matters into my own hands. I self-diagnosed both LS and vulvar cancer and sought out a vulvar specialist to confirm after being blown off for years. If you need a good vulvar specialist and you're in Arizona, I highly recommend Dr. Joseph Brooks. He and his team are wonderful!

I utilized all of the available tools, which meant looking beyond the conventional model of care and learning about the metabolic approach to cancer and terrain-based care.

Terrain theory states that the more unhealthy a person is and the more out of balance their body is, the more susceptible the person is to illness, and the sicker they may get when they come into contact with germs or a virus. Terrain-based care digs into the roots or hidden underlying causes of the visible signs and symptoms of disease.

My Cancer Treatment Team

Naturopathic Primary Care Doctor (NMD)
Naturopathic Oncologist (NMD, IFMCP, BSN)
Gynecologic Oncologist (surgeon) (MD)
Vulvar Specialist (MD)
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner
Licensed Massage Therapist & Reiki Master Practitioner (LMT)
Hubby, Friends, & Family

Conventional Treatments

I had surgery to remove the nodule in September 2017. However, I did not get clear margins because I refused to let them take my clitoris. Post-surgery I was given two treatment options:

Additional surgery to let them remove whatever they needed to remove to ensure clear margins, including my clitoris.
Radiation and low-dose chemotherapy to kill the remaining cancerous cells.

I refused both options. Instead, I went the controversial route choosing naturopathic oncology over conventional treatment…cuz I don't do anything the traditional or easy way. I'm a rebel personality and I started reading about the Metabolic Theory of Cancer and it just made sense.

Prescription Medications

The only prescription medications I took during my treatment were Low Dose Naltrexone and my compounded thyroid medication.

I did use Clobetasol topical steroid for LS for two weeks in between diagnosis and cancer surgery but did not resume post-surgery and still choose not to use topicals of any kind on my vulvar skin.

Alternative Treatments

I received clinical treatments consisting of Nutrient IVs with high-dose vitamin C and hyperbaric oxygen therapy 3x/wk for 12 weeks.

Supplementation

My supplementation routine included large handfuls of pills three times a day in addition to my 3 times a week nutrient IVs in the naturopathic clinic.

All of these except the controversial substances (RSO & B-17) were prescribed in doses specific to my body based on my lab data and case details by either my Naturopath Oncologist or my Primary Care Naturopath.

Please make sure you do your research and consult with your physician before starting any supplement protocol and do not take the following because I did. These may be harmful to you. Each case is different.

Curcumin
High-potency multi-vitamin
Liquid vitamin A (deficiency)
Liquid vitamin D (deficiency)
Liquid iodine (deficiency)
10 mushroom complex
Modified citrus pectin
Fish oil
Probiotics
Digestive Enzymes
Protease Enzymes
High-dose Melatonin
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO, Cannabis) Suppositories
Vitamin B-17 (Laetril)

Environmental and Lifestyle Changes

When I say I had to change my entire life to heal my body from cancer, I'm not kidding. Here's a list of all the lifestyle changes I made to heal my mind, body, and soul

I had to change my mindset from being focused on killing cancer to healing every part of my being.

Strict whole foods dairy-free (due to allergies) therapeutic ketogenic diet, zero sugar, grains, starches, dairy, or sweetened foods other than stevia and a lot of fat (dairy & gluten-free due to food sensitivities)
Switched to clean local, organic, and wild, pasture-raised food sources
Intermittent fasting on a 16 hrs fasted / 8 hrs eating schedule for cell regeneration
Reiki energy healing
Counseling and talk therapy with a trauma and family systems expert
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Journaling
Defined my values and aligned my life with them
Daily detox rituals including dry-brushing and oil-pulling
Stress management
I resigned from a high-stress job and changed my career to align with my purpose
Meditation & visualization
Sunshine & earthing
Regular, good-quality sleep
Quit drinking alcohol
Quit smoking - I was a major cigar connoisseur
Removed toxins in my drinking and bathing water
Switched to non-toxic personal care and cleaning products
Removed all plastic and Teflon from my kitchen
Began to exercise
Deleted toxic and unsupportive relationships and people

My Root-Cause Contributors

My list of root-cause contributors was a mile long. I had been driving so hard for so long on misaligned values and everything had eroded.

Blood Sugar Dysregulation: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
Hormone Imbalance: Estrogen Dominance (excess estrogen, progesterone suppression due to inflammation), Obesity, Low Cortisol
Gut & Digestion: Leaky Gut, Low Stomach Acid, Poor Protein Digestion, Fatty Liver, Sluggish Gallbladder, Gallstones, Opportunistic Bacterial Overgrowth, Insufficient Beneficial Bacteria
Food Sensitivities: Gluten, Grains, Dairy, Soy (and a million other things due to leaky gut)
Mental & Emotional: Unprocessed Childhood Trauma, Chronic Emotional Stress (toxic workplace, high profile job, overachieverism, perfectionism), Poor stress coping mechanisms - Emotional Eating, Food Addiction, Stuffing Emotions, Living in Trauma Response/Fight or Flight/Hypervigilance, Chronic Sleep Deprivation and nervous system dysregulation
Genetic Mutations Affecting Detoxification, Hormone Clearance, Stress and Neurotransmitters, Vitamin Synthesis, DNA Repair, Fat Metabolism, Celular Energy Production, Gut Microbiome
Toxic Burden: Alcohol, Tobacco (second hand, direct usage), Junk food, Radioactive City Water Full of Heavy Metals, Conventional Personal Care and Cleaning Products, Plastics and Tephlon in Kitchen, Aluminum, Amalgam Fillings (Mercury)
Nutrient Deficiencies: Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, A, D, Iodine, Selenium, Zinc, Magnesium, Chronic Dehydration, Fatty Acid Imbalance, Mineral Imbalance
Histamine Intolerance
Epstein Barr Virus
Systemic Inflammation

My Outcome

February 2018 scans came back clean, with no evidence of disease where I remain today.

Both my Lichen Sclerosis and Hashimoto's are in full remission, with no symptoms, and blood markers are negative. I've dropped almost 70 lbs, 5 dress sizes, and 13% body fat. I've reversed fatty liver (my liver was ⅔ fatty before these changes), reversed atherosclerosis, balanced my hormones, and reversed estrogen dominance. My skin is awesome, my energy is good, my libido is up, I'm sleeping like a baby, and I feel amazing!

I will be regularly monitored and continue with the ketogenic diet, supplementation, regular exercise, good sleep, hydration, regular detoxification, stress management, and sunshine.

Who would have thought that cancer would be the best thing to ever happen to me? I am so grateful for this experience.

Become a Success Story!

If I can recover my health and achieve remission, you can do this too. If you’d like to work with me, I’d love to chat and learn more about your health goals.

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