We live in a world where healthy living and the use of natural products is becoming more necessary and more popular. It isn’t a fad or a short-term diet, it’s a long-term commitment that can be life changing.
According to BMJ Oncology, the incidence of cancer has increased 79 percent in people under 50 in the past 25 years. Today, one in two men and one in three women are expected to face cancer at some point in their lives. But we know that cancer isn’t a matter of bad luck: Ninety-five percent of cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle choices, while only 5 percent are genetic.
Our family was confronted with a lifestyle change after learning about my terminal illness. I thought we were healthy. We worked out, ate our veggies, drank filtered water, avoided fried food, took our multivitamins, and loved being in the sun. It wasn’t enough.
July 6, 2022 was a day we will never forget: We were completely blindsided when I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 37, just six months after welcoming our beautiful baby girl.
Due to the severity of my condition, I had to act quickly. The cancer had spread from my left breast to the lymph nodes in my arm, to my lungs, liver, thigh bone, hips, spine, skull, and brain. My medical oncologist told me that my prognosis was three years and that I needed to get my affairs in order.
She also said that, in extraordinary cases, some people might have 15 years. In a panic, I submerged myself in research, trying to figure out why this happened to me, what I had done to cause it, and what were my options for surviving it. Why couldn’t I be extraordinary? I have a husband and two kids who need me. I knew I had to find another way—a road less traveled.
We navigated a new world of conventional oncology with some of the best doctors in Austin, Allison Gorrebeeck, M.D. and Michael Herman, M.D. with Texas Oncology. After I went through six rounds of chemotherapy and 10 rounds of full brain radiation, about 75 percent of the cancer had disappeared, but I still had tumors in my liver, bones, and brain.
My body hurt and I was drained. Desperate to find alternative solutions to improve my immune system, God showed us the way using a divine set of experiences. Through mutual friends, I was invited to a Hope4Cancer seminar hosted at Alchemy Organics in downtown Dripping Springs. There, I met Tony Jimenez, M.D., N.D., one of the world’s leading integrative oncologists with over 30 years of experience helping late-stage cancer patients.
Because Hope4Cancer is in Mexico and not covered by our health insurance, we knew we needed help financially. My husband, Chris, created a fundraising account and our kids’ preschool, Havenwood, held a silent auction. Countless friends and family members pitched in for support. We were overwhelmed by the response of our community as we raised more than $100,000, which was enough to cover our entire three-week trip to Cancun and a two-week trip to the Cancer Center for Healing in California to see Maggie Gama, M.D., another exceptional integrative oncologist.
Over the next year, I learned about the importance of integrative cancer treatment and holistic healing therapies. I found the “why” behind how this happened to me and the root cause of my diagnosis. I continued my research, connecting with others like me. I began my transformation and made a commitment to a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle. Here was the road less traveled—the pathway that brings together the best of integrative and conventional medicine, healing my mind, body, and spirit.
After Mexico and California, we flipped our house upside down. We got rid of plastic as well as toxic cookware, soaps, lotions, candles, and cleaning products. We changed our diet to Keto and started buying all wild-caught, grass-fed, organic, natural foods. We got a Kangan machine that produces hydrogen water. We created a healing space upstairs with an infrared sauna, Peloton bike, Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy mat, hydrogen oxygen machine, ozone machine, and more.
And after months of research and testing, we even made our own natural, organic skincare, which laid the foundation for our new local business, RIZN Organics, built on faith, hope, and renewal. The name RIZN is inspired by our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, and embodies our belief that, with God's promise, the best is yet to come.
Healing the body from toxins with clean, safe products is our focus. Our oils are free from harmful chemicals found in most beauty products. Thoughtfully made for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone, they hydrate without any irritation and are proven to deliver smoother, more youthful-looking skin.
It took my cancer diagnosis to learn what a truly healthy lifestyle was. As a community, we must make a change. Word is getting out; people are starting to take notice. New businesses are catching on to the trend, taking health back to its roots. We are returning to the way God intended: Our bodies are fully capable of healing if we protect them and fill them with the right ingredients.
This past July marked three years post diagnosis, and I am 100-percent cancer free. I’m beyond grateful that, by God’s grace through my faith in Him, I am an extraordinary case. Be an advocate for yourself; do the research; live longer; be happy! Healthy living is the NEW style.
RIZNorganics.com | @riznorganics
Our bodies are fully capable of healing if we protect them and fill them with the right ingredients.