How Faith and Gratitude Became Keys to Healing, Hope, and Holistic Cancer Recovery with Lori Ball

Kristin Kurtz interviews Lori Ball, ovarian cancer survivor and founder of Faith & Gratitude. After a CA-125 spike and scans, Lori chose to slow down, seek second opinions, and create a 30-day prehab: immune-supporting nutrition, juicing, movement, PEMF, rebounder, prayer, and journaling. She shares chemo tips—what to wear for ports, what to pack, why to bring your own low-sugar food, and how to read labs to ask better questions. We cover boundaries, forgiveness, stress patterns, and practical faith. Plus: her curated cancer resource binder, integrative oncology speaker series, and the Celebration Circle Zoom support group—evidence-informed hope for the journey.

Lori's contact info:

Website -  www.faithandgratitude.org

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Chapters

• 0:16 Welcome And Mission Of The Show
• 1:25 Meet Lori And Faith & Gratitude
• 2:24 The Name And Its Meaning
• 3:33 Symptoms, Scans, And A Sudden Diagnosis
• 6:20 Second Opinions And Slowing Down
• 8:22 Preparing For Surgery And Immune Support
• 10:43 Stress, Roots, And Lifestyle Gaps
• 12:47 East Meets West At The Infusion Center
• 15:18 From Patient To Resource Creator
• 17:50 Celebration Circle Support Group
• 20:08 Going Global With Zoom Community
• 22:59 Practical Tips For Treatment Days
• 24:50 Food, Sugar, And Oncology Nutrition
• 27:12 Emotional Health, Boundaries, Forgiveness
• 29:23 Advocate For Yourself With Doctors
• 32:48 Listening For God’s Guidance
• 35:24 Nourishing Smoothies And Simple Recipes
• 37:10 Final Encouragement And Prayer

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlock Podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wild-hearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations, and thrive with confidence, courage, and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoaching.net and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together. Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me welcome Lori Ball to the show. I am so excited to have her here today. She is a sweet mutual connection to our friend Debbie Thomas. So thank you, Debbie, if you hear this today for the connection. I can't wait for her to share more about her story. And I just know that she's going to bless us today. So, Lori, would you be open to sharing a little bit about yourself before we get into your story?

SPEAKER_02: 1:19

Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me today, Kristen. I so appreciate it. And I do appreciate our mutual friend connecting us. Yes. So I um my name is Lori Baugh. I'm the founder of the nonprofit Faith and Gratitude. Nearly 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. And as I started that journey that I never thought I would be on, I quickly realized that many people who I was encountering and talking to, you know, felt the same way, that there should be something more that we could be doing for ourselves in between scheduled treatments and tests, etc. So I created um something that I felt was sorely lacking. Uh, and um, and that was faith and gratitude.

SPEAKER_00: 2:17

Wow.

SPEAKER_01: 2:17

I love the name. I mean, tell us more about the name.

SPEAKER_02: 2:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 2:22

How did you come up with the name?

SPEAKER_02: 2:24

So, faith and gratitude, two words that mean so much to me, that have meant so much to me um growing up and then to the point when you're literally faced with a cancer diagnosis. I felt that faith, um, faith in myself to get me through 18 consecutive weeks of chemotherapy, but even more importantly, faith in God, that I knew that He was with me, He would be with me, and the experience of uh cancer diagnosis was merely that, and that I was supposed to do something with the experience. And gratitude was, again, for me, um, just finding something through the chaos every single day that I was I could find gratitude in. I could find that was something that I could say I'm I am grateful for. So yeah, faith and gratitude um resonated. And, you know, we started Faith and Gratitude actually two years following my diagnosis in June of 17. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01: 3:33

So I was just kind of curious as you, you know, you received this diagnosis. Um, and I I know of several who've received a diagnosis. Like what was your like what was going through your head at that moment?

SPEAKER_02: 3:46

Well, I will tell you that in my just a little bit of a backstory too. I'm the youngest of four children by a lot of years. So I'm literally like a uh there's three older kids in the family, and then the youngest um of those three is a 11 years older than I.

SPEAKER_03: 4:05

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02: 4:06

So I was like an only, I mean, it was like a second set of you know, rearings, really from my parents. So my parents, um my mom was nearly 40 when she had me, my dad nearly 45. And as you know, as they got older, um, you know, they're they they were just getting older, they were just aging. So there was a lot of stress surrounding that as the youngest, or the only in some cases, youngest, oldest, whatever. Um, and you know, in in August of 2015, um, we were at a neighborhood party and one of my neighbors asked if I was ready to go back to work full time. So we have one child. Um, he was starting his senior year of high school at the time. And before I could say no, my husband said, Well, yeah, she might be. So, yeah, that was interesting. So we prayed about it a lot um because it was a it was not in the industry that I was familiar with. I spent almost 20, 20 years in helicopter um rotary craft marketing. Okay. And this was not that industry at all. It was a, it was a dental lab and it was a family-owned dental lab. And there were a lot of um a lot of angst within the ranks at that um facility. And I really, we thought about it and prayed about it, and I thought, okay, God, is this what I'm supposed to be doing next? I kept, I kept feeling like I should be, you know, doing something to help women. That was my whole thing for many years prior to the diagnosis. I felt like I should be helping women just over and over again. I'd come home from work and say, I really feel like I need to be helping people and not in the aviation industry. And so it just would go on and on and on. Well, I started, I was offered the position, I started the job, I was there five, literally five weeks from start to finish. About the third week into it, I started experiencing lower back pain, pelvic pressure, and it was um, you know, something that I thought, well, maybe, you know, if I just, you know, resign, all of these physical symptoms will go away.

SPEAKER_01: 6:23

Like kind of ignore it.

SPEAKER_02: 6:24

Kind of ignore, yeah, exactly. So um I actually started going to the chiropractor, you know, it my back would feel a little bit better, but that would come back again. And then I I was talking to my sister who's a phlebotomist, and she said, well, maybe it's a UTI or bladder infection. You know, you you're you're really trying to not Google things, right? Right, yeah. And so all these tests came back negative. And um, so I literally was lying in bed one night and I felt a lump in my lower pelvic area. And it looked like if you were holding an egg lengthwise, that little bit of a curvature at the top. And I said to my husband, feel this. And he said, What do you think that is? And I, of course, I I didn't know. So the very next morning I did start to Google. Yeah. Um, and I got up from my desk and walked into my husband's office and said, I think I have ovarian cancer. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. So um I had just been to uh my gynecologist, my annual, you know, my annual visit in August of 15.

SPEAKER_03: 7:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 7:38

And these symptoms presented already at the end of September into October.

SPEAKER_03: 7:43

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_02: 7:43

So yeah, it was it was very strange. And um, I called and made another appointment at my gynecologist's office. And that morning I asked my husband to go with me. And he was he was questioning that, you know, you're just going to the gynecologist. You never asked me to go with you. But I had a feeling that something was really wrong. So we went and um, you know, she was doing my gynecologist was doing her internal exam. She pushed back from the table and said that this was a very different exam than we just had in August. So this is like the beginning of December, like December 14th.

SPEAKER_03: 8:26

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02: 8:27

And um, so this was August, is when I had my appointment. And so I went out to the waiting room and my husband said, Are you ready to go? And I said, Well, we have to to go to an imaging center. We have to have, I have to have blood work, um, ultrasounds, uh, transvaginal ultrasounds done. And um, so we went, we did it, we were on our way home.

SPEAKER_01: 8:49

And then I get it.

SPEAKER_02: 8:51

The same day you went and did the other same day, Kristen. Oh my gosh. I was on we were on our way home and I get a call from her from my gynecologist that fast. And she said that my mark, my blood marker and for ovarian cancer, that's the cancer antigen, the CA125, that is the marker for ovarian cancer. And my doctor, and I had never even heard of that my whole entire life. Yeah, and she called it was quite elevated. Um, and she said with my transvaginal ultrasound and the traditional ultrasound, she could see something, they could see something large on imaging, and in her opinion, it was highly unlikely to be benign. So that was um December 14th. And and my son, our our only child was turning 18 on December 17th.

SPEAKER_01: 9:50

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02: 9:52

And we host a family Christmas party every year, and that was to occur on that weekend as well.

SPEAKER_03: 9:58

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02: 9:59

So it was just so chaotic. Like your my mind was trying so hard to land on something that was immovable, if that makes sense. Like just to try to because you're all of these thoughts are just speeding by, and and you just can't land on something that's not moving, you know, you're just trying so hard.

SPEAKER_01: 10:25

And um do you recall like some of the the main thoughts that came up for you?

SPEAKER_02: 10:30

Oh gosh, I mean, yeah, everything from you know not being there for our son, um, you know, knowing he was going to, you know, college the following year, looking at my Christmas decorations and thinking, I might be boxing these up for the very last time. I mean, I was literally, it was all these things that were just, I mean, I I can't even describe it other than saying so random and chaotic and not thinking at the time that this was a path I'm supposed to be walking on at all. Like, not at all. I mean, that wasn't crossing my mind, yeah, even in the slightest at that moment. Um, so the my gynecologist said because of the you know, the size of it, they she felt it was all all the words, right? Like the highly, highly unlikely to be benign, and you know, it was quite large. They couldn't tell if it was in the uterus, pressing on the uterus. We didn't know. But she had made me an appointment for that Friday with um a gyneoncologist from the city of Pittsburgh. I live close to Pittsburgh, and he was supposed to be the best in the country, the best in the city. And um my first thought was to call one of my dearest friends who worked for another large hospital um in Pittsburgh to find out if that really was the case. Is this is this the Ghana oncologist that I really should be seeing? And um, you know, I said, ask your, ask your doctors, you know, find out they're an independent, they're an independent hospital here, so they're not affiliated with big conglomerates.

SPEAKER_03: 12:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 12:18

And um she came back and she said, no, that's you know, she's checked with all of them and they all they all pointed me to a different um group and a different hospital.

SPEAKER_01: 12:29

Like everybody pointed you to one place, a different place. Yes. Okay.

unknown: 12:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 12:34

I want to I want to point out here that like you I feel like second opinions are always really a key in anything, wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_02: 12:43

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And you always have time. You know, with when you have a, you know, you know, you know, you have you have a cancer diagnosis, and you know, the first thing the oncologist in my case and in 99% of the cases of people I speak with daily, they want to clear their schedules and they want to get you right into a situation where they can do surgery. And I mean, they just want to get you started. And I feel as though you always have time. You have to, you know, take a step back. I remember sitting in the gynecology in the surgic in my um gyne oncologist's office. He wanted to clear the schedule that following Monday for surgery. And my and my first thought was, of course, I want to, I mean, I need to get this removed. And my husband said, you know, let's just stop. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's just this is all just sort of whizzing by us, all these terms are being thrown around, yeah, all of this stuff. Let's just, let's just take a breath. And we did. And um, we well, we asked we asked him if it would make a difference if we waited until January to do the surgery. And he quickly said, of course it won't matter at all. Um, so what we did was we asked.

SPEAKER_01: 14:11

I'm so glad you had the, you know, like that you have his support in just kind of going, hey, honey, let's stop.

SPEAKER_02: 14:19

Well, exactly, because you know, the first inclination is you need to have it removed since you know nobody thinks it's not cancer. They are they're all thinking that it's going to be cancer. Right. And you know, but after taking that time, it was 30 days from the time that we knew all this was going on until the surgery date. And what we did was we up-ended our whole our whole life. We started, um, I mean, I started juicing like crazy. I didn't put anything into my body, whether it be food or drinks, that wasn't immune-boosting. Um, everything that I did, I mean, I hopped on a PEMF mat. Um, you know, I rebounded, I did everything. I mean, I I just went into the mode that I was going to put my immune system into the healthiest place it could be, not only to fight the cancer, but to prepare myself for surgery. Because, you know, when cancer is allowed to take hold in our bodies, it's because our immune system isn't working properly. So by me going straight from, okay, I can clear my schedule to a surgery, which is so immune uh busting, also, yes. It would have been a terrible decision. So we I just went out and I found um, you know, supplements that would help to boost my immune system. I did everything that I could possibly do to get my body ready for surgery.

SPEAKER_01: 15:58

Yeah. So I want to ask you, so it's kind of a two-part question. So we'll start with prior to this, like, how were you like, were you doing a lot of activities to help boost your immune system? Were you like taking care of your body well?

SPEAKER_02: 16:53

Yeah, it's a good question because I always thought I I always thought I was. But it goes back to that conversation starter a little while ago when I said that I was the youngest of four children. And as my parents started to age and started to have age-related situations, my stress level, although I thought I was handling stress fine, I don't think I was because you know, many times with cancer diagnoses, there's a huge component of unresolved, whether it be stress, emotional, yeah, something. And so I really feel that I thought I was handling stress fine. I, you know, you're doing all the things, you're taking your vitamins, you're doing all the, you know, the prayer, the meditation, all the different things. Yeah. But it's like the saying goes, you know, everything is fine. You have all these problems until your health is waning, and now you have one problem. And that is to get your body into a position where it wants to heal again. Yes. So good.

SPEAKER_01: 18:02

Yeah. So then the second part of that question was, how did you know, you know, like I've I've been around the block with like um, you know, I call it supernatural healing. So, you know, PMF and the rebounder and the juicing, like, how did you learn about these things? Did you have somebody that was kind of that counter to, you know, we need to cut it out and we need to do this, that, and the other thing. Did you have a voice in your corner that was kind of leading you that way, or do you feel like the Lord is just showing you these things? Or maybe it was a blog.

SPEAKER_02: 18:35

It's such a combination because my dad, my dad, his nickname was Nature Boy. Oh, I love it. And he didn't take prescriptions. He felt if you continue to go to Western doctors that eventually they will find something because there is no money into not finding and treating something. And so he was a big vitamin taker. Um, he had many, many books that if you said you had something or you felt as though you did, he would, you know, right away, you know, go right down to where his resources were and he would highlight things and make notes for you. And you know, you need to take vitamin C, you need to take LIZNE, you need to take zinc, whatever it was. So I really believe um, you know, that that was a huge component. You know, me remembering that. And I also um believe that my dad had passed in August of 14. Oh, okay. And I really believe that when this was really going on, that it was dad together with God. And my dad saying, you know, we have to get her attention.

SPEAKER_03: 19:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_02: 19:52

You know, this is not the path that she's supposed to be on. We need to redirect her. We don't want to kill her, but we need to redirect her so that her her path now is to be where she's been feeling it should be going with this, you know, coming home many, many years before to her husband and saying, I feel like I should be helping people, I feel like I should be helping women, I feel like I should be, you know, out there doing something. So I really do believe it was kind of two-pronged.

SPEAKER_01: 20:20

Yes. So, you know, being part of, you know, as you're as you're journeying, like were you sharing this openly with people at this point? Like, where did where did that journey begin with um, you know, sharing with other women?

SPEAKER_02: 20:35

So that's a good question, too. So I had 18 consecutive weeks of chemotherapy. I had two ports placed, a chest port and an interperitoneal port. So each week we would go to you know, the infusion center and we'd, you know, be in this crowded um, you know, room waiting to be called back. And, you know, you'd pass by a lot of the same people, like each week, and you start to strike up a conversation with some of them, many of which didn't want to. You could just tell they just didn't want to talk, but you know, several did. And so, you know, I realized quickly that there's a huge gap between Western medicine and eastern medicine. And, you know, where we have, you know, all of this stuff that we can be doing, whether it's, you know, praying, meditation through prayer, prayer through meditation, um, journaling, um, you know, all things that can really calm the internal environment. So your body has a chance to do what it innately wants to do. And so I started talking to people and um feeling that wow, not only did these people who were sitting there for infusions were trying to figure out the same sorts of things I was, but the nurses in the infusion center were as um open and interested in hearing what I was learning every week.

SPEAKER_01: 22:09

Oh my gosh. Wow. So, like, were you bringing new knowledge to them in a sense?

SPEAKER_02: 22:16

Yeah. So what I would do, Kristen, is every week I would get my blood drawn before infusions. And, you know, chemotherapy is cumulative in our systems and our bone marrow just works so hard to try to keep up, but it's just, it's a tough regimen. So each week I would get my blood work and I would look at every single entry. And I wouldn't be like, okay, you know, this, this, and this is low. Um, you know, what can I, whether it's an essential oil or whether it's a food, like what should I really be trying to do to bolster my my counts for the next time? Because at that point, all I wanted to do was get through the 18 treatments. Um, so the nerd and because I was part of a trial, a study, I had a big, you know, a form that I had to fill out each week. And the nurses were always so amazed that I didn't have the symptoms I should have had with the protocol that I was going through. That's amazing. So I just would share with them. And at the end of um, you know, when I rang the bell on July 19th of 2016, um, a couple of weeks before that, they said, can you just create something that we can give to patients? Um, you know, when they're when they're coming after you. And I said, I I absolutely I could. So I created just a simple um brochure for people um that they give out to cancer patients.

SPEAKER_01: 23:49

Oh my gosh. How incredible. Seriously. I mean I I what I you know, I love I love when I can hear a story of somebody who's walking through something and goes around and turns around and helps the people behind them. Because it's not just about you, right?

SPEAKER_02: 24:09

Yeah, because I I really felt that it wasn't. I I I didn't feel it was about me at all. I never felt that ovarian cancer was going to kill me. I never felt that for one second. I really felt that it was God leading me to where I was supposed to be all along. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01: 24:30

And that wouldn't you say, like, you know, this is hope unlocked, that that gave you such an immense like boost of hope?

SPEAKER_02: 24:39

Oh my goodness. Absolutely, definitely. And and honestly, the way I was going, I was handling the treatments, it was I was paying it forward right as I was going through treatment myself. Yeah, you know, just walking into the infusion center, um, you know, and talking to these people and just realizing that, you know, me just by being there and showing them that, you know, I have two treatments, you know, in in, you know, that these people are just coming up behind me and yeah, it's gonna be okay. It was okay for me, and it was going to be okay for them.

SPEAKER_01: 25:13

Yeah. And I just want to highlight that like no matter what you're walking through, like, we can come into situations with a posture like that. Wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_02: 25:23

Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, I will tell you there were a lot of people, men and women in the infusion center, that didn't feel that way, though. You know, just you know, a lot were angry, a lot were bitter. Um, many were very angry with God. Yeah. Just wondering, you know, I mean, all the things. But I not that I didn't hear them, but I didn't let any of that resonate with me because that is not how I felt at all. And um, and that's the reason why we call the support group that I host the Celebration Circle. Yeah. Because when I I was looking for a support group, I was looking for, you know, that sort of that tribe that would just, you know, bring concepts and positivity. Not that I had my head in the sand, I understood the gravity of a cancer diagnosis. I understood that, but I didn't want to be with a bunch of commiserators. I just couldn't take that.

SPEAKER_00: 26:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 26:27

So I thought, oh, I'm gonna have to create one myself. So we did, and we caught the Celebration Circle. Wow. And how long has this been going? Um, well, we used to before COVID, people would come to the house. So it was very geographical, geographically limited. Um, so it was in my home, and people who lived nearby would come. Okay. After COVID, so that would have been what? Night um 19, starting 19, I guess, 20. Yeah. Um, but I think the we started the support group probably around shortly after I finished my treatments. So probably 17. Oh, wow. But then when COVID hit, um, I just thought, wow, we have all these people who's, you know, they've we've become friends. Like, what are we supposed to do? So we flipped it out to the internet via Zoom, and um, more people came. And people who weren't able to join us because of you know, logistics, the logistic reasons, they were just maybe an hour away. It started that way. And um, now they were able to join.

SPEAKER_01: 27:35

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02: 27:36

And then as we have people like from all over the place now, like all over Yeah, yeah. We've had people join um from as far away as Portland, and we're sitting here in Pittsburgh. So we've had people from Portland, Oregon. Um, we've had people, we have a woman who is from Wake Forest, uh, North Carolina, that's on almost every single time. And um, yeah, so it's been this organic growth, and it's only been because, you know, that you know, we're out there on, you know, the internet now and people can just register and and um what's beautiful about the whole thing is that if somebody is being treated at Sloan Kettering and they're able to share with the protocol the with us the protocol, then if we don't know that protocol here in Pittsburgh or in at Duke, well, we can go and we can talk to our doctors about that. So it's been such a beautiful kind of an awakening of um of other treatment options or protocols that maybe different parts of the country aren't quite aware of yet, that we're able to just, you know, bring to others.

SPEAKER_01: 28:51

Okay. So this has been almost like what you would say about eight years that you've been running this group. And um, is that about right?

SPEAKER_02: 29:01

Yeah, because my diet, I finished my um, yeah, I'm coming up on 10 years of of for my diagnosis in January. It'll be 10 years.

SPEAKER_01: 29:10

Okay. So, you know, within this group, um I know like I can imagine that there's like a whole gamut of, is it generationally like 20s, like through what ages are are you finding in this group?

SPEAKER_02: 29:23

Yeah, so what we're finding mostly is that people in their late 30s, early 40s to 80s actually, um, are part of the group and all different types of diagnosis, everything from blood cancers, um, breath lots of breast, ovarian, um, liver. So it's all different types of cancers and all different ages. Typically, um the younger ones, um if there's a younger person or a child, it's the parents or a grandparent that participate in the calls. It's open to supporters and caregivers as well.

SPEAKER_01: 30:06

Oh my gosh. Well, um I want to just make sure we capture, like if somebody's listening to this today, because you know, we're reaching all over the world, when like when do you have a set time of day or um a specific day that you do these calls?

SPEAKER_02: 30:21

Yeah, so you can and and people can register to attend right on our website. But yeah, we the first and third Thursdays of the month. Okay. And we meet at uh 6 30 via Zoom for an hour.

SPEAKER_00: 30:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 30:37

And it's Easter Easter standard.

SPEAKER_01: 30:39

Yes. Okay. And then what is the website? I'll be sure to link it in the comments as well.

SPEAKER_02: 30:44

Yeah, it's faithandgratitude.org. Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 30:50

And you can find it there to register. Absolutely. Okay. Amazing. Like how many, how many have come into this group and been like, oh my gosh, this is such a blessing. I've been looking for something like this and I couldn't find it.

SPEAKER_02: 31:04

Oh, Kristen, it's just, it's, I mean, I don't even know. I mean, I how many people, it's just, it's just amazing, honestly. It's just so heartwarming for me, too, that, you know, people find us, whether they find us organically in a search or they find it just because their treatment center recommended them try us. But they, you know, some of them I call them resistors because I'll have a conversation with them and they'll say, I don't know if I really need a support group. I don't know if that really is something I want to do. So I call them the resistors. And then as soon as they join a call, they're texting me or calling and saying, Oh my goodness, it's such a, it's such an uplifting group. And we we always try to have um, you know, oftentimes we'll just be talking, I'll have a topic that resonates with me. I always pray about that before, you know, what should I bring to the group? And, you know, sort of the same thing as you, you know, you want to bring things that are meaningful, that are actionable. That's one thing that's really important too, that people can take action. So we'll bring topics that would just be me bringing the topic. We oftentimes will bring speakers on from across the country that will talk about a specific topic. You know, we had on, you know, how to sprout um broccoli sprouts a couple of months ago. So we have all different kinds of things that resonate with a lot of people. And I feel that by keeping it fresh and actionable, it just keeps people, you know, coming back and wanting to learn more. And because we're not a bunch of commiserators and it's non-clinical, um, I think people have a real sense that, you know, it is a circle of love and hope and compassion. And um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 32:57

That's so incredible. I would love for you to share, you know, just an example. I know you mentioned there's resistors, but I'm I'm big on testimonials. So could you share, like without sharing who it is, um, but maybe somebody who came into your group and um just the experience that that because it's women, correct? That you have come into this group as well. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 33:19

And if if it's uh if it's a spouse or a significant other that's a male, um, we've never had a male patient come on. It's always been their significant other. So it's literally all female that come on the call. Okay. Um, but we had a woman, um, she's since passed, but I met her at a conference in Orlando, at an integrative cancer conference um back in 2018, and she was from Atlanta, and we hit it off right away. And she she was someone who would come on the call and we would all get on the call to see what she was going to say. And she was a spreader of faith and gratitude, not the organization so much, but she was a she just would just be such a personality talking about, you know, faith for her and you know, gratitude. So when we met, it was just so apparent that she was going to be that person for us in Georgia. And she was, I mean, she was to the to the very, very end. She just um was just the most beautiful person and just felt so connected to a group of people that she would never have met if it wasn't for a diagnosis of cancer.

SPEAKER_01: 34:39

Oh my gosh. You know, and even as you're talking, and she was from Georgia. Yes. I was like, wow, it's almost I'm almost seeing like these uh light light posts in different states that people would um run faith and gratitude. I don't are you is that a thought you've ever had before?

SPEAKER_02: 34:59

Well, you know what? My husband is the one who always says that you need because we have there's so many people, and so many people would love to gather together in person too, right? And um, yeah, so I have thought about it. It's been sort of a fleeting thought, and it's only truly been because of Zoom that we're able to be together, all of us, um, because of technology. Yeah. But another thing too, oh, go ahead. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01: 35:28

I was just gonna say, people are just so like I'm I'm recognizing, you know, that people are just so hungry for in-person connection. There's something so special about it. Um, yeah, I just had to share that with you because I was like seeing these little light posts around the states that would carry this message and bring people together.

SPEAKER_02: 35:47

So well, you never know. I mean, it could it could definitely be something that we could work into um our programming. But right now we have um what really started to, I don't think I mentioned this to you before we started recording, but what started the whole organization too is sharing um with all these different patients, but also creating a cancer resource guide. And it's a three-ring binder that was curated perfectly um with everything I wish I had had when I was diagnosed. So we curated it. It's um about a two-inch thick um binder, and we ship it all over the country. And literally, it's everything to keep patients organized with a lot of educational tips. I mean, Kristen, I didn't even know what to wear to chemotherapy treatments. I mean, I didn't know. Sure. And so it's really something that um that's that's really the cornerstone of the organization is this cancer resource guide. Um we also offer a speaker series, um, and you can find that out on the website as well, where we interview integrative cancer specialists, um, people who just are looking at um the body holistically. Um, so we we have a whole speaker series, we do two a year. We have wellness events, we do free wig giveaways. That is really in like the geographic footprint of the Pittsburgh area. Okay. But we um, yeah, I mean, it's just been such a beautiful rebirthing, I think, of me. Um, you know, through, you know, through being led to create faith and gratitude, honestly.

SPEAKER_01: 37:43

That's so amazing. And you have me curious, like, what are you supposed to wear? I can't recall.

SPEAKER_02: 37:49

Well, that's the thing. Okay, so you have to dress, you should dress in layers, you should dress, you know, with like buttons because they're going to be accessing ports in many times in many cases. Um, it's always freezing cold in the infusion centers. Um, but I didn't know. I had no idea what to wear. And they're always um, you know, if you need to eat at all, which you know, you don't have to constantly be eating, um, but you should take your own healthy food because 99.9% of the time the cart will come around and it will have everything, all the feel-good foods, right? All the sugar, right? Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01: 38:31

And um the the counter to what you want to actually be eating, wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_02: 38:37

It's well, I would absolutely say that with an exclamation point at the end. Exactly. Um, it's it's screaming from the rooftops. Oh my gosh, it's the most ridiculous. Let's go there. Let's go there. Let's go there. It's awful. I remember this is the honesty going to it. So anyway, I remember right after my surgery, um, here comes the oncology nutritionist. Her name is Karen.

SPEAKER_03: 39:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 39:02

And she walked in with her little clipboard and she was going down. And I said, Karen, I would never eat what you're recommending I eat. And she said, Well, you have to keep your, you know, you have to keep your energy up. It's going to be a really taxing protocol. And I said, Don't worry about me. I, I mean, and that is when I'm juicing all the time. I'm I am eating so clean. Yeah. Okay, so she leaves. And then once you know, here she comes again on the first day of my first infusion. And I looked at my husband and I'm like, oh, here comes crazy Karen. She's going to be talking again about all this crap. And as soon as she comes up and she saw who it was, she's like, There's that lady again. Uh she said, I know you're not gonna. And I said, No, I said, I'm not gonna. I'm not, I'm not drinking the boost, I'm not drinking the insurer, I'm not, I'm not doing all the stuff. Yeah, so terrible. So terrible, it's so terrible. And even when you're you're leaving and you're making your next infusion appointment, there's a big bowl of crap, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 40:04

Oh, I I can only imagine. I can only imagine.

SPEAKER_00: 40:07

Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_02: 40:08

Awful, awful.

SPEAKER_01: 40:10

Yeah. It probably the last thing you want to be eating after you do that.

SPEAKER_02: 40:15

Well, you know, there's so much written, you know, even going out on PubMed, you know, with reference to sugar and cancer, and um, you know, even things that break down into simple sugars like your breads and your pastas and stuff that people don't really think about. But, you know, it's you gotta give yourself, you gotta give your immune system a chance to do what it is innately able to do. And by bombarding it with sugars, um, it's not it's not the thing that we should be doing, especially as a cancer patient. So um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 40:47

Anyways, that's there's there's a lot that's a huge key. We have that's a huge key to avoid, right? What would you say would be another counter to the mainstream um key that you could give away to somebody who maybe like they've been newly diagnosed or they know somebody who's been newly diagnosed, other than you know, getting involved in your your group or what have you, like what would be something that you just say, like almost like your husband did, like, take a moment, like let's pause here. I just want to bring, like, literally, I'm like wondering what your revelation would be for them and wisdom that maybe they would never know.

SPEAKER_02: 41:30

Well, because I really feel there's a there's an emotional um which is like like the whole stress component um that that is before diagnosis, years before diagnosis, I believe that you know, you have to, I believe people should really look at relationships, um, family, like familial also and friends. And if you feel there are toxic people in your life, you've got to, you've got to be strong enough to, you know, just stand up and either, you know, let them go by the wayside because it's for your health, um, or really just have a center of forgiveness for them. Because I feel that, you know, us carrying around a lot of stress sometimes is stemmed um from a situation that maybe happened five or 10 or 15 or 20 years ago that we're still carrying around that that person may have said something or did something or you interpreted something that maybe wasn't meant to be for you at all, but you've been thinking about it or carrying it around for all these years. Well, you know, it's been, I mean, there's been a lot of research that has shown that if you just forgive, yeah, because they have already forgotten what they've said or done or did or whatever. So we just have to, you know, just forgive and and let that go. And if it really is letting people go, like in the literal sense, like just letting them go, you gotta do it because you know, you can only hold on to so much before it, you know, it'll resonate somehow, some way in in your body.

SPEAKER_01: 43:19

Yeah, I so agree. And I would even add just sometimes people need to forgive themselves.

SPEAKER_02: 43:25

A hundred percent. Right. One hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01: 43:28

We know that autoimmune can often be stemmed from trauma, but also self-hatred. You know, there's so many different facets that I mean, personally, it's not like a mainstream doctor would have you looking into these areas. Kristen, it is not in the people I've talked to in my world.

SPEAKER_00: 43:47

Well, in your world, did you ever encounter that? It's so true. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 43:52

Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, we talk a lot in the support group too, you know, just about self-love, even, you know, just being able to look at yourself and without feeling that it's you know, something that's not to be said. But if if you don't love yourself, how do we expect anyone else to be able to love us? So you have to have, like, yeah, self-forgiveness, you have to be able to love yourself, um, you know, and not feel as though your body has abandoned, you know, every rule that it's supposed to, you know, adhere to to keep you healthy. Like you just have to, you know, make better choices than we made yesterday, today. You know, some people will say, well, what's the diet you recommend? Well, you know, don't you want to use the the word diet because right? The first three letters. I mean, yeah. No thanks. Yeah, exactly, exactly. So you just have to, you know, eat with intention, eat with the intention to, you know, to help your immune system and your body heal, you know, do all the things that make you feel good, not bring you down, and just surround yourself with people who love, um, who love to be with you and you who you love to be with, and you know, the other people, you just have to not have time for that anymore and learn to say no, just to, you know, when people try to drag you into something, just no. We're not doing that.

SPEAKER_01: 45:29

Huge, huge, huge. I like to call it no your no because no is within K N O W. That is good. Yeah, it's really the old guiding point right there.

SPEAKER_02: 45:43

It is, it is no you're no.

SPEAKER_01: 45:45

It's hard, you know, for some who maybe you know never learned boundaries, and that's that's a huge, that's a whole other topic, right?

SPEAKER_02: 45:51

It's a whole other topic, but we can go on for an hour with that one because we know we totally could. Yeah, and the and the other thing, just to circle back, using that same that same idea too, people are so afraid to question their oncologist. Yes, yeah, they just are so afraid, and you just have to get to the point where you can't be. You can't be afraid, and you can't be worried that they're going to be offended. Many of them are, many of them push back and make patients feel small, but I always say there's a million of them. So if you're not on the same page as your oncologist and vice versa, then maybe it's time to interview some others.

SPEAKER_01: 46:37

Yeah, that's huge. I mean, did you I mean, just in any any doctors for just as a whole, you know, all-encompassing, I would say as well. But would you say if somebody is not open to even having you be curious and ask questions, really check, kind of check that uh gauge there and make sure that, you know, what is the reason that they're not okay with you asking questions?

SPEAKER_02: 47:03

I completely agree. I completely agree, and I have no problems, you know, firing doctors and going on a search for another. You have to trust your team. Yeah, and if you don't have that trust in your team, then you have to get a new team.

SPEAKER_01: 47:24

Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. That's you're just set somebody free today. I mean, I I used to be one many years ago until I got like thrown around the medical system for different things. I just I just assumed that they knew everything because they went to school and I knew nothing.

SPEAKER_02: 47:41

Uh well, you know what, Kristen? But that's how we have been, it's it's really how we have been trained to think when you think about it, right? Mm-hmm. Totally. But how I look at them now, and this sounds so ignorant, but how I look at them now, they didn't all graduate, top one percent of their class. Some of them narrowly passed the boards. So I feel like when the ones who might be pushing a little bit back when I hand them a PubMed study, or you know, when I, you know, it's one thing that when you're talking to the doctor, but when you bring actual studies for them, but when they're not interested, um, I just feel like then you're not interested in me. If you're not interested in what I'm giving you, because I've read it, I understand, and you're not interested, well then maybe we need to kind of let go. Yes, let it, let go. And then just say a prayer for them. That's all we can do.

SPEAKER_01: 48:42

Well, I mean, aren't you so thankful and grateful and just all the things that you've been you you you've awakened to this, and now you can help wake up other people as well. Because again, it's not you know, I think a lot of people are just honestly doing their best. You don't know what you don't know. And um, I think part of what I would imagine a big part of your your calling is to really help um lovingly just bring awareness to other people and help and bring resources and and right.

SPEAKER_02: 49:13

I told I I believe that. I really, really do. Um, because it really does become just such a strong bond between just not me, but all of us. We just, you know, you come together and you're sharing, and you know, we're just a bunch of shares of information. And um, yeah, I mean, that is empowering for people. And I think through education, um, you know, learning different different things or different treatment plans or protocols. I mean, that just can be that whole educational component can add to such an empowering position for the patient and their families.

SPEAKER_01: 49:56

So good. Well, thank you for being a trailblazer.

SPEAKER_02: 49:59

Oh, thank you for having me today because I can talk about myself.

SPEAKER_01: 50:03

It's been amazing. So I have one more question for you. So, what would you say has been, I don't know, maybe your most favorite um supernatural uh methodology to help like what you walked through and maybe what you share with others. And then what's your favorite recipe that's wonderful and natural?

SPEAKER_02: 50:27

Let me think. So that first that first part of the question, that's a tough one. Let me think.

SPEAKER_01: 50:33

I like asking tough questions.

SPEAKER_02: 50:35

I know, I know. Um let me think here. Um something. Well, you know, I'm not sure if this is what we're getting at, but uh for me, I feel that listening to that, to your that inter that inter spirit um that we all have within us, right? That that God voice, um, being able to quiet yourself enough to hear, like if you're asking a question to quiet yourself enough to hear. Um, some people call it intuition. We're not really trained to hone that, but I really do believe it's God's voice that's just, you know, kind of prodding us in different ways, um, you know, to do certain things. And many of us just kind of put that to the side. But I think I don't know if this answers the question or not, but I feel that kind of tuning into that voice and allowing that to come through somehow, some way into how we're growing um while we're on this earth. Yeah, absolutely. Um, is something that should be very meaningful to a lot of people. Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 51:52

And I would say, yeah, exactly. Like listening to him first and foremost. Like, what's my next step, Lord? What do you want me to know about this? What where do you want me to go? Who do you want me to connect with? It's he's so good to do that. Um, we just have to slow down enough to listen, right? Well, we do the world is so um fast-paced, and there's so many voices and so many opinions, and ultimately he's he's number one, right?

SPEAKER_02: 52:20

Yeah, exactly. I mean, exactly. And the the sad part is that we're well, it's sad because a lot of people don't know. But the but the good part is that we're able to kind of be that voice to those who just maybe aren't aware, just to kind of you know give yourself that quiet time and however that looks to you, and just to see what the next steps are really supposed to be, and then just follow them.

SPEAKER_01: 52:55

Amen.

SPEAKER_02: 52:55

Yes, I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 52:57

Well, do you have a recipe that's coming to mind that maybe while you're going through treatment that you found to just be so nourishing and happy, I guess the word happy with it?

SPEAKER_02: 53:12

So I will tell you that we have recipes out on the website too when we're adding, you know, a recipe here and there all the time. But one that I loved, I mean, lots and lots of juices I have on the recipe because I feel that, you know, an alkaline body really is a body that's able to just fight um diseases in such a beautiful way. But we have a smoothie recipe. We have, well, a few smoothie recipes. And smoothies to me kind of, you know, conjure up ideas of milkshakes. So I always freeze my fruit. The fruit is always frozen. So right away we know we're gonna get a consistency of a milkshake. I don't add um any milk, any almond milks or coconut milks or anything. I use just clean water with my smoothies. Always adding cinnamon, a touch of turmeric, and a little bit of black pepper. And um, and pretty much that's that's my my smoothie, and just put it in the ninja and um and know you're nourishing your immune system.

SPEAKER_01: 54:10

Wow, I've never thought to add like pepper to it before.

SPEAKER_02: 54:14

Well, the reason why we add black pepper is because turmeric, you know, to activate the turmeric so it's more bio um, so it's easier digestible, your body takes it in better is adding the black pepper. Does it give it a little kick?

SPEAKER_00: 54:33

No, you can't really even taste it. Really? You really can't. Give that a try. Thank you. There you go. This was for me. Thank you. No, you're welcome.

SPEAKER_01: 54:46

Um, well, thank you so much for for coming on. Um I'm probably gonna have to have you on another time. Maybe we could go into some other subjects because I'm sure we could talk about many, many things here. While we wrap up, I was just curious if you had um as you meant as I mentioned before we even got started, I do this for the one. So if you could just think of someone who's listening in today, is there any other um words of encouragement or wisdom that you feel led to share with them? And then would you mind praying us out as we wrap up?

SPEAKER_02: 55:18

Absolutely. Um just always know one that you have time, and there is always hope. Yes, and through faith and gratitude, you'll find that hope. So good. I know, right? So, did you want me to say a small prayer before we go? Would you mind? Oh no, I don't mind at all. Thank you. So, Father God, thank you so much for allowing me this platform today. I am honored to be with Kristen and all of those who are listening. And I hope that my words were concise and that the people who were listening will find hope, faith, and gratitude each and every day.

SPEAKER_03: 56:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_02: 56:11

Amen.

SPEAKER_01: 56:12

Amen. Thank you so much. You are amazing, and thank you so much for being a brave voice who's setting so many free. I'm going to close with the anchoring verse, which is May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. And that's Romans 15, 13. So I will be sure to link up uh Lori's contact information in the show notes. Be sure to reach out to her, and I will be back with another episode next week. Thanks so much, Lori.

SPEAKER_03: 56:43

Have a great day.

SPEAKER_01: 56:44

Thank you, Christy. Thank you.