Sari Center for Integrative Cancer Care
Prom 2016
A few weeks after being diagnosed with Stage 2, Grade 3, Her2+ breast cancer in 2016, my treatment plan was decided: 20 weeks of five different chemotherapy drugs, surgery and then 33 radiation sessions. Aggressive. I was in for the long, hard haul. And all of my treatments came with major side effects: hair loss, joint pain, neuropathy, nausea, constipation, decreased libido and early menopause, just to name a few.
I knew that I needed support, outside of the doctor’s office, to get through the treatment process as strong and as healthy as I could be.
Someone told me about the Sari Center, a non-profit that “integrates complementary therapies with medical treatment” for cancer patients and their caregivers. A week later I was there, meeting with Corinne Danielson, the Executive Director, and learning about all of the integrative cancer care services the center offers.
Over my 14 months of treatment, I used many of their services. Every single week. Hypnotherapy, acupuncture and massage were my mainstays. But it’s not just the services that helped; as important were the people there. I developed a level of trust and familiarity with them and they were my go-tos when I had questions that I didn’t want to ask the triage nurse. Questions about healing my raging hemorrhoids or my dry menopausal vagina or my radiation burned chest.
My Sari Center family changed the outcome of my recovery. I am lucky to have found them.
This year is the 10 year anniversary of the Sari Center. We are celebrating this amazing milestone, on Saturday, April 7th, by hosting a 5K Trail Run/Walk out at Jupiter’s beautiful Riverbend Park. I am proud to be a co-chair of this race and to raise money for the Sari Center. If you are local to Palm Beach County, visit the race page to find out more about how to register for this event or make a donation.
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