When my PET scan in May, 2022 indicated cancer was progressing in my lungs and was also in my liver (for the first time), I knew I needed to do something different if I wanted to live longer. I had been on a waiting list for several months to see Mark Bricca, ND. I had heard about him from three independent sources, including reading about him in “Radical Hope” by Kelly A. Turner, PhD. My intuition was that he could be helpful in my situation. I contacted him again and was able to schedule my first appointment in August.

I made an agreement with myself that I would do whatever he recommended. I sent him all my records, including the 17-page report from FoundationOne lab who had examined tissue from a lung biopsy to determine what targeted therapy my cancer would be responsive to. I had interpreted their report as saying there was no targeted therapy my cancer would respond to, but I didn’t understand most of the report. Fortunately, Dr. Bricca did.

He said there was something in that report that indicated my cancer would respond to Ibrance. It is a drug specifically for post-menopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. It is given along with an aromatase inhibitor, in my case, Faslodex.

I was shocked that he was recommending Ibrance. My oncologist had been trying to get me to take it for several years and I was resistant. I saw it advertised on TV and the potential side effects were horrible. Everyone I knew who had taken it had died. I looked at online chat rooms and saw women posting that they couldn’t get off the couch when they were taking Ibrance. No energy to do anything. I had evaluated it as potentially destroying my quality of life with no benefit.

But Dr. Bricca recommended it and believed it could help slow down or reverse the growth of my cancer. He was also recommending several herbal supplements that would help mitigate side effects, and he was recommending a lower dose of Ibrance than is normally given.

I took seriously my promise to myself to follow his recommendations, so I agreed to take it. I would work on lowering my internal resistance.

My next shock came when my drug insurance company called to tell me my co-pay was $3,189. The full cost of one month of Ibrance is $15,000. I was furious at the greed of big Pharma to charge that much for a lifesaving drug. Most women couldn’t afford that.

My oncologist’s support staff helped me apply for financial aid from Pfizer who makes the drug. They eventually approved my request and sent me Ibrance free. No insurance involved. Just a gift from Pfizer.

I am on my second month of taking Ibrance. The schedule is one pill a day for three weeks, then one week off. Repeat. Of all the potential side effects listed, the only ones I have experienced so far are lowering of both my white blood cell count, and my platelets. And a few days of diarrhea my first week.

My quality of life is good. I still enjoy playing Pickle ball and taking my daily walk. I have moments when I feel like I have caved in and am doing something I don’t believe in, but I don’t stay there long. I know my body needs help in stopping this bully (cancer) and I want to give it all the help that is available.

I have a blood test every two weeks and my cancer marker numbers are slowly starting to go down. It’s too soon to tell where this is headed, but I am feeling optimistic.