Gloria Cotaquispe, Colon Cancer Patient: "That was kind of a shock, adjusting to having a C-section, a newborn, and being diagnosed with colon cancer."
Despite 10 months of chemotherapy, her cancer spread to her liver, lungs, and ovaries.
Gloria Cotaquispe: "I wanted to hear, 'You're going to get better,' or, 'You're going to have a chance to get better,' but I didn't hear that at all."
Then she met Doctor Peter Toothy at the block center, who offered an integrative plan that combines the very best of complementary and standard medicine.
Peter Toothy, MD, Oncologist: "This approach is a very active approach. We ask a lot of patients."
Radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy are all used here, but just as important is massage, individualized diet plans, exercise, and yoga, all done while patients get their treatments. Gloria first had surgery an option not offered by other doctors then chemo.
"And she's changed her diet. No sugar, meat or dairy. Sounds tough to do but she just concentrates on fresh foods."
Gloria Cotaquispe: "The change is really, to me, it's dramatic."
Her C-T scans agree. Gloria's last scan shows the spots on her liver are shrinking. The spots on her lungs are gone.
Gloria Cotaquispe: "For the first time, I feel like a normal 27-year-old should feel who has two young children."
Peter Toothy: "The survival outcomes that I've seen in this center are very dramatically different than what I would see otherwise."
Now, Gloria is not only surviving with cancer, she's thriving in spite of it.
