Amanda D., 34-year-old avid horse rider and coach, was devastated when an aggressive bone cancer left her unable to walk, let alone ride. But two years later, she sits atop her horse feeling better than ever, and she wants to share her story.
Chondroblastic osteosarcoma is a rare cancer that typically affects children, so it was quite a shock when Amanda’s doctors gave her the diagnosis. Unfortunately, by the time they discovered it, the disease had metastasized and advanced to stage 3. It was considered “non-curative.”
Amanda’s tumor was located in the thecal sack on her lower back, which contains nerves controlling her legs. It caused paralysis and nerve damage that left her unable to work, take care of her family, or fulfill her passion.
Although her doctors told her there was little they could do for her, they did offer chemotherapy and radiation in an attempt to shrink her tumor. So she traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she underwent 27 rounds of radiation and 5 rounds of MAP chemotherapy. But 6 months later, scans showed that her tumor was still growing. She began to experience numbness in her hips, legs, and knees.
Although her doctors suggested continuing with chemotherapy, Amanda couldn’t stand any more of the harsh treatment that wasn’t giving her any results. So she decided to do her own research.
When she discovered a natural treatment regimen called Gerson Therapy, she began the diet on her own. But more research led her to discover an integrative cancer treatment center in Tijuana, Mexico called CHIPSA. The hospital offers several alternative and integrative immunotherapy treatments along with the Gerson regimen that Amanda was already following. She was already living in so much pain, and there wasn’t much else her doctors could do for her, so she decided to take a chance and visit the hospital.
Amanda underwent all of the innovative treatments CHIPSA has to offer, including Apatone, (a high-dose treatment of vitamins C and K3), ValloVax, and the nutritional Gerson Therapy. She arrived at CHIPSA using a wheelchair and relying on several pain medications. Three weeks later, she returned home using neither.
When she chose to visit CHIPSA, all Amanda was really looking for was better quality of life. Her doctors had previously told her that her cancer was non-curative, but she was in so much pain she was willing to try anything to reduce it.
She didn’t expect that her cancer would disappear.
After performing an additional back surgery, Amanda’s doctors came out to tell her that her tumor was dead and that there was no longer any cancer in her body.
Although her full recovery hasn’t been easy, Amandareports that she feels pretty good. Most remarkably, she’s back to riding her horses. As she said to Amanda M. Usher of Valdosta Daily Times, “On the horse, I’m normal. You don’t feel like you have any handicap when you’re on the horse.”
Amanda visits an occupational therapist weekly to help restore her nerve and muscle damage. Although Amanda’s cancer could always return, she chooses not to focus on that. Instead, she pours her energy into being a wife, mother, daughter, and coach. “We try to focus more on being able (to say) that we’ve got the second chance for today,” she told Usher.
