Portland woman goes the distance for 'integrative' cancer care
By
Pam McGaffin
Nancy Jarigese felt she owed it to herself and her family to get
the kind of cancer care she wanted even if it meant traveling
weekly from Portland to the Seattle area – six hours roundtrip "if
you don’t hit traffic."
Since she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer
in June 2009, she’s made about 30 trips north to Renton,
Washington, sometimes being driven by family and friends and many
times on the train – all because she believed she’d be better off
with doctors who combine chemotherapy with naturopathic support.
"My surgeon in Portland was very dismissive of doing anything to
improve my immune system," says Nancy, 54. "Fortunately, my
husband, Randy, is never content to accept things simply because a
doctor says so."
An ultrasound technician, Randy was the first person to see that
something was very wrong with Nancy’s ovaries during a routine
screening in June 2009. After she underwent surgery days later to
remove the tumor, Randy’s research led them to Cancer Treatment
Centers of America, a national network of hospitals and facilities
that includes Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center in
Renton.
CTCA and its affiliates specialize in an "integrative" approach to
cancer care that combines innovative chemotherapy with
complementary therapies, including naturopathic oncology, Chinese
medicine and acupuncture, and mind-body medicine.
Intrigued, Randy and Nancy took their first trip to Seattle Cancer
Treatment and Wellness Center and spoke with Medical Oncologist
Nick Chen and Naturopathic Oncologist Mark Gignac.
"After I talked to them, I knew that was where I wanted to go,"
says Nancy, "The thought of going up to Renton every week was a
little overwhelming. That’s a lot to ask of my friends and family
to drive me. But then I finally decided I would only have one shot
at this."
Over the next four to five months, Nancy visited the Center weekly
for metronomic chemotherapy, in which drugs are administered in
smaller, more frequent doses to lower toxicity and minimize side
effects.
After receiving chemotherapy every week for 18 weeks, she did
another round of 12 chemo treatments every other week.
In addition to Dr. Chen, she also saw Dr. Gignac for a
naturopathic regimen that included dietary recommendations as well
as vitamins and supplements to support her health.
Other than fatigue and anemia, Nancy tolerated treatment better
than she thought possible. During the two rounds of chemotherapy
over more than 30 weeks, she never got sick.
"I was tired, but I could still be a wife and mother," she says.
"I could still get my daughter off to school and put in a few
hours at my job. I was able to carry on my life."
Last May, Nancy had her final chemo, and is now doing well on a
naturopathic maintenance schedule that has her visiting the Center
every three to four months.
She’s grateful for every day she has and the chance to see her
8-year-old daughter, Grace, grow up.
"What a gift life is," she says.
