Overview
It all started in February 2020 when Mrs. Kirti Lalwani was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The diagnosis left her overwhelmed, physically, mentally, as well as emotionally. After undergoing all the necessary tests and examinations, her oncologist suggested she get operated. She had a successful surgery on 5th June 2020, she was recovering normally. She had beaten cancer and was hopeful about life again. However this happiness was short lived, a few weeks after the surgery, during a post-operative checkup, it was found that cancer had relapsed. Getting diagnosed with cancer once is as traumatizing as it can get, and here she was getting diagnosed with it twice, in a matter of a few months and this naturally caused a lot of stress. She started having severe symptoms like sleep disturbances, body aches, headache, achy joints and muscles, fatigue, constipation, and low energy levels. All these added to the fact that she was already suffering from hyperthyroidism, and had a family history of cancer making the case even more complex.
When she came to Awaana Health, Kirti was going through a lot of issues. She suffered from terrible sleep disturbances which gave her constant headaches. She also complained of body and muscle aches, all of which indicated inflammation. Then there was also constipation, extremely low energy levels and fatigue, which prevented her from performing simple day-to-day tasks. After the second diagnosis, the mere thought of going through all those procedures again started giving her anxiety and panic attacks. During this time she also suffered from terrible mood swings which affected her relationships with friends and family. So far in her cancer journey and before starting with Awaana Health she had never followed any major lifestyle and dietary changes. She was following a singular conventional treatment plan and had no idea of how to deal with any of the side effects.
Our Approach
On 24th February 2021, Mrs. Kirti Lawani joined us at Awaana’s Cancer Nutrition program.
The process started with deep diving into her case history and got her to do a lot of new diagnostic tests. Our first goal was to improve her energy levels and overall well being. We started working on reducing inflammation and toxicity. We focussed primarily on improving her hemoglobin levels, vitamin B12 levels, and CA-125 cancer marker. We designed a comprehensive dietary plan, suggested supplements, and mind-body practices.
Due to low hemoglobin levels, Mrs. Kirti Lalwani complained of lower energy levels, body aches, and pains. To tackle this we gave her a diet rich in iron, which helps in the biosynthesis of hemoglobin. The most significant side effects of chemotherapy and drugs included weakness and weight gain. It also caused her thyroid levels to fluctuate. To combat this, a diet rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants was planned for her, which helps to reduce oxidative stress within the body and also helps stabilize the thyroid hormones. This stepwise diet program was specifically designed for her keeping in mind all of her body’s requirements. This diet was also coupled with various detoxifying agents which were also customized as per her condition.
Our primary recommendation was that an anti-estrogen and anti-inflammatory diet was to be followed strictly. She started on an organic, plant based and gluten free diet to reduce the load of toxins on the body. Her diet plan included plenty of colorful vegetables and supplements such as Ashwagandha that can help with inflammation. Specific oils and spices were also added to the nutrition program to promote the healing of tissues. As for fluids, she was advised to consume fluids rich in antioxidants like fruit juices and coconut water.
Using an integrative approach, our on-panel oncologist, Dr. Milli, made a prognosis that Mrs. Kirti Lalwani was susceptible to cardiac toxicity and bone marrow depression due to 2nd line chemotherapy that she was receiving for her cancer relapse. To combat these complications she was given intensive therapies like a high dosage of Vit C (IV), ozone therapy, supplements, melatonin, and other nutritional supplements. During consultations we realized that she was using a lot of synthetic and potentially harmful beauty products which were suggested to replace with natural products. This was done to reduce the impact of false estrogens that come with chemical-based skincare and home usage products. She was also asked to practice yoga and meditation which helps in building strength, improving breathing and circulation, reducing oxidative damage to cells, and managing stress and anxiety.
We understand the importance of mental health support during cancer, and keeping this in mind we arranged regular emotional counseling sessions and ensured that she always had an optimistic mindset. Not just her, we also counseled and guided her close family whenever they had any questions or doubts.
The result
After the relapse, Kirti’s oncologist had advised her to go for surgery, but after a few weeks of strictly following Awanas program her condition started to improve and she didn’t do the surgery anymore.
Mrs. Lalwani has been associated with Awaana Health for more than a year now and she has reported significant improvement in symptoms such as pain, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, constipation, and reduced energy levels. She also stated that her mental health has improved a lot and that she is more confident and optimistic overall. We performed several biochemical and pathological tests before, during, and after she joined us, and we are happy to says that there has been a significant improvement in her hemoglobin levels, ESR (a marker of inflammation) has come down, TSH, T3, and T4 levels have stabilized, CA-125 marker level has reduced, and remaining parameters have all come into the normal range. Listen to Kirti’s story in her own words here. We are proud of her and glad we could be part of her journey!
