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Show Wednesday, October 22, 1997 The Park Record A-17 Park Record Profile Parkite takes the path less travelled in Alternative therapy and positive thinking are Jeannine Siemon's best medicine by Melissa O'Brien OF THE RECORD STAFF Jeannine Siemon, originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991, considers her ordeal since that time more than just a disease, but also a personal journey. "When I last visited my doctor he told me I shouldn't be here. At first I thought he meant I should be seeing someone else, or that I shouldn't be in his office. Then I realized he meant I should be dead," Siemon said. For a few months before her annual gynecological exam in 1991, Siemon had felt sporadic twinges of shock-like pains in her right breast. During the appointment, appoint-ment, while her doctor was examining exam-ining her breasts, he asked if she had noticed anything unusual, in spite of the fact he had detected no lumps. She told him no, other than the intermittent pains in her breast. As a precautionary measure, mea-sure, her doctor ordered a mammogram, mam-mogram, Siemon's first at age 38. Although the results of the test were negative, Siemon was not convinced. "I just had this feeling that something was wrong." Siemon said. On the recommendation of a friend, Siemon consulted another gynecologist who performed another mammogram with the same results as the first. Mostly for Siemon's piece of mind, a needle nee-dle biopsy was also performed. Then came the news she had feared all along the biopsy was positive, and Siemon was diagnosed diag-nosed with interductal cancer, or cancer of the milk ducts within the breast. Her boys, Joey, Nick and Patrick were ages 2, 4 and 5 respectively, at the time. Her surgeon performed a lumpectomy. However, because of the nature of her cancer the abnormal cells were feathered throughout Siemon's breast rather than concentrated in a tumor she underwent a mastectomy a ONE OF A KIND PARK CITY INVESTMENT IN PROSPECTOR SQUARE FOR SALE 2 Parcels - 15 plus acres - Easement included - Parcels must be sold together - Estate Zoned - All utilities available - $6.6 million - OwnerAgent ii ri iniiWiil Call Nani Hogle 801-649-2212 800-409-9310 week later. Siemon then began the second phase cancer patients typically typi-cally endure in their quest for a cure, researching a treatment. "I looked at the statistics and didn't think chemotherapy or traditional tra-ditional treatment improved my odds that much, so I began to look into alternative treatment," Siemon said. The Gerson Theory In an attempt to regain her strength before she decided which method of treatment she would pursue, Siemon decided to take a vacation to visit her brother in San Francisco. While there, her brother urged her to see a registered nurse he had heard of who had studied acupuncture and opened a clinic with mmmu reputed success in treating terminal diseases. She finally scheduled an appointment with the acupuncturist on the last day of her vacation, and along with the treatment session, Siemon was given a list of three women who were utilizing acupuncture and other alternative therapies to battle the recurrence of breast cancer. "I called the last woman on the list and she told me about Gerson therapy," Siemon said. According to Siemon, Gerson therapy is based on a German philosophy phi-losophy of metabolism and diet. The treatment assumes the patient has had a nutrition deficiency, and works on building the immune system, restoration of the liver and detoxification. The therapy called for the consumption of 13 glasses of fresh squeezed juice, primarily carrot, and five enemas every day. "I learned that everything in our body is connected to our environment envi-ronment and how we treat ourselves. our-selves. There's so much more to our bodies than we realize, its just a matter of tuning into it," Siemon said. ERA REAL ESTATE ERA - Carlson, REALTORS' For two years, Siemon said she felt like she did nothing but peel carrots and squeeze juice, but she felt healthy, was busy with a housecleaning business, and raising rais-ing three active boys. But a wrench was thrown into her recovery. recov-ery. Her parents divorced and a separation from her husband caused a lot of undue stress. The cancer returns In 1996, at her quarterly exam, which now included a regular regu-lar mammogram, Siemon discovered discov-ered the cancer had returned, this time in the form of a tumor just below her collarbone. learned that everything in our bodies is connected to our environment and how we treat ourselves. There is so much more to our bodies than we realize-it's realize-it's just a matter of tuning into it. " Jeannine Siemon "Finding out the cancer was back was so devastating because I had put so much energy into my recovery. I really felt all the stress I felt with my family triggered the cancer to return," Siemon said. Because she had been so turned off by surgery during the first bout with the disease, Siemon held off for several months before she had the tumor removed. She consulted several alternative therapy ther-apy specialists, including a naturopathic naturo-pathic doctor in Bountiful who is a proponent of the Gerson diet. But in April of this year, Siemon finally decided to have the tumor extracted. "I decided I needed to get the bad stuff out of me before I could work on getting rid of the cancer for good," Siemon said. Although Siemon said her mastectomy mas-tectomy was not easy, the second round of surgery has proven exhausting. Surgeons not only had to remove a large portion of muscle from Siemon's chest in order to get the entire tumor, but had to extract part of the latis-simus latis-simus dorsi from her back to replace the tissue loss under her WIT OUR m fftSE C mwjurumntxm KDVIiNGTOiM WINCHESTER SAKO WEATKERBY BROWNING MOSSBERG RUGER iBrowninG Ptomfntftnn. Synthetic Stock m m Synthetic 7 MA6..Rea. LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND. NOT WINCHESTER Model 70 LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND. 8IT OUB wa PUCE ffi wwwirtoierttXM We Accept I JffSi MESH I r decoy i. W 24.89 i CARRY LITE ECONO " ; DUCK DECOY l Ufs collarbone. And they still didn't get it all. "The surgeon told me he had to leave about three percent of the tumor because of how close it was to nerves and an artery of my arm," Siemon said. Facing the challenge, again In spite of recommendations by her doctors to undergo vigorous chemo and radiation therapy, Siemon has resisted. "It just comes down to what each individual thinks is best for them, and I just don't believe chemotherapy will be the best route for me to take at this time," Siemon said. "That does- n t mean it wouldn t be good for someone else." As Siemon understood it, Chemotherapy works on killing the cells that are dividing the most quickly in your body, she explained. Along with cancer cells, the chemotherapy, derived from mustard gas used in chemical warfare during World War I, kills the cells in your stomach, causing the patient to throw up, and destroys hair cells, causing hair, eyebrows and eyelashes eye-lashes to all fall out. "Chemotherapy and radiation damage your immune system in the process which is why a lot of people think that if you've been diagnosed with cancer once, and undergo these treatments, your immune system becomes too weak to fight off a recurrence of the disease," dis-ease," Siemon said. Siemon has yet to decide on which road to take next. She is looking hard at the Gerson Institute as well as other botanical and mindbody protocols. "I like the therapies that take a multi-faceted cancer treatment approach, based on each individuals individu-als current situation," Siemon said. A group of Siemon's friends and supporters recently organized a benefit luncheon to pay for her expenses to the Institute. Over 150 women, and "a handful of brave men," attended her luncheon lun-cheon to support Siemon emotionally emo-tionally and financially. FANTASTIC SAVINGS FANTASTIC SELECTION ALL PRICES 3 12" Magnum 12GA28" Browning Gold Hunter 3" Mag 12GA or 20GA..Reg. 619.99..1 LIMITED TO STOCKON HAND. NOT ALL CALIBERS AVAILABLE 7nn am uu nuL 30 06 270 369.39 W&ZZ... .NOW 339.99 ALL CALIBERS AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES. Ranger NOT ALL CALIBERS AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES BUSHflELL 3X9X40 BANNER REDFIELd SCOPE i :TTSr"""" ' 3X9TRACKER i!099 YOUR CHOICE! mingtoiu Q8Q SHOTGUN PRIMERS OK rt I tKJ BRH.R ur SHOTGUN MAG. PRIMERS 500 22LR AMMO W Quantities limited to stock on hand. Styles, sizes and 0 Utah Full Selection Stores: Ogden City Mall 801-399-2310 Roy 801-766-4453 Bountiful 801-292-7284 Layton Hills Mall 801-546-2644 Utah Specialty Stores: ZCMI Center 801-359-4540 a quest for a cure , m 1 fplf h -' if. 'A. f r 3 -v ; SCOTT SINEPARK RECORD Longtime Park City resident Jeannine Siemon, who was diagnosed diag-nosed with breast cancer six years ago and recently had another malignant lump removed from her breast earlier this year, has chosen an alternative route to recovery. She's pictured pic-tured here with her husband Scott, and three sons, Patrick, 11, Nick, 9, Joey, 8 and family dog, Bailey. Although her friends and family support her decision to utilize alternative medicine rather than American Medical Association treatment, her choices have attracted several critics. 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