A personal story from M.E.
I met FairLife L.C.C. through the youth anti-smoking campaign “14minutes of life” and through the activities my children participated in during an anti-smoking project, with their school.. Being a lung cancer patient, I encouraged them to volunteer as the greatest life lesson they could have learned was Ms. Patelli Bell’s motto to “turn pain into a seed of hope”. A few weeks later, during the recheck, the worst case scenario was confirmed. The disease was continuing to worsen, and it appeared that the treatment regimen was no longer working. Having been informed by her website and the “Learn – Act – Hope” section about molecular testing and biomarkers, I recommended it to the doctor, and, with his permission, we proceeded with a series of tests hoping to find a more targeted treatment. Unfortunately, the results did not have any positive findings that could lead us to a more effective treatment. All the protocols existing had been implemented, even immunotherapy, and any repetition of any of the treatment regimens implemented would add toxicity to my already burdened organism. Due to the long-term chemotherapy and type A diabetes, I had lost several pounds, had anaemia and iron deficiency. We were at a deadlock as to whether it made sense to continue with any treatment that would only have toxic effect to my body.
At that critical time, I decided to contact FairLife L.C.C.’s 111 57 line to get help. After giving my medical history and stating my concerns about the further progression of the disease, I waited for a response. The response was immediate and to my surprise the next day Ms. Pateli herself called me to speak with me. The conversation with her was relieving mainly because of her confessional approach and personal experience.
I will not go into so much medical details but rather the patient’s approach. Through the multifaceted information about Lung Cancer and what I read, I was able to get a holistic view of the disease. Subsequently, and regarding the management of the disease, I was taken on by a multidisciplinary team of different specialties consisting of oncologist, pathologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, and psychologist. For the first time I was introduced to a holistic approach of the disease and a personalised treatment regimen aimed at uplifting my body beyond treatment. Within two months, the first positive results were quite obvious. Weight gain, increased hematocrit, better reaction to the new treatment without side effects, improved psychology. Eight months later we can talk about a stabilisation of the disease and some mild improvement, given that there are other metastatic tumours. The gradual turnaround of the whole situation was multifactorial because of a holistic medical approach. But the most important thing for me is the psychological support and the safety that the people of FairLIfe L.C.C. provided, like a second family. When I met Korina in person, many months later, it was like knowing each other for years. She was not only the President and founder of FairLife, but a familiar face, a caregiver of mine.
The reason I share my personal experience is not only to give hope and optimism to patients or to promote the contribution of FairLife L.C.C., but mainly to address to doctors and nurses. Empathy, sincere relationship with the patient, personal contact, monitoring their psychology, alongside the disease, is somehow an “alternative immunotherapy treatment ” that works in an adjuvant and supportive way.
20 July 2022
