Tanya West

Tanya West

When my mom Cathy told me she had breast cancer I honestly didn’t think much of it. I didn’t understand in my 20’s how it would affect her or our family...I just hadn’t experienced it with anyone before and I can admit I was clueless. She didn’t make it a big deal cause that was just how my mom was, she didn’t want anyone worrying about her.

She dealt with it on and off for 6 years, undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy and sometimes she was doing good; but it kept coming back. Surgery after surgery I will never understand why she even had any tissue left to cause more problems. It was very frustrating!

I wasn’t feeling great myself, I felt stressed out, so tired and I could itch my skin til my legs would bleed. People thought I was nervous and probably was had mental issues because no one knew what was wrong with me. Doctor after doctor told me something different and none of them got it right. I was told to exercise more, that I had a chest infection or needed creams for my skin. It wasn’t until my chiropractor listened to my breathing that he sent me directly to emergency to request an x-ray. Turned out I had a massive

tumour in my chest pushing on my lung and my heart and it had caused my lung to fill with fluid. You might think, that really sucks...but the first thing I thought was a sigh of relief...there was actually something wrong with me and finally I knew what it was. Of course then panic and fear set it shortly afterwards and I thought I was going to die. What had I done with my life?

I went through chemo and radiation and a bunch of procedures for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and just when I was almost done chemo my mom told me the news that she had cancer again. This time it really wasn’t good.

She found out a few months later that it had spread to her brain and it was a slow slope downward as we watched her slowly slip away that year. I didn’t know anything about vitamins when I was diagnosed but I started to learn as much as I could. I got my mom seeing an Iridologist that had her on multiple supplements and my mom’s eyes were green just like mine (scary that our eyes were the same). The lady told us that blue and brown were the only true colors and oddly enough my mom’s eyes were blue when she passed. Crazy right? She just didn’t have enough strength to make her way back to health. It was heartbreaking and I often think if only I knew then what I know now, my mom would still be around.

After losing my mom to breast cancer, I started taking courses, changing my life and made a decision to have a double mastectomy. I had several lumps and painful breasts and without hesitation I was approved for this surgery. It might not be for everyone but knowing what my mom went through and what I had been through, it was the right choice for me and I don’t regret that decision.

I now have my certification in holistic nutrition and am a certified holistic cancer practitioner and coach women through cancer to help them get a new more positive mindset. It is cancer coaching for the mind, body and soul.

My advice to others is to always ask questions when something doesn’t feel right, keep pushing until you get answers and I mean real answers. If you are not happy with the advice you are being given, talk to someone else. Be open to holistic help because it really does make a difference. Stay positive and laugh often, even when you don’t feel like it. Just do it!

If you are interested in talking with me about cancer prevention or coaching I would be happy to talk to you. Feel free to contact me at www.tanyawest.ca or @gowithwest on Instagram. There is a free cancer guide on my website as well. Enjoy!