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Her Doctor Said No. She Did It.

Her Doctor Said No. She Did It.

'Unrest in your nest?' Learn the surprising connection between emotional stress and cancer that her conventional doctors completely missed.

Carli Williams
September 04, 2025

The part can never be well unless the whole is well.

Plato

Maggie’s Interview: Her fight with breast cancer & integrative care
How Integrative Oncology actually works with cancer
Clinics & tools to help you get started with Integrative Oncology
🎉HLTH Code Giveaway Winner Announcement!🎉

Hey, everyone!

Carli here. Raleigh and I recently had a conversation I thought would bring you comfort and hope.

We sat down with Maggie, who was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma this February. She is, as she put it, "in the thick of it." But as we talked, I was blown away by her knowledge, her calm, and her incredible sense of agency over her own healing journey.

Her story is a powerful reminder that even when you feel like you're on a conveyor belt of appointments and protocols, you can still be the one in the driver's seat.

When Maggie got her diagnosis, she was handed the standard-of-care playbook: "12 rounds of chemo, 30 rounds of radiation." It was the same script they gave me, with no questions about her lifestyle, her diet, or her as a person. It was just a folder and a protocol.

But Maggie felt there was another way. Months before her diagnosis, she'd heard a Dr. Connealy in California on a podcast and told her friends, "If I ever got cancer, I'd go here."

Two weeks later, she found the lump. Instead of accepting the protocol, she made the call. That one proactive step gave her a sense of control.

When she walked into Dr. Connealy's clinic, the difference was night and day. The conventional oncology office was a place of dread, but Dr. Connealy's center was "full of hope, full of people, that yes, they're sick, but they're positive. They're smiling. They're laughing."

The biggest difference? Conventional doctors asked how to kill the cancer. Dr. Connealy's team asked a more important question:

"Why did you get it, and what can we do to keep it from coming back?"

They spent two weeks doing rigorous testing, uncovering things like mold, heavy metals, and the immense impact of emotional stress. What Dr. Connealy called "unrest in your nest."

They weren't just treating her disease, but, instead, treating her. They helped her rebuild her body's terrain and gave her back the control and inspiration that had been stripped away.

Her journey is a testament to trusting your gut and seeking out a team that sees you as a whole person.

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Your Guide to Integrative Oncology

So, what exactly is Integrative Oncology?

Conventional medicine (chemo, radiation, surgery) is very cold, aggressive in nature. It thinks of you as a lab test and nothing more.

Integrative Oncology treats you like a human being, providing support to make your treatments more effective and resilient.

The Society for Integrative Oncology defines it as a patient-centered, evidence-informed field that uses mind-body practices, natural products, and lifestyle changes alongside other cancer treatments.

The goal is to manage symptoms, reduce side effects, improve quality of life, and empower you to be an active participant in your own healing.

In practice, this means using a toolkit of therapies. For example, there's solid research showing that:

Acupuncture can be incredibly effective for managing chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and pain.
Oncology Massage can significantly reduce anxiety, pain, and fatigue for patients undergoing treatment.
Mind-Body Practices like meditation and yoga have been shown to decrease stress, improve sleep, and boost emotional well-being.
Nutrition Counseling helps you use food as a tool to support your body's strength and recovery.

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Helpful Resources

Exploring integrative care can feel like a big step, but there are incredible centers dedicated to this whole-person approach. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Center for New Medicine & Cancer Center for Healing (Irvine, CA):

This is Maggie's clinic, led by Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, a leading expert in integrative medicine and published author.

As one of the largest integrative clinics in North America, it's renowned for its approach of digging deep to find the root cause of an illness. They offer a vast array of advanced diagnostic tests and therapies, from IV nutrition to emotional healing modalities.

2. The Simms Mann Center (Los Angeles, CA):

A national model for psychosocial cancer care, this center is integrated within a major academic hospital. They focus on the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the cancer journey. Offering services like counseling, nutrition guidance, and mindfulness programs.

3. Oasis of Hope (Tijuana, Mexico):

Oasis of Hope is a great choice for integrative oncology because they create a personalized plan that attacks cancer from multiple angles while supporting your overall well-being. They use innovative therapies like hyperthermia, ozone therapy, and high-dose vitamin C IV therapy

You Don't Have to Do This Alone

Maggie’s story is a powerful reminder that you are the most important member of your healthcare team. But advocating for yourself can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already dealing with so much.

That is why we created CancerCrew+. It’s a community and a safe space to connect with patients, survivors, and caregivers in our private forums. You can watch full interviews like our talk with Maggie, ask hard questions, and find a support system that empowers you to explore every treatment option.