You Are Not a Statistic: A Journey of Healing, Hope, and Bioindividuality

Andrea Schaffer

on

Friday, January 24, 2025

You Are Not a Statistic: A Journey of Healing, Hope, and Bioindividuality

Cancer is a deeply personal journey. No matter the diagnosis, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, especially when faced with a sea of opinions, suggestions, and statistics. For many of us, the journey feels isolating, but I want to remind you of something important: you are not alone, and you are not a statistic.

This morning, I received a note from a dear client with a brain cancer diagnosis. She had been feeling despair after a well-meaning person, not involved in her care, suggested she look into expensive and logistically out-of-reach treatments. Her question broke my heart because it’s one I hear often: “What if what I’m doing isn’t enough?”

I want to share part of my response to her because I know many of you may feel the same way at times:

"Everyone has an opinion or a suggestion, and while they are just trying to help out of the goodness of their heart, they don't know what you are already doing. I can totally understand how that can make you feel like you aren't doing enough or that a miracle is out of reach because of cost, life circumstances, or other reasons."

When we’re on this journey, it’s easy to feel bombarded by advice, treatments, and stories of what others are doing. It’s human nature to compare, but your path is uniquely yours. There is no singular “magic pill” or treatment. Every decision you make, every step you take to nurture your health, is powerful.

"It can be difficult when you hear what others are doing or hear of a new potential treatment to not feel like, 'What if I am not doing enough?' But I can tell you, there is no singular magic pill or treatment. There are consequences for all of these 'miracle treatments' like Car-T, immunotherapy, chemo, and radiation. While these SOC therapies can be useful to push the tumor back, there is another side which is a tax to your terrain. This is why, with the metabolic approach, we guard your terrain so carefully, no matter what therapies you choose to do."

Your journey is yours alone. The statistics don’t apply to you because you are creating a healing path that celebrates your uniqueness. Every nourishing meal, every stress-relieving practice, every effort to balance your hormones, reduce toxins, and care for your nervous system matters. Your body wants to heal, and it is capable of incredible things.

This is something I know personally. In February 2023, during a routine preventative MRI, I discovered I had a brain tumor—a malignant grade 3 oligodendroglioma. I was completely asymptomatic at the time, and the diagnosis was a shock. Thanks to an incredible surgeon, the tumor was removed, and I recovered remarkably well. But the surgery was only one part of my healing process. I turned to the metabolic approach, focusing on a therapeutic ketogenic diet, balancing my health through labs, and addressing every factor in my terrain.

Cancer changed my life, but it also deepened my understanding of what true healing requires. Every day, I put the principles of test, assess, address into action, and it’s why I am so passionate about helping others navigate their own paths to wellness.

"The things that will bring your terrain into balance are what you are doing every day, with every bite, every positive thought, and every health-balancing treatment. We must have faith that our bodies want to heal, and they do!"

"The true miracle healing agents are our nourishing food, the healing of our nervous systems, the balancing of our hormones, the improvement of our metabolisms, the reduction and eradication of toxins, the managing of stress, and most importantly, the deep loving of our spirits, souls, and bodies. These are the things that support our terrain every day."

You are walking a path of healing that is uniquely yours. Trust in your bioindividuality, celebrate your progress, and know that you are enough. You are already doing so much to support your health and wellbeing.

At the Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health, we want to foster community and hope for everyone on their cancering journey. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure, know that there is a community here to support you. Healing is about more than treatments—it’s about reclaiming your power and nourishing every part of yourself.

About Andrea Schaffer
Andrea Schaffer is a nutritionist specializing in oncology and a cancer thriver. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2023, Andrea has embraced the metabolic approach to healing, using her knowledge to guide others on their journey. You can learn more about Andrea’s story at Not Just Broccoli or watch her testimonial, alongside others who have taken a metabolic approach, on the Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health Testimonials Page.

Connect with Dr. Nasha & the Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health