Joshua 1:9 KJV;NKJV – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Lisa was diagnosed with stage 3C endometrial cancer in June 2017.
After six months of chemotherapy and six surgeries, she was unable to continue my course of treatment which involved six weeks of radiation due to a compromised immune system. Her immune system was extremely depleted, and she was told she was at a higher risk for recurrence, Lisa sought out how to boost her body’s immune system and keep herself in remission.
Lisa is often heard saying, “I truly wake up every day and ask God to put someone in my path that is struggling with their cancer diagnosis and healing.” In her spare time, Lisa enjoys researching Cancer, reading, and spending time with her family. Lisa believes in the importance of “self care days,” where she spends time walking the beach, forest bathing, working out at the gym, and visiting fresh produce markets.
She quickly found the Radical Remission 10 healing factors and started implementing them into her daily life.
The 10 Radical Remission Healing Factors
- Empowering Yourself
- Finding Strong Reasons For Living
- Radically Changing your Diet
- Having a Spiritual Connection
- Using Herbs & Supplements
- Increasing Exercise & Movement
- Following your Intuition
- Releasing Suppressed Emotions
- Increasing Positive Emotions
- Finding Social Support
Radical Remission has been at the forefront in Lisa overcoming cancer and staying in remission.
When Lisa Tarantino was diagnosed with stage III endometrial cancer in 2017, she dove into treatment with a positive mindset, intent on survival. She endured six surgeries accompanied by six months of aggressive chemotherapy.
Tarantino’s son, C.J., went along, not only for support and company, but also to help with what is called “cold capping.” More than half of all chemo patients lose their hair, but with cold capping, a series of dry ice-cooled caps that cause blood vessels in the scalp to narrow, the amount of harsh chemicals reaching hair follicles is reduced.
“Cold capping is becoming more popular,’’ Tarantino says. “I only lost about 20% of the hair framing my face but it grew back nicely.”
Tarantino was grateful for her son’s presence during the six-hour sessions. “It’s common for patients to be alone,” she says. “It’s a long day. No one wants to ask someone to sit there for four, five, six hours. Not everyone can handle it but it tugged at my heart to see others without anyone. My son would kid me: ‘Do you have to talk to everybody?’”
After scheduling Tarantino for radiation, her doctors told her that due to a genetic predisposition to a low white blood cell count, she was ineligible.
Rather than giving up, however, she broadened her research.
“The medical community helped save my life,” she says, “but I realized that it was up to me to continue my healing. I work at it every day. I have to.”
BOOSTING IMMUNE SYSTEM
The human body’s immune system is designed to fight off disease and keep it healthy. Cancer treatment can actually damage the system. As Tarantino attended multiple cancer support groups from Stuart to West Palm Beach and studied everything she could find on the subject, she learned about the importance of non-medical boosts to the immune system such as exercise and nutrition.
Tarantino was especially drawn to the New York-based Radical Remission Project, launched by Kelly Turner, PhD. After studying more than 1,500 cancer patients worldwide who experienced a radical, unexpected remission, Turner isolated 10 universally common factors: self-empowerment, deepening spiritual connections, an increase in positive emotions, following personal intuition, releasing suppressed emotions, diet changes, herbs and supplements, developing a strong reason for living, joy and happiness, and increasing social support.
Tarantino’s health improved as she focused on the 10 factors; a passion grew to share with others ways they could also benefit. She became a certified functional nutrition counselor, a full body systems graduate, a radical remission hope coach, a holistic cancer coach and a member of the health navigator community.
Tarantino, a caregiver for her husband, Charles, a disabled Vietnam veteran and fellow cancer survivor, began her own business. Tarantino Coaching and Wellness enabled her to work one-on-one and with groups for classes and workshops. Business was one thing — she also longed for a cancer support group for patients and their families in her own backyard.
Tarentino earned certifications that enable her to provide training to support group members as she shares her experiences with them at the group’s weekly meetings.
HOME-GROWN SUPPORT
Four and a half years ago, a friend invited Tarantino to a Bible study at Christ Fellowship Church in Tradition, where support groups for a variety of issues — substance abuse, divorce and grief — were offered. She approached the care pastor about a meeting for cancer support. “He said he’d always wanted one, but there wasn’t anyone to facilitate.”
Tarantino volunteered and “absolutely fell in love” with the community that meets Tuesday evenings at 6:30 in Room 213. There is no charge for attendance but when off-site workshops are offered as part of Tarantino’s business, support group members receive a discount.
“During the pandemic, we moved to Zoom but now we’re hybrid — Zoom and in-person,” Tarantino says. “If someone isn’t feeling well after chemo or they’re out of state, they can still participate. I [started the group] to help others, but it blesses me. I’m so proud of the way the group embraces new members. They’ve become a family.”
Relating to people who understand one’s circumstances and share similar challenges is key to social support. Cancer patients often experience alienation and isolation, adding another layer of trauma.
Group member Bonnie Gallucci is a former Air Force nurse. She remembers when doctors made house calls and would touch her on the shoulder, telling her that everything was going to be OK. “People have forgotten how important that human connection is. That’s what we give people here: comfort and compassionate care.”
After the group recently watched a video on the science behind the mind-body connection, one woman shared about realizing what she was missing. While her family told her what she should or shouldn’t be doing, they’d stopped hugging her. As if cancer could be “caught.”
As other members of the group laid a hand on her shoulder,
she determined to speak up about what she needed at home.
Gallucci says that people who haven’t experienced cancer mean well, but don’t always know how to respond — unlike the group. “I can be down, then come to a meeting and walk out feeling so much better.”
Radical Remission™ Project “Stories That Heal” Podcast is dedicated to sharing true stories of people who have overcome the odds of their diagnosis and the personal experiences witnessed by their healers. We hope these stories will inspire you to become the leader of your healing journey!
How it all began...
The Radical Remission™ Project was born out of Kelly A. Turner, PhD’s dissertation research on radical remissions. As Dr. Turner continued the research and realized that the opinions of two groups of people were typically missing from the 1,000+ cases published in medical journals – the survivors themselves and their alternative healers.
Because conventional medical doctors do not currently have an explanation for why radical remissions occur, Dr. Turner decided to ask these two ignored groups what they thought could lead to a radical remission.
Her research has continued, and Dr. Turner has now analyzed over 1,500 cases of radical remissions, including those using an integrative approach. Lisa Tarantino – Stage 3C Endo – Radical Remission Project ”Stories That Heal” Podcast – Apple Podcasts