From Sara Barwinski What a wonderful experience to be able to participate in the 2nd Annual Evidence-Based CAM conference! I was diagnosed last May with stage III Breast Cancer, and after participating in a clinical trial I had bilateral mastectomies in December. The timing of the conference was perfect for me--I felt totally blessed to be surrounded by such knowledgable resources to help me choose my path towards wellness and to avoid recurrence. I was particularly impressed by the fact that the conference truly was "evidence based"--claims were evaluated in light of research and experience and any conflict of interest was duly noted. I was also so encouraged by the networking and community of cancer survivors. I had been feeling rather alone in my quest for information and questions about toxic therapies that were being pushed without question. I was drawn to complementary and alternative treatments but wondered if I was being "foolish" when so many others don't seem to aggressively pursue their wellness and accept western medicine's prescriptions without thinking. I felt the conference had a balanced approach--with some speakers who sought to maximize benefit/reduce harm of chemo where necessary--while overall retaining an emphasis on opening up doors to other ways of approaching cancer treatment. It was also great starting the day with yoga and enjoying such healthy and yummy organic meals and snacks. It was a great jump start to my resolve to include diet, exercise and stress reduction in my wellness plan. After a year of costly medical treatments, I was so grateful for a scholarship so that I could participate in this feast of information and support. Annie Appleseed and Ann Fonfa provide a wonderful service to folks like me who are trying to navigate "cancer land" in a more rational and wholistic way. Thank you so much! Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.