By Dr. Sarah Tayebi, ND
Patients often ask what my inspiration was to work with cancer patients in my Naturopathic career. For me, the answer has always been simple. Cancer has touched my family, much like it has for so many families around the world. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor of almost 35 years. Although her battle with cancer thankfully came to an end, she still suffers from severe lymphedema and the complications associated with her disease and the copious amount of treatments she underwent! I saw her struggle throughout and after her treatments, and I always wondered if there was something else out there that could help support her and thousands of other cancer patients like her through this difficult journey.
I started to look into lymphedema management and soon became one of the first few certified medical doctors to provide this service in Iran. Soon after, I joined an oncology team as a Patient Coordinator and Lymphedema Therapist, where we provided information and education on lymphedema prevention for at-risk cancer patients. These cases allowed me to spend time with patients and address their questions and concerns about dietary guidelines, supplements, exercise, and other natural aides to support them through conventional treatment. This led me to the discovery of my true purpose in Supportive Naturopathic Cancer Care.